Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1910-05-28
ASSEMBLY'S HISTORY
More Than 100 Years Since Presbyterian
General Assembly Met in State Of
New Jersey

For two weeks the Atlantic City ses-
sion of the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States
of America has attracted the attention
of nearly the entire country In connec-
tion with its Importance i'll the news
world it is interesting to know that the
Assembly is the highest and greatest
governing body of the denomination, and
since the union with it three years ago
of what was formerly known as the Cum
berland Church it controls about 100000
of the 2,2O0000 Presbyterian communi-
cants in this country. The Presbyterian
churches in the South which became sep
arated during the war, have never re
turned. They call themselves the Pres
byterian Church in the United~States' if
they were to reunite with the main BODY
the general assembly would officially rep
resent at least l,750,000 COMMUNICATE
members.
The meeting of such IA representative
body of evangelical ministers and church
elders is a matter of more than passing
interest to this State. Nearly century
and quarter have passed since the gen
eral assembly met in New Jersey for the
first time, and it is nearly half century
since an assembly OF the "Old School
Presbyterians met in Newark. This high
ecclesiastical court has convened in New
York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Kansas City,
Denver and even as far West as Los An
geles, but for the first time in over a
century the great Presbyterian body now
honors New Jersey.
The Presbyterian form of church gov
errment bears close relation to the re-
publican form of national government
The congregation elects its elders and
chooses its minister. These constitute
the session. The session sends a minister
and an elder to presbytery, which is the
bytery elects delegates to the general as
sembly. The latter, therefore, represents
every church and congregation within its
jurisdiction, and its action is binding OF
every church, every minister, every mem
Der.
The influence of the general assembly
upon the place in which it is convened is
always more or less manifest. Some 2,500
delegates and visitors attend. The bust
mess of the assembly occupies nearly two
sSTeeks, and during that time some of the
most interesting and important questions
relating to moral and spiritual life are
discussed by the ablest men within the
length and breadth OF the land. Reports
are received from all the boards and
working committees of the church, and
Il broad, comprehensive review of con-
dtions throughout the entire country is
presented in the clearest manner pos
sible.
The influence of the general assembly
is not limited to the Presbyterian de-
nomination, though its work may be.
Last week there was review of the
divorce question, with censure for those
Presbyterian ministers who consented TO
marry parties guilty of conduct that re-
suited in divorce There was also com
mendation for such federal and State
legislation and such court segulations as
tend to discourage divorces and the re-
marrying of the guilty parties.
Other questions of universal interest
came up at the annual meetings of the
general assembly, and consensus of re
ligious thought and learning is brought
to bear OH them, sometimes with mani
festlv beneficial results. For these and
many other reasons the great body which
guides the religious thoughts of at least
million and a half of the people of this
country is welcome to New Jersey.