Evening star., 1952-05-01
Conference May Ban
Methodist Title Use
By Social Action Unit
By Cospor Names
StoF Sfoff CORRESPONDENT

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal1f., May
1.-The 1852 general conference Of
the Methodist Church today
moved into debate on controver-
sial issues contained until now
within committee meetings.
To speed action. the conference
will hold extra sessions today, to-
morrow and Saturday. The quad
rennial meeting, which opened last
week, will close next Wednesday.
The general conference repre-
Sents more than 9 million Metho-
dists in the United States having
39,961 churches and 24,905 min
listers. The conference, composed
of 720 delegates, is the supreme
law and policy making body Of the
church.
Issues at Conference.
There will reach the floor for
debate. starting with today's ses-
Sions:
/. A committee report calling
on the Methodist Federation for
Social Action to drop the name
Methodist" from its title. The
federation, charged by some peo-
pie with having 'left-wing" SYM
pathies, is an independent body
and not an official organization
or agency of the Methodist church.
Organized in 1907, the fedora
tion has had lnany Methodist
bishops, ministers and laymen as
members.
The State of the Church Com
mittee report charges that many
members of the Methodist church
have been embarrassed by certain
of the announcements of the
Methodist Federation for Social
Action" and its use of the name
Methodist" in the federation
title. 70.
Asserting that only the general
conference is authorized to speak
for the church, the report declares
the federation has no right to
take any action which in any way
might be construed as speaking
for or rejecting the sentiment or
position of the Methodist Church"
1t not only calls on the federation
to drop the word Methodist" but
also to vacate its offices in the
Methodist Building in New York.
A minority report claims the
federation has tried to make clear
at all times it's unofficial position.
It also declares certain unfavor-
able publicity with wide circula-
tion has made a caricature Of the
true Methodist position"
Debate Smoking Pledge.
2. Debate on a commission to
study the ministry report recon-
mending that q ministerial can
didate should not be required to
sign a mo smoking" pledge. The
candidate. instead. will be asked
ito make a complete dedication
OF himself to the highest ideals
Of the Christian ministry"
8. Further discussion Of provi-
sions of survey report on stream
lining the church'S structure. To
date two of the changes suggested
have been voted on. One change
approved was the establishment
of a top level co-ordinating coun-
ell of 80 members to review ques-
tions Of overlapping and to re-
solve differences among different
agencies. But an amendment
provided that the council could
only recommend measures and not
enforce them.
The other change established
q commission on world serv-
ice for finances. but deleted a.
proposal to set UP a centralized
treasury. Under the amended re-
port. the churcf's boards and
agencies will maintain their own
treasures.
Strong resistance to cutting the
number of Methodist agencies
from So to 81. a feature of the
survey, was indicated by opposi-
tion leaders today.
Discuss Local Administration.
4. The third day of the discus
sion, which many leaders here
say so far has been concerned
with technical details, on an
eight-year study regarding the
local church will be held today.
Among the commissions recon-
mendations are the maintenance
by local churches of two member
ship rolls-a permanent church
register and a card index; using
the quarterly conference as the
basic body Of control in every
local church." and organization of
an official board and four basic
commissions in each church, all
subject to the official board.
S. Further debate of the pos
sibility of union with the Protes-
tant Episcopal Church. In 1912
representatives of both denomi-
nations met in Cleveland to study
the question and have met several
times since then. Common ac-I
ceptance of the two sacraments Of
baptism and holy communion:
nearly identical rituals and SIM
ilarity of chuch polity are among
the elements favorable to union Of
two communions.
Navy Chief of Chaplains STAN
ton w. Salisbury urged the church
to send "only the men who are
well qualified and willing to meet
the conditions of their times" as
chaplains in the armed forces.
He added there are 521 Metho-
dist chaplains active in the armed
services and Veterans Administra-
ton hospitals.