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A r INDICATIONS ARE PLAN -
BE DEFEATED BY
VOTE OF TWO TO ONE
Day*8 Session of North Georgia Con
ference _ Wednesday will be Marked
Here
g: * i by Stirring Scenes on Account of
Important Questions .
P'N
-?■’A By Dr. Thos. M. Elliott
& Next Wednesday promises to be
an unusually busjTday in the cur
rent year’s session of the North
; Georgia Methodist conference,
which will be called to order at
nine o'clock that morning by
W Bishop U. V. W. Darlington in
r the Griffin First Methodist church.
The first day of an annual con
ference it always a stirring one,
the numerous activities of organi
sation and first deliberations re
ceiving immediate attention. But
the first day this year will be
f marked by an interest and activity
never before known. This will be
due to the fact that the vote on
Methodist unification will betaken
that day! Before the vote is taken,
decision to that effect must be
made, and thr class to be admit
ted into full connection received
that they may have opportunity
and privilege of voting.
Both Sides Anxious
It is the earnest desire of both
sides to the question that the
matter be decided as early as
possible, and both sides will make
petition to that effect. A difinitc
hour will be set, and necessary
movements made to get every
thing rady for the event.
For the second-year class to be
admitted into full connection, their
examining committee must make
report on each class member, and
the conference then vote on each
one, voting him into full con
nection. The usual custom is for
the presiding 'bishop, when th<
disciplinary questions are pro
pounded, to address the class.
The full procedure takes ahoutan
hour.
. < Men of the second-year
class
are,'Junius Alvin Lankford, Frank
Willett Wood, J. S. Thrailkill,
James Knox Kelley, Edward
Creager, Thomas Percy Dean and
| James they have MacDaniel Perry. When
been voted into
connection they then have the
| privileges of the or and al
lowed to take part 'in conference
delobc rations.
The unification vote is expected
to be taken without debate. The
roll will be called, should the
vote by an aye and nay vote, and
each man’s vote recorded. An aye
and nay vote will be asked for,
and such a vote is expected.
Defeat Indicated
Indications at this time are that
v the proposed plan of Methodist
unification will be dcfeiHed in the
North Georgia coWei rence by a
vote of about tw4»fb one. It is
f staled by leaders in the oppodl
tion that jaaore than a majority
of the ministers of the conference
have signed statements to the ef
feet that they will vote against ft.
In addition to that number of
voters, there will be -96 lay mem
hers of the conference who will
hera-elected vote, and each one of them has |
on a ticket of opposi
tion. Thus with the majority of
ministers voting against the plan,
and the 96 laymen voting
against it, it is to be seen
ly that the vote will bfc
whelming against the plan.
It should be he# c.'early in
be taken is not the question
by one and all that this vote
unification, per se, but on the
ceptance or rejection of tho plan
aa submitted by a joint commis
Sion on unification and approval
, by the general conferences of the
two American Methodisms.
who are opposed to this plan are
ardently desirous of unification,
but dissatisfied with the method
proposed.
30 Conference* Have Voted
Up to this date 30 annual con
ferences have voted on the matter,
with a combined vote of 2,968
favor of the plan, and 2,171
against it. Several conferences
are to vote this week, and th>?r
vote is expected to increase the
number against the plan. And it
is calculated that, by the time
all the Sotuhem Meth-otlisl con
ferences have yoted, there will be
as many votes against the plar
f r «, ror St -
The law in the Southern Metho
dist church relative to this mat
ter is that, for it to carry, it
“■----— ril of three
npmmMI conference
members who vote. The total vote
at the beginning of. this week was
5,139. As 2,968 votes favor the
plan, there is at present a short
age of 886 necessary votes lor it
to have the required constitutional
majority. Thirteen conferences
are yet to vote.
Delegates to General Conference
Another highly interesting and
important matter that will prob
ably come up the first day, is
setting an hour to elect cfsle
gates to the quadrennial general
conference which is to come heft
year. More attention is now, be
stowed upon this by many con
ference members than upon the
vote on unification, by both lay
men and ministers.
Since this conference is expect
ed to go strongly against the
plan of unification, and since each
laymen has been elected a dele
gate on the understanding that
he will oppose the plan an effort
is bing made to have the entire
delegation to go from this c6n
ference to the general conference
made up of men who oppose the
proposd plan. On the other hand,
it is contended that the delega
tion should be composed of both
classes.
There are good and strong men
of ability, who love the church
and are loyal to its every interest,
who favor the proposed plan,
and some of whom have been rep
resentatives at former general
conferences. It is contended that
the church needs and should have
tae men in the
denomination^ one lawmaking
body.
Laymen Meet Tuesday Night
Looking forward to this elect
ion of delegates, the laymen of
the conference have issued a cal’,
for a meeting next Tuesday night
at which time will
upon the men will
from among their number.
Southern Methodist law
jvides that one delegate shall
elected for each 48 members
an annual conference, with an
i equal number of laymen delegates,
( There will be
, 303 clerical members
of this conference, when the second
year class shall have been ad
mitted. this conference will be al
^owed six clerical delegates and a
like number of lay representatives.
The ministers of the conference
body will not authorize or hold a
caucus to name a ticket, and no
one can say just who will be
chosen a clerical delegate.
There is strong probability that
some earnest debate may be in
dulged in concerning the election
of clerical delegates*
Report on Chango
Another item of conference 7W!
mess this fall that will proxoke
debate will be consideration of the
report of the committee nppoint
ed a year ago to make investiga
tions during the year as to the
advisability of changing the date
of conference week, and make re
port at this session. Hiram L
Gardner, of Eatonton, was made
of that
will submit their findings
week.
Whatever the committee
report, and whatever
tion they may make, there will
be opposition to it, and
discussion. For a long time many
members have thought the (
should be changed, while other?
contend .that the custom of u
century should be adhered to.
The prime argument in favor of
the change in date is in
j connection with the schooling
pastors’ children.
Vast Business
Few people realize the vast
amount of business attended toby
an annual conference during the
short time it is in session. What
to be meaningless
fusion to an uninitiated onlodWb
is in reality the moving of
forces to carry on the complica
ted work to a consummation
within the limited time. A dozen
committees and boards wil hold
meetings daily. The bishop
presiding elders will confer daily
regarding the preachers’ appoint- 1
ments - Each afternoon Bishop
Candler will preach, and each
night wil witness the anniversary
of some board or commission of
the body. Beginning next TUes
day morning, the feverish, activity
.
NORTH GEORGIA CONFERENCES
MEETS IN GRIFFIN WEDNESDAY
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First Methodist church, where the 59th session of the North
Georgia Methodist Conference will meet next week.. Bishop
Darlington, of West Virginia, will preside over the sessions
of the conference at which 842 churches will be represented.
Several hundred delegates will be in attendance.
BLIND, HE BUILDS OWN HOME,
FROM BASEMENT TO ROOF
By NEA Service.
Kansas City, Mo, Nov. 13.-
Did you ever long for a home oi
your own, only to give the idea
up because it seamed too difficult
to attain ?
Then listen to the story of C. J
Balfour, who is totally blind, but
who built his own house here with
his own hands, taking eight years
to do i t.
Balfour, who has been sightless
since the age of 10, bought a sur
burban lot from - his meager sav
ings as an insurance salesman
Not having money enough to hire
builder, he went to, work to
his house himself. . .
Used Son’s Cart
First there was the excavation
to make. He could not push a
wheel-barrow because he would
strike obstacles; so he loaded the
dirt in his son’s hand wagon and
hauled it out, feeling ahead of
him with one hand for obstruc
tions in his path.,
In his spare hours he assem
bled hough stones. Working in the
evenings—the lack of light did
not hamper him—he put them
place, one by one—and in two
| years the foundation was finished.
Installing the plumbing was
harder task, but Balfour persisted,
learning to cut and turn pipes
without ever seeing them, and at
length the pipes were in.
Then the money for lumber rar.
out. So Balfour turned auto me
ehanic on the side, grinding val
ves and tuning up motors—and
bye and bye he wa? able to eo
ahead again.
He built his own work benches.
He measured all the lumber, learn
ed how to drive nails that he i
couldn’t see, worked often until lit-! |
midnight. And bit by bit, the
tie bungalow began to take shape.
Then came another blow. Banks
refused to make loans on the job,
fearing that a man so handicapped
as Balfour could never
So there were long periods
no building was done, while
four was saving money to
more materials.
A new obstacle rose then.
sns City was becoming a big city,
and traffic downtdwn was so
heavy the blind man could not
'walk about from office to office
as he used to do. It looked as
continue till late the follow
, in *T Monday afternoon, when the
new appointments are read as the
last item of business.
| W. Associated Darlington with Bishop U. V.
in arranging the
m, w appointments for the preach
«rs will be twelve e'ders, who are
follows: W. S.
0 * the Athens district; Dr. W. L.
j F*>«rce, of the North Atlanta
tr ' c t; Dr. W. T. Hunnicut, of the
| South Atlanta district; Rev. J. E.
1 Ellis, of the Augo.'s district 1
Rw. S. A. Harris, cf iho Dalton
district; Rev. H. S. Smith, ofth:
Elberton district; Rev. J. G.
of the Gainesville district;
Dr. J. Ht Eakes. of the Griffin
district; Dr. W. H. LaPrade, Jr.,
o f the LaGrange district; Rev. H.
H. Jones, of the Marietta dis- j
trict; Rev. W. G. Crawley, of t!!*• I
Oxford district, and Rev. J. P. I
Erwin, of the Romfe] district.
.... . . . Ay ...
GRIFFIN DAILY NEWS
though his means of earning a
living was gone.
Learned Piano Tuning
But he was undaunted, He
learned piano tuning, and aban
doned the insurance business for
this new work. It was more luc
rative, and presently there was
money to go ahead with the house.
So Balfour resumed his carpen
try. With the regular work done
it went faster. His groping hands
were more used to- the saw and
hammer and plane.
And at last the house was done.
Now Balfour and his wife and
son are living in it. It is JlleJ
! with their own furniturf, and Bal
four has a small car in which his
wife drives him to and from work
daily. There is no indebtedness
on the home. Balfour owes no one.
Did you think it was hard to
own your own home?
| At The Churches |
V--- f
FIRST BAPTIST
Sunday school 9:30, (pre-ses
sion ci work, 9:151. At 11 a. m. the
pastor’s subject will be “Today’s
Supreme Challenge to America.”
subject for 7 a. m. will be
n W r hat is Your Influence?
Junior Westbrook B. Y. P. U. at
3 p. m.
Arnold and Westbrook, Sr., B.
Y. P. U’s at 6 p. m.
You
services! Leon M. Latimer, pastor.
FIRST CHRISTIAN
Bible School, 9:45 a. m. Morn
ing Worship, 11 a. m. Evening
services, 7 p. m. The pastor will
preach at both the mornin * and
e y en,n K services. We cordially in
vite the public to worship with us.
O. K. Cull, pastor.
St. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL
7:30 a. m.
Morning Prayer, 11:00 a. m.
Evening Prayer, 7:30 p. m.
Parish Meeting Tuesday, 7:30
p. m. George E. Zachary, rector.
FIRST METHODIST
< A House, of Prayer for All Poo
P^-)
1 9:3 °- Sunday school in all do
P artments - Service conducted
the pastor. 6, Senior and Jun
ior Epworth Leagues. 7, Closing
service of the Conference Year.
A part of the morning service
,
will be in memory of those mem
hers who have died during
year. John F. Yarbrough, pastor.
: -
I FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
Morning worship, 11 a. m. Sub-'
jeet “Divine Ownership”. Evening l
worship, 7 p. m. Subject “Life’s
, Preference”. Sunday School, 9:45
«• m. Men’s Bible Clnsa in the
manse at 10 a. m. Christian En-!
Junior, 2:30 Senior, 6:15. to!
A cordial welcome is extended
the public to worship at “The
church with the open door". Mai
eolm R. Williamson, Pastor.
-
REV. THAXTON WILL
PREACH SECOND BAPTIST
| ! --
It wap announced at v prayer
meeting! Wednesday night that
...i
■
WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
PAUL'S ARREST AT JERUSALEM
The International Uniform Sun
day School Lesson for Nov. J5.
Paul’s Arrest at Jerusalem.—Acts
21:27-39.
By Wm. E. GILROY, D. D,
Editor of The Congregationalist
Paul had gone to Jerusalem with
foreboding of trouble, but with
a sense of conviction that was
where he ought to be. He had
hurried his journey to be ,in Jeru
salem for the Day of Pentecost,
but his desire to be aj this feast
seems to have bedh incidental,
rather than the primary cause of
his coming to Jerusalem.
At Caesarea, as he nearsd the
Holy City\Agabus, a prophet, had
taken Paul’s girdle and bound
his own hands and feet, thus sym
bolizing his prediction that Paul
would be so bound at; Jerusalem,
and delivered up to the Gentiles,
i. e. t;o the Roman authorities,
through the antagonism of his
Jewish enemies.
The disciples at Caesarea had
pleaded with Paul not to thrust
himself into such a fate, but Paul
could not be dissuaded. He felt the
Spirit’s guidance urging him there,
and to Jerusalem he would go.
The issue at Jerusalem was not
long in doubt. The scory of Paul’s
missionary journeys and of his
work among the Gentiles had
preceded him. He was cordially
welcomed by James and the eld
ers of the church at Jerusalem,
but he found them not untroubled
by the reports concerning his dis
regard of the Jewish law. They
hastened to inform Paul of these
reports and to point out to him
what serious effects were likely
to arise in relation to the thous
ands of Jewish Christian converts,
who had accepted Christ, but who
still felt themselves under obli
gation to observe the Jewish law.
A Bit of Weakness
They agreed with Paul that
Gentile converts to Christianity
should not be required to observe
the ordinances of the Jewish law,
but they suggested to Paul the
importance, on behalf of the Jew
ish converts, of making it plain
that he had b.en falsely accused
of disregard for the Jewish law,
and he himself kept it in his per- >
sonal life.
To this end James and the eld
ers suggested thac Paul should
join with four men who had taken
a vow in observing ritual prac
tices of purification. Paul con- ;
sented, and apparently had his i
head shaved with these four
companions, entering into the
temple purification. with them in the rites of j
It was a piece of weakness and
compromise, unworthy of Paul,
and decidedly out of harmony with
the Epistles the where he distinctly |
personal bond of rela- !
tionship ' to Christ, and Christ’s'
place as mediator between God;
and man, the supreme thing in the
Christian religion, and above all
1 Possibly, however, at this time
Paul had not come to the clear
conceptions that appear in the
j Epistles written later, during his
imprisonment at Rome. In fact, |
Paul may have come through this 1
very experience to see the futility I
of all things, except Christ.
Availed Him Nothing
Like most compromises for the
sake of impressing some group,
or appeasing the weak and pre
; judiced> p aul - 8 ritua i is tic obser
.vances availed nothing. Jews from
I Asia who had opposed his teaching
|during his missionary journeys » i
| j} saw him in the temp ie, rrfisW and they I
aid hands on him, a
'great outcry, accusing Paul of
'disparaging the law and the tem
p i C( and of pollutinK th „ certain! t >mple|
through having brought
Greeks into it.
p au i evidently had not brought
the Greeks into the t-mple, but |
he had been sethi with then? in
the city, when the Greeks were
f ound j„ t h e temple Paul s foes
naturally concluded that hs had*
brought them there
w h 0 le business is of that I
sickening sort that has persisted I
throughout the history of religion
and even throughout the history 1
0 f t j, e Christian church_the con '
fj| ct b e t wecn form, ritual and or-!
^anization on the one hand and' * t~!
on ^ ot ^ er ^ 6 j mp li c it v
Him. The hatred of simple reli-!
on j 1B8 b e?n among the deepest
nnd persistent hatreds in!
History and it has been evidenced
mos tly by those who like these j !
Jewish enemies of Paul have act
in the name of religion.
J. L. Thaxton, of Griffin !
preach at the Second Rap
church Sunday, Nov. 15 at
o’clock and at 7 o’clock.
Saturday. Nov. 14, 1925.
TEXT: Acts 21:27-39.
And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which v.w '
of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people,
and laid hands on him. ,
Crying out, Men of Israel, help; This is the man, that teacheth a 1
men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and
further brought Greeks also into the temple,^pnd hath polluted this
holy place. with him in _ the city Trophimus . and
(For as they had seen before
Ephesian whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the tem
ple.) - the people together; and they
And all the city was moved, and ran the
took Paul, and drew him out of the temple; and forthwith
doors were shut. the chief
As as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto
captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto
them, and when th^y saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left
beating of Paul* chief*eaptain took him, and commanded him
Then the came near and who
to be bound with twp chains; and demanded he was, and what
he had done. ' multitude; ,
And some cried one thinfe, some certainty another, for the among tumult, the he commanded anu
when he could not know the
him to be carried into the castle. borne of
And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was
the soldiers for the violence of the people. after, crying, Away with
For the multitude of the people followed
him. the chief
And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto
captain, May I speak Unto the ? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek
Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an up
roar and leddest out into the wilderness four thousands men that
were murderers? city
But Pail said, I am a main which am a Jew of Tarsus, a m
Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I beseech thee, suffer me to
speak unto the people. _ '
A Cordial Invitation
Is Extended to All Men Jo Attend
THE BARACA CLASS
Sunday Morning—9:30 o'clock
Good Music Good Speaker
Good Fellowship
BARACA CLASS
First Methodist Church
-?
r
Men 'Between The Ages
of 18 and 24
Are Cordially Invited to Attend
THE YOUNG MEN’S
WESLEY CLASS
OF THE
First Methodist Church
i
Sunday Morning , 9:30 O*Clock
P. Y. LUTHER, Teacher
MAX HAISTEN, President /
VV V if
Judge D. R. Cumming
Will Talk to the
Men’s Bible Class
Sunday Morning
9:30 0*Clock
, Mrs Lamar Walker will sing
A full attendance is requested.
t i
Come and bring a friend.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
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