The news & observer., 1905-12-30
Agreement Reached by
Their Representatives.
IT MUST BE RATIFIED
This Will Probably be Done May, II
by the General Assembly of The
Cumberland Church at Decatur
and by the Presbyterian
Church in DeS Moines.
(By the Associated Press. }

st. Louis, Dec. 29.-After divis-
ion of 95 years, steps were consum-
mated today at a joint session of gem
eral committees, which if formally
ratified next May by the general as
semblies, will unite the Northern
Presbyterian church, u. S. A., and the
Cumberland Presbyterian church. Al
most two days We're consumed by sub
committees in arranging details for
| the union. Their reports were sub
mitted to the general committees, rep
resenting each church. Within two
hours the two general committees had
met in joint session and agreed on
basis for the union of the two de-
nominational bodies.
| This agreement will be reported to
| the general assembly of the Presby-
| terian church, meeting at Des Moines,
Ia, on May IT. 1906, and that of the
/ Cumberland Presbyterian church.
meeting in Decatur, Ills, on the same
date. for formal ratification II the
basis of union is ratified, official an
nOuncement of the union of the two
| churches will then be made.
The joint session was executive in
character. 1t is said that the joint
| ballot on union showed only one dis
! senting vote that being cast by Elder
member Of the Cumberland commit
tee. It is said that when the Cum
! berland committee was appointed
seven men known to be in opposition
to the proposed union were placed
on the committee The vote today
indicated that six men had changed
their minds.
The Terms of Union.
The substance of the report adopt
~ oil
| committees follows:
| The effect of the steps taken for
reunion is primarily that the confess
sion of faith of the confession Pres
| byterian church u. S. A.. as revised
| in 1903 and the other doctrinal and
! Ecclesiastical standards of that church
have been constitutionally adopted by
| the Cumberland Presbyterian church,
as has also the joint report prepared
| by these two general committees two
years ago, that the reunion of the TWO
churches has been fully agreed to by
! both and it is recommended that i'm
media telY after the foregoing effects
of the steps thus far taken have been
| Iannounced the confession of faith and
! the other doctrinal and Ecclesiastical
| standards of the Presbyterian church
| u. S. A. shall be binding upon the
ministers, ruling elders. deacons. ofti-
| GERS churches, adjudicators, boards
| committees and all other agencies of
| the Cumberland Presbyterian church;
! that when this announcement has been
made by the moderator of the General
| Assembly of the Cumberland Presby-
! terian church, and that body that
shall haze adjourned sine die as
part of the assembly. and as the Gen.
eral Assembly of the General Pres
byterian church, U. S. A., shall ad-
journ sine die, the moderator of the
latter assembly shall announce that
all of the Presbyterians of the two
churches shall elect commissioners to
the United General Assembly of 1907,
on a basis of one minister and one rul-
ing elder for every "a ministers or
moiety thereof.
Finally, that when the foregoing
has been adopted and announcement
of the fact teiegraphed by each of the
assemblies to the other, the modera-
tor of each assembly shall be empow-
cred to announce that the reunion
and union of the northern Presbyte-
rian church u. S. A.. and the Cum
berland Presbyterian church has
been fully consummated and hence.
forth full force and effect. 1t is pro-
vided by the general committees that
all boards, committees. trustees and
other agencies of the Cumberland
Presbyterian church that have been
hitherto required to report to the gen
eral assembly OF that church shall
report to the United Assembly i'm
1907 Other details We're referred
by the general committees to their
sub committees for further consider
alton and final report to the two
general assemblies meeting in Deca-
tur and in Des Moines next May.