The Republican journal., 1908-01-30
CONGREGATIONALISTS. IN COUNCIL.
The International Gathering,Iof 1908 to
Be in Edinburgh, Scotland.


The third International Congrega-
tional Council is to be held in Edin-
burgh, Scot, for ten days, beginning
on June 3Oth next. An attractive pro-
gram has been prepared, covering
practically all of the great problems
with which the Church of the present
time is struggling. The topics as an
nounced are especially those which con-
Germ the Congregational Church in
Great Britain, for it is the rule that
the preparation of the program shall
be in the hands of the leaders in tine
country where the Council is to be en-
tertained. At the same time many OF
the topics are pertinent to American
conditions, and a number OF American
Congregational leaders will have places
on the program. The list OF speak
ers has not yet been completed, SO that
none of them has been announced.
Each day of the sessions OF the Coun-
Gil is to be devoted to one general topic,
on different phases of which various
men will speak, and it is announced
that there will be given ample oppor-
tunitv for informal discussion. Ine
doctrines" to which three sessions Will
day will consider Modern Perils, aud
under this head the relations of the
Church to democracy, labor, Socialism,
culture and philanthrophy will be dis
cussed. The Church, the Ministry
and the Sacramento will be considered
in the three sessions of another day,
the sub-topics being largely of doctrl-
nal nature.
''The Free Church and Congrega-
tionalsm'' is one of the topics with
which Great Britain is more nearly
concerned than is America, although
part of the discussion is to be devoted
to the history of Congregationalism IN
America, AS we'll as to the influence
which the denomination has had upon
American civic life. A whole day is to
be devoted to 'The Bible and Sunday
another to Social Reform, Education
and Temperance" and another to
'Home and Foreign Missions. Two
days will be given over to excursions
of the delegates, one to either the Scott
or the Burns country, and the other to
the Trossachs. A large number OF
American Congregationalists are plan
ming to go to Scotland for the Council.
The publication of the program
will quicken interest on this side OF
the water in the International Council,
says the Congregationalist. Nearly
fifty men have indicated to Secretary
Anderson their intention to be present
at the council, and many of them will
sail from Boston June goth in the
special party that goes on the Cymrlc.
This country is entitled to $50 dele
gates, the proportion among the States
being according to the size OF the Con
gregational body. Thirty-three States
will have only one delegate each, while
the other States will have from two to
eleven. There will be in addition ten
delegates at large appointed by the
provisional committee. The fact that
the council conflicts in time with the
commandments of many of our Amer
lean colleges will prevent certain pres
idents and professors attending who
would naturally go; but it is hoped and
expected that the full contingent al
lotted to the United States will appear
in Edinburgh during the early days OF
July. The third council ought to be
worth even more to our common Con-
gregationalism the world over than its
two predecessors.