The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-27
PROJESTANTS ARE
COMING TOGETHER
Years Trial of the Federated
Councils Plan Meets
With Success.
BENEFIT TO SMALL TOWNS
NEW METHOD REMOVES SUR
PLUS or CHURCHES IN coMMU.
MITES OF SMALL POPULATION
SOME FIGURES OUTLINED.

New York, Nov. 27.-The last years
work done under the completed plan
OF the federal council Of the Church
of Christ in America Is pronounced
successful. One aim Of the federation,
to which fully 100000 Protestant
church people belong, is to bring to
an end the surplus OF churches of
small villages. In Vermont in four
teen towns Methodist, Congregational
and Baptist congregations have come
together, have closed buildings not
needed and have joined in the sup
port of one minister.
In some instances it has been Meth
odists and Congregationalists who
have united; in others Methodists and
Baptists: sometimes all three. In a
few instances services are held alter
nately in the different buildings, but
in several instances church buildings
have been sold and real federation has
been entered into. Efforts are now
under way to extend this work into
other parts OF New England, into New
York and Pennsylvania, and into the
older states of the Atlantic coast.
United in Some Towns.
At Castleton, VT, the Methodists
and Congregational churches are
working and worshiping together,
with one pastor the Rev. L. L. Gar
field, a Congregationalist They are
doing the same as Randolph Center,
VT, the pastor, the Rev. F. A. Wells,
being Methodist. At Randolph the
Baptists and Methodists have united,
ley, is a Baptist.
Recently it was agreed between the
home mission committee of the feder-
al council and the home missions
council, the latter a union Of the home
missions boards, that a particular
state should be selected for study and
experiment. Colorado was chosen as
the state and for six weeks past the
Rev. o. F. Gardner has been in Den
yer assisting in the organization of a
city and a state federation. Some ex-
RADIO as a model. and such as prove
successful are to be transplanted in
to the other states in the west. Later
eastern states may be taken for a
similar study.
Work in Colorado.
Two lines of work are to be under
taken in Colorado. One is the preven-
ton of overlapping, the other the
avoidance of overlooking. 1t happens
often that into some promising center
half a dozen religious bodies will go,
all within a short time. The result
is twice as many churches as are
needed.
1t happens also that some towns,
not regarded as strategic or likely to
grow are left almost destitute of re-
ligious administrations, hundreds of
thousands of dollars can be saved it
is calculated. and many failures avoid
ed by system.
John r. Mott. of the student volun-
teer movement, was elected to head
this federal council. but was compell-
ed to decline the office. giving as his
reason certain pledges that he had
previously made to the student work
in Oxford and Cambridge, in England,
and to universities in Russia especial
ly the University of Moscow. The
council is now considering the name
of another man.
Federation Formed.
Leaders Of the councils work ex-
press qualification at the progress
made since full organization was. eff
fected one year ago. A state feder-
alton has been formed in Nebraska,
and city declarations in Kansas City.
st. Joseph and Omaha. There have
also been formed declarations in many
smaller cities. Older declarations,
especially those in New England, have
been strengthened.
Money has been pledged to support
district secretary for what the coun-
Gil calls the department of the inter-
ior. with headquarters in Chicago. In
Philadelphia local federation has
been formed. Similarly every part of
the country is to be organized, and Ell
forts are to be made to carry on tenn
perance, educational. missionary and
other common work of all Protestant
bodies, under this coordinate plan.
From December to 9 the executive
committee of the council is to meet
in Louisville. This is its first meet
ing. the council itself having come in
to full power only a year ago The
chairman Of it is the Rev. DR.. Will
liam H. Roberts, the Presbyterian
minister, and the president of the
council is Bishop Hendrix. of the
Methodist Episcopal church south.