The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-28

| SOCEFh hENh1 ONE VI 1Hk
LEADERS OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.
| century. An ecclesiastical organiza-
/ ton called the cotus was effected in
! 174, but the powers of this body were
purely advisory, and all its acts were
subject TO revision by the authorities in
| Europe. The advancement of the
church in America having rendered an
Independent organization necessary,
the cetus resolved itself into a synod
at Philadelphia April %, 1903. The hun
dredth anniversary of this occasion will
be observed throughout the land, and
there will be special celebration at
the meeting of general synod at Read
ing, Pa. in May. Among those who
will be present are such distinguished
men as Rev. DR.. James J. Good, Rev.
DR.. J. o. Miller, Rev. L. K. Levan, Rev.
Ellis n. Kremer, Rev. j. 81. Duffs and
Rev. George w. willard, D. D., LII D.,
who writes the following sketch of the
church's work and prophecy of it's flu
ture:
The Reformed church in the United
States, having reached the one hun
dredth year of It's Independent existence
in America, has taken measures to COM
memorate the event by having special
services in all the congregations of
which it is composed, acknowledging
thereby the goodness of God vouchsafed
to US as church.
The first German ministers sent from
Europe to this country came under the
auspices of the Reformed Dutch church
OF North America, the two churches
working together until 1913, when the
German branch assumed an independent
existence by the side of its sister with
whom we are all now trying to form a
federal union, hoping thereby to adj
vance the cause of Christ more effectu-
ally. Our growth during these hundred
years has been such as to occasion graft
tude. We have now q membership of
about s25, 900. found largely in PennsyI-
vania, Maryland and Ohio, and In lesser
proportion in Virginia, North Carolina,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas There
were in 1890, according to the statistics
of the general synod, $50 ministers,
bJDO<Los OU ClZSSCo, l-DOt CODATcpdGlDLIS,
200, 49s communicate mem bers, 1918
Sunday schools, 1886 Sunday school
scholars, 285 students for the ministry
and over s1GO, 900 raised for benevolent
purposes.
The transition from the German to
the English language has been very
rapid within the Last quarter of the
Ahaf tharrs Oy,1--
few exclusively German congregations
outside of the cities, making us sub
stantially an Enghsh-speakng church.
The main literary and theological In
stitutions, are Franklin and Marshal
college at Lancaster, Pa, Heidelberg
university at Tifin, o., Ursinus college
at Colegeville, Pa. and the Mission
house at Franklin, Wis, with num-
Der of literary institutions such as
Catawoa college, Newton, n. c.. Wichi-
Ia university, Wichita Kan, and Cal
vim college, Cleveland, o.
The Reformed church is Presbyterian
in its form of government, holding as il
does, to the parity of its ministers with
the following jucticatories: the consis-
tory, the Chassis, the district synods and
general synod. 1t gives prominence to
the practice Of catechization. by which
it hopes to instruct and prepare its bap-
tized members for admission 70 all the
privileges OF the church at an early
period in life.
The Heidelberg catechisrn, prepared
by Zacharias Ursinus and Casper
OleviaInus ia I563-the confessional
standard Of the church-is highly es-
teemed and prize1 By the Reformed
church for its concise and clear state
Christianity and for its simplicity, deep /
toned piety, irenicsl and catholic I
spirit While some other churches
have felt the necessity Of rejecting
their confessional standards in view Of
the advanced position which Christisni- /
" occupies, there is with US such gen
eral satisfaction with the teaching of
the Heidelberg catechism that nothing
is heard Of desire fora revision
The heated and animated discussion .
that prevailed among US for period OF
some twenty years, from about 1850 4
to 1870, over what was called the /
Liturgicsi question, which so e4s- (
turSed the peace and quiet Of the T.
church as 70 awaken fears IN the minds .
of some that it might result in such I.
alienation and party feeling as would 4
lead to a disintegratjor- happily passed .
By and IN the providence Of God be
came the occasion of good 10 the church
IN that it led TO more thorough I'D
Of it's doctrines. cuitus and
and AT tho same tune 80
aroused ii from its sluInbers and
a to prepare the way for the
wonderful change that has since taken
place in ever7 department Of Christian
work. IL consequence Of this thsre :
reason TO believe that no denomination
has exhibited greater sigRs Of growth
and O. intellectual AID theological
activity than we have. Our ministers
md people have been Led - tAlxe