The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-11

r A. Longs gift to the Christian
churches of the controlling stock in
the Christian Publishing company CT
ST Louis. Is the hinge that swung
open the door that has remained
closed for more than one hundred
years. At the Topeka convention, arr
effort viii be made to form an admin
istrative body for the acceptance or
rejection of the Kansas City Million
aires gift.
WhiII r. A Long and the stock OF
the Christian Publishing company VIII
not be brought directly into the fight
vet this gift forms the foundation for
one of the most heated controversies
the church has had to settle in ten
years.
The Christian Evangelist is the chief
asset of the Christian Publishing COM
pany. for which r. A Long is reported
to have paid $4,000. When Mr. Long
offered to give the publishing COM
pany's stock to the Christian churches,
there was no general governing or ad-
ninistrative body to accept or reject
the gift. In fact there is no Chris
tian church" to receive the gift of this
paper.
Recognize NO Administration.
The Christian or Disciples churches Of
the United States recognize no general
governing or administrative body; and
each separate congregation is law
unto itself Thus national conventions,
such as the gathering in Topeka this
week, are simply mass meetings with
out power to bind or loose.
To remedy this defect, not only in
+he matter of taking over the Evan
gelist. but for the settlement of other
questions that arise from time to time,
certain leaders of the brotherhood
have advocated a delegate convention
which to a certain extent, II not whol-
" will be binding on the individual
churches Apparently simple in itself,
this recommendation is regarded by
the more conservative element as thor
oughIy revolutionary; and would cause
the drawing away of many churches
from the fold.
tn this issue that for several months
leading church papers have been hint
ing at the question as the most serious
problem in the history of the great
movement which began more than a
century ago when the Campbells AMI
their associates began preaching to the
world their doctrines of 'the Restora-
ton
Almost every person attending the
convention knows of the great issue
which confronts the church and has an
opinion or the subject. These opinions
are generally given freely That a de-
cided effort will be made to prevent
auv organization or action which will
he binding on the individual church, is
conceded by even the friends of the
movement. On the other hand the new
doctrine is backed by many strong
disciples. who advance strong argument
for a change in the policies of the
church.
endorse New Theory of Government.
Before leaving for Topeka, the mIT-
listers of Indianapolis, held a meeting,
endorsing the new theory of govern
1oeut and came to Kansas prepared TO
work for a change in the rules.
At Cincinnati the church organiza-
+ions are strongly opposed to any
change in the long established policy
of the church. They are backed by
the Christian Standard, a strong
church publication, printed in Cincin-
natl.
national conventions, these in the past
have been considered but mass gath
erings without binding power upon
anv of the churches represented at
them. For this reason there could
he no such thing as heresy trial,
and any Christian preacher could
11reach any kind of doctrine he chose,
provided his congregation would stand
Now, it seems. there is a large per