90 Iowa 558 | Iowa | 1894
The Evangelical Association of North America is a voluntary unincorporated religions denomination, which was organized in this country about the beginning of this present century. Its doctrine, discipline, and church government are all very much like that of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Its
A general conference of the association was held at Buffalo, in the state of New York, in the year 1887. There is no question made as to the legality of that conference, and, so far as appears, there were then no-differences in the association at large. The proceedings of that conference, so far as the record before us-shows, do not disclose that there were opposing factions in the church. There may have been dissatisfaction and objection to some of the officers of the confer
It should be stated in this connection that it was the usual custom for different societies or charges to make known to the general conference a desire to have the next conference to meet with them. There was but one such invitation presented to the Buffalo conference, and before that order of business was reached in the deliberations of the conference the invitation was withdrawn, and it is apparent that no place could then be named without the risk of the meeting of the next conference at a place where the local society had made no offer to extend the hospitality usually accorded to general conferences of the association. The board of publication is composed of the bishops of the church and eight other persons, selected from eight districts, into which the general association is divided.' We do not understand that any claim is made that the members of
The controversy involved in this action originated at the Des Moines annual conference, which was held in the city of Des Moines in the year 1890. The members of that conference were rightly convened. Bishop Bowman appeared, and proposed to preside at the conference. A large majority of the conference refused to recognize him as bishop, and he, with a minority of six,
We have given a sufficient statement of facts to disclose the questions involved in the controversy. If the Indianapolis general conference was according to the law and discipline of the denomination the regular general conference, and if its acts in declaring the suspension of Bishops Bowman and Esher absolutely void from the beginning were authorized and valid, we think the plaintiffs have no standing in a court of equity. It is apparent that there is but one regular Evangelical Association. No one claims that there are two such religious denominations. One party to the controversy in this suit must be held to represent the association, and when that question is determined it appears to us there is no other question which demands serious consideration. Either the Indianapolis conference or the Philadelphia conference was the legal and authoritative supreme head of the association. This is not a case of a separation or- schism of a denomination involving differences of views as to religious doctrine or faith. In such cases it is everywhere held that the party adhering to the established faith and belief of the church is the lawful body, although it may be in the minority. The question as to the power of the bishops and a majority of the Buffalo conference to
This action was commenced in April, 1892, and the appointments of the plaintiffs to their present positions were made by what is known as the “Dubs Party”
We might extend this opinion to a great length by considering the manner in which the general conference regarded this and other provisions of the law of the church. There is a history or line of precedent acts of former general conferences which strongly tend to show that by the general usages of the church a mere subordinate incidental provision like the one now in dispute was not regarded of such importance as to demand the strict and mandatory construction of the Discipline contended for by the appellants. If such mere matters of detail are required to be so magnified, if the next general conference should appoint the city or town where the succeeding conference should be held, and should fail to designate the particular church edifice by street and number, the claim might be preferred that no selection of a place was made, and the oldest annual conference,' an inferior and subordinate judicatory, would again assume to overrule the supreme court of the association. The contention of the appellants is not that' the Dubs party and the East Pennsylvania conference acted in ignorance of the fact that the board of publication had appointed the place for the conference. Every reader of the church periodicals knew that the conference was to be held at Indianapolis, and the action of the East Pennsylvania conference was had for the very purpose of overruling and disregarding the action of the Buffalo conference. But we do not think further elaboration is necessary. In our opinion, the appointing of a place for the meeting of the next conference was merely an ecclesiastical matter, which
The precise questions involved in this case were determined by the supreme court of Illinois more than one year since in an elaborate and well considered opinion (Schweiker v. Husser, 34 N. E. Rep. 1022); and practically the same questions were determined by the supreme court of Ohio, March 20, 1894, in which no opinion was filed. The decisions in those cases appear to us to correctly determine the issues between these parties to this unfortunate controversy. The decisions in the cited cases are in line with the views we have herein expressed, and it appears to us to be highly important that there should be a consensus of judicial authority on the question, for the reason that conflicting decisions will tend to continue unnecessary strife and contention, which should forever cease. The decision in the case in the Ohio courts was pleaded in this case as an adjudication. We have not thought it important to determine that question, because we are well satisfied to dispose of the case upon its merits. The decree of the district court is aeeibmed.