The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-24
Current Church News.

Among the meetings planned for Buff
falo during the Pan-American Exposition
is Bible Study Congress. The dates are
July II to 81. 1t is promised that the con-
gress will not be partisan, sectarian or
ecclesiastical. The purpose is to conduct
a carefully planned series Of meetings for
the discussion of principles and metho7 IS
of Bible study and Bible teaching and
related topics, and to arrange for the
exhibition and comparison of the various
material and appliances THAI represent
the most progressive plans fer this study
1t is, so the announcement says with en-
pFas's a congress to learn how to study
the Bible, not one to study the Bible it.
self. Among the members Of the auxiliary
board are almost all el'gious body rep
resentatives, Jews included.
The Christian Endeavor Society Is to
celebrate its twentieth year of existence
by abolishng some Of its great conven-
TONS The trustees of the United Society
have long been urged to take this step.
The reasons announced for II are that
greater emphasis may be given to local
conventions. and that officers may have
more time for details If they have to give
less time to the planning OF great as
semblies. The reasons that were not
given are two. One Is that great con-
ventions have had their day and the
other is that complaint came to be gen.
eral over the huge expenses of these great
meetings.. When the society was new as
an advertisement, 1t was found advau-
tageous to arrange programmes of fam
GUS names, provide low transportation
rates and induce the crowd to mass IT.
self in one place for a few days. AS
the Endeavor grew to be two decades oil 4,
such meetings came to be no longer nee
essary. The financial cost was not all
paid by Endeevorers. II is true. and yet
there have long been mutterings in the
churches about the cost of these meet
ings, or such Of 1t as was paid by young
people in the Endeavor movement. Great
emphasis is laid upon the approaching
Cincinnati meeting, the chief attraction
of which is to be the Rev. G. Campbell
Morgan, who comes from England this
spring to take up the Mortified extension
work.
An impetus has been given TO the move
ment for the federation Of churches Of
various denominat ons by the re 'ent con-
ference held in Ptil tdeli lhia on Fl b. and
6, which resulted In the formation of a
permanent organization to be known as
the National Federation of CHURCHES
ard Christian w, rkers." '"'
This movement h its origin in New
York in 1895, ard was designed TO promote
co-operat' on among the churches. in city
mission work, in the dispen ing of oh r.
ity and in the sett ement of questions
relating to Give righteou ne.s. state
federation was esteb ished last year, and
now it is thought the me is prop tious
for launching the new national organiza-
ton.
Some idea Of the scope OF the organiza-
ton may be gathered from inv tations ex-
tended to its councils and the officers
who have been elected. II is stated th0t
'any esiastical body. or any fedora
tive organization, existing for moral or
religious purposes, may, on approval Of
the executive board. send delegates to
this body"
Leaders in the Methodist Church, South
say that they are enjoying the advantage
of the experiment Of a removal OF tne
pastoral time limit, without mourning any
risk. They are watching the trial of the
plan by the Methodsts. North. and say
that If they see the latter succeed, they
Evil follow with a removal Of their limit.
The pastoral limit In the Church, South.
Is four years. but Il Is found In practice
that fully 80 per cent. OF all ministers
change every two years, 90 they are
quite unaffected by any four-year limit
They could not be counted upon TO favor
a limit, and yet since they are not injured.
they could not be relied on greatly to
oppose such step Methodists. North are
continuing 20 have more and more un.
rest, 50 that the belief steadily spreads
that large proportion OF influential con
ferences, 20 be held this spring, viii take