St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-12-05
Church Comfy in Vermont.

are fundamental Therefore a report
submitted by a committee to the Inter-de-
nominational Comfy Commission at its
meeting in Montpelier, Nov 21st upon
the ACCESSIBILITY of federating or combin-
ing churches in over-churched communi-
ties, is of general interest.
The report was of necessity limited be-
cause of the impossibility of getting at
all the facts. Many pastors failed to re-
plyto the request for information More
than 400 letters were sent out requesting
frank answer to the following ques-
tons:
a. Is your town or city over
churched?
~ In your Judgment what church,
ifany, should be willing to give way to,
or combine with, any other church or
churches, and why?
(3) What is the best and most prac-
ticable form of consolidation? Or do
YOU think that federation of all the local
churches for practicalco-operation would
be the wisest course?
az Are the churches in your COM
munity ready for it, and if not, what are
the chief obstacles?
(5) Do you personally favor such
move?
In all there were ia replies, but not
all of the questions in this number were
answered,
Commenting upon the information re-
ceived in the replies, and their other cor
respondence, the committee said in sub
stance
The answers exhibit all degrees of APP
prevail and disapproval Some have in
voked the divine blessing upon us, while
others have almost called maledictions
upon us for what they consider our we'll
meant but wrongly directed efforts.
The answers have been frank, amusing,
Illuminating. critical, hesitating, radical
and conservative.
In regard to the questions l and your
committee comes to the following con-
clusions. 1t is evident that consider
able portion ofour state is over-churched.
This is shown from the fact that out of
perhaps third of the Protestant minis
ters Of the state that send in replies II
think that their own community is in
such condition. While ideally many
places are over-churched, practically a
large number of them are not worth
mentioning. Many country village has
two churches which live together ami
cably, and while theoretically they
would be better off as one, they are go
ing so well that we think, "it is better to
let well enough alone More good may
be done through the friendly rivalry OF
two churches than by consolidation
Then there are other places having two
or more churches where prejudice and
party spirit run so high that to suggest
consolidation would retard the move
ment. Nothing but the ameliorating
influences of time or death, or both COM
bined can avail anything for such To-
calities
We are Of the opinion that in the fol-
lowing places some form of federation or
cooperation would be best: Brookline,
Westheld, Newport Centre, Wardsboro,
East Dover, Westford, Wilmington, Es-
sex Centre, Johnson, Gaysville, Jericho
Corners, Goshen We fail to see the wis
dom of having nine churches in the town
of Lyndon and we maintain that it is
pitiful to see Evangelical churches i'll Es-
sex Center having altogether in their
Sunday schools an average OF less than
so for the past year.
In st. Johnsbury we see no good
reason why the Baptists and the Free
Baptists should not unite. In Richlord
we think it would be better if the two
Advent churches could be consolidated.
Some arrangement should be made
whereby East Poultney should have a
resident pastor.
AS there was evidently some confus-
sion of thought in regard to question (3)
it may be well to mention some of the
principal steps in the coming together OF
the churches. First and most funda-
mental there is sympathetic attitude
which must proceed all attempts at CO.
operation. That this prerequisite feeling
and attitude are present and growing
there is too much evidence to deny In
many of ourcommunities there is already
the utmost good feeling and in informal
cooperation.
(2) There is in the second place a
form of federation in which each church
retains its own pastor and is perfectly
anonymous. Such federation is now
being formed in Newport. A few lines
from their constitution are herein quot
ed THE object of this federation is the
promotion and effective co-operatlon
among the churches of the town of New
port and vicinity in order that az their
essential unity may be manifested. ~
in order that the CHARACTERIZATION of the
community may be more Systematically
undertaken, 81 that means may be
found for expressing christian sentiment
with regard to moral issues, az that
the various christian and benevolent
activities may be more completely CO.
ordinated and (5) that the way may be
open for further united effort, or organic
union, as soon as the interests OF the
kingdom of God evidently demand it.
The government of the federation is to
be vested in a council which is to be
composed of the pastors and two other
delegates from each church and one dele
gate from any other christian organiza-
ton"
(3) A third step is another form OF
federation where two or more societies
agree to have one pastor, yet each
organization maintain its own identity.
Examples of such federation are Castle
ton, and Williston.
(4) The fourth and last step. is com,
plete consolidation, all denominationai
differences disappearing.
We realize the great difficulty. OF Apply
ing the foregoing steps and principles TO q
any given community, and doubt II IL
can be we'll done at long range. It VIII
L. OolI