Evening star., 1954-06-06
|Methodists Act
To End Own
Race Barriers
lntegruted Churches
Urged as Experiment
In Baltimore Area
washington, D. G.
SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 1854.
BY the Assoeiesed Press

The Baltimore Conference Of
she Methodist Church today took
some steps toward eliminating its
,wn racial barriers.
Leaders Of 10000 church
were instructed to study
he possibility Of establishing
Inter-racial churches, at least
IN an experimental basis.
The conference in turn asked
he church members to Coop
,rate with school authorities a.
hey arrange the end Of segre-
cation in the public schools.
At the request Of a young
student. the minis
;ers and lay delegates from 546
churches in Maryland, Washing
Ton, and small nearby areas Of
West Virginia and Pennsylvania
also went on record for the adj
Of students of all races
TO the colleges supported by the
The discussion Of segregation.
keyed to the recent Supreme
Court decision was q main topic
at the four-day annual confer
ence.
Youth Rally.
A youth rally was on tonight's
Bishop G. Bromley OK
nam of Washington, presiding
officer of the conference, will
preach the sermon at the Sunday
worship service and the
sessions will close tomorrow
afternoon with the ordination Of
new ministers and announcement
Of pastoral assignments for the
coming year.
The conference stand on the
race question was hammered to-
gether on the floor after Edward
Dobihal, jr. Of Newark, N. j.. the
student. introduced a statement
the Supreme Court
ban on segregation and adding:.
I'VE deplore the fact that the
has all too often trailed
behind secular organizations and
powers rather than leading them
on social usage"
The conference board on social
and economic relations already
had proposed that the confer
ence look with favor upon the
establishing of an inter-racial
church, as an experiment in the
field of race relations. should Q
favorable opportunity present it
self"
The delegates added to this
another statement which urged
leach local church to serve the
area in which it stands SO that
our social concern may be ex-
pressed to the people that sur
round them, regardless of race.
creed. color or economic condi-
tion."
officials Instructed.
The board and the cabinet.
made up of the bishop and the
six district superintendents, then
were instructed to do all they
can to help churches become
inter-racial where necessary to
serve their neighborhoods.
Negro Methodist churches in
the Baltimore Conference are
into a separate WASH
lngton Conference and have
their own bishop.
The Rev. Edward A. Ross Of
Howard Park Methodist Church
In Baltimore submitted the in
junction that church members
should cooperate with the
school authorities.
1--WE also urge our people,"
the declaration said, Ito be SYM
pathetic and reason with those
who find (the Supreme Court)
decision difficult.
Foreign Policy Aims.
The race question came up
after the Methodists finally had
completed lengthy discussion and
made several changes in a dec
laration on foreign policy and
world peace.
AS finally perfected. it called
for vigorous United States ac-
ton. through the United Ma.
tions. to outlaw atomic weapons,
work out universal disarmament.
and liberate areas now under
colonial or puppet governments.
It also condemned the ship
ment of arms to Pakistan.
Judge Charles w. Woodward
Of Rockville. chief judge of Mary
lands Sixth Judicial Circuit, in
terjected this note from the
floor:
"You can't appease dictators.
The safety Of this country Is to
De so strong that dictators can't
move in. I am opposed to any
further appeasement."
Protest Probe Tactics.
The report submitted by the
BOARD of social and economic re-
ations, afforded delegates an
opportunity to make a second
protest against inquisition-like
,actics in roofing out Commu.
listS and fellow travellers.
The adopted declaration was
similar to one adopted at an
earlier session and said:
ANY attempt to condemn
men as Communists or near.
communists by innuendo. news
,aper clippings and rumor. and
~ ignoring the basic rights Of
,ur citizens, leads to o type Of
otalitarianism where free men
we're no longer able to think.
peak and work for the better.
nent Of human society.
I'VE reject all totalitarian
Methods in combating Commu-
lism. We are not interested in
rading one type Of dictatorship