The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-21

From The May Numbcr of The Hartford
Record of Hartford Theolog chi SEM

| hecOru OF ItOFt1Ofu lnfOlOH CUl SSp.
| tnary.
Federation in New Haven was the re-
suit of two influences. One may feel
safe in affirming that in every consid-
cradle community there is growing
desire among the most thoughtful pas
tors and laymen for closer fellowship in
service. Independence, UNCONVENTIONAL
ism, are seen to be degenerating into un-
Christian indifference and competition;
the waste of energy and time occasioned
by the constant crossing of tracks and
working the same territory by pastors
who seem to be people only anxious to
fill their own bins is perceived and de-
plored and with the exception of the
narrow and outdated sectarans, all are
eager for some united brotherly effort in
the name and the behalf of the King
dom of God. This feeling was the first
influence referred to above.
The second influence arose from the
result of a canvas Of the city made by
certain representatives of the Connect
cut Bible society. This canvas showed
that there was large number of natu-
rally Protestant people in New Haven
untouched by the churches. In some
cases these people We're suspicious and
hostile, in others they We're simply in
| different, sometimes with, sometimes
without UNCONVENTIONAL or local church
preferences, but in all cases they well
coined the coming of these visitors and
readily gave the information asked for.
The gathering, tabulation and publca
ton of this information seemed to some
of us to offer the long lookedfor oppor-
tunityN to attempt closer union, and,
encouraged by the cuecess of a similar
attempt in New York city, the effort
was made. t'1iI
A call for a meeting of pastors was is
sued and met with an unprecedented
! RESPONSE: the attendance was the
largest seen at such meeting for years,
and every denomination was represent
ed The questions discussed, long, ear
nestly and fraternally, We're the needs
of the city as discovered through the
| Bible societys canvass, the obligation
of the churches to these unreached hun
dreds, and the ACCESSIBILITY of co-opera-
ton.
The discussion resulted in the ap-
pointment of small but representa-
tive committee to prepare and report a
tentative plan or organization. This
! committee. after frequent consultation
and the careful study of the constitu-
ton of the New York organization, pro-
4 duced plan which was submitted to
subsequent pastors meeting, unani-
mously adopted, and has proved suf-
ficient basis of union and practical
work. If this preliminary work were
done again some feature of the plan
might possibly be changed; the scope Of
the federation might be broadened and
the problems with which it felt itself
called to deal more carefully defined;
fewer meetings and less machinery
| would probably be prov lied, but on the
whole the plan is believed to fairly meet
the needs of such an organization as
was proposed. Its salient features are
| these: Name, This organization shall
| be known as the Federation of Church
es and Christian Workers in New Ha-
ven and vicinity" This somewhat
broad and comprehensive name was
purposely chosen to give opportunity for
the inclusion, on the one hand, Of
| churches of every creed, and, on the 9TH
err, of organizations like the Young
| Mems Christian association and the City
| Missionary society; the feeling being
that no one who was in sympathy with
the declared objects of the Federation
and willing to engage in its work should
| be excluded because of creed differences.
The declared objects of the Federation