The Big Sandy News

UNION OF METHODISTS.
Meeting of Delegates Representing Three Branches.

Cincinnati, O., Jan. 20.—Although the nine church leaders, bishops and laymen, who are meeting at the Sinton Hotel, to devise a plan for the union of the three great branches of the Methodist church, all pledged themselves to secrecy as to the details of their deliberations, it became known on Thursday that there are two special subjects on which the differences of opinion have arisen among them. They had expected to adjourn by noon on Thursday, but that hour found them still in session and was a serious question whether they would be able to reach an adjournment by nightfall. The two main points on which they differ are: The question whether the union of the three great Methodist branches, involving millions of church folk, shall be a consolidation or merely a federation. Both plans have their advocates and there was discussion just how far the federation, if that plan were recommended, should extend. The second question was how great should be the authority of the general conference of the merged or federated Methodist denominations. The nine men meeting in Cincinnati are the special sub-committee of the larger committee, composed of representatives chosen from the three Methodist denominations—the Methodist Episcopal church, the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and the Methodist Protestant church. It is the task of this sub-committee to devise a plan of union and report to the larger committee a month hence in Chattanooga. The sub-committee of the Methodist Episcopal church is represented by Bishop Earl Cranston, Bishop Jno. M. Walden and B. T. Miller; the Methodist Episcopal church, South, by Bishop E. E. Hoss, of Nashville, Tenn.; Judge M. L. Walton, of Woodstock, Va. and F. H. Thomas of Louisville; the Methodist Protestant church by Dr. M. L. Jennings, of Pittsburg; T. H. Lewis, of Westminster, Md.; and F. L. Harris, of Henderson, N. C.