The Washington herald., 1911-01-01
A SURVEY OF THE YEARS
RELIGIOUS PROGRESS

| many years. This was the case in both
! America and Europe and in some re-
spects on the mission fields of Asia and
| Africa. 1t is recognized that things re-
! liGious are undergoing tremendous
changes, and those highest on the look
outs and able to see furthest into the
| immediate future predict still greater
| changes. It is declared that the old or
der has passed and that new one is
! coming in. Service for others takes the
place of service and satisfaction for ones
| self Church systems are confronted
with propositions to make good or quit.
| The pews that have occupants are no
/ longer able to make the successful church.
and the rews that have not are not
| thought of necessity to mark a fail
ure. Distinctive names are disappearing,
and American Christianity is to-day di-
| vided into only two camps the Roman
and tn" Protestant. Within five years,
the prediction is. there will be a common
name for the latter as we'll understood as
! the former. The change, or much of it.
/, came within the year now just ended. a
considerable part of the change within
the past six months.
EpiscOpa lin ~ Less Exclusive.
II is admitted on all hands that the
greatest single change of the year came
in the Episcopal Church. Such change is
indicated by phrase in resolution on
Christian unity adopted at the general
convention of that church held in Gin
cinnati in October. The phrase was
sins OF cxclusiveness.' referring to the
attitude toward other Christian bodies. 1t
passed without opposition. Such phrase
would. ii is said. have been hooted out
of the convention held in San Francisco
in 1901, or even the one in Boston IN 1904.
Some indications of the change came to
the surface at Richmond in 1907. in part
under the influence of the Bishop of
London, most democratic prelate: but
almost all of the change came within the
twelve months just closed. The verdict
is that never before was such a change
noted within such time in any religious
body. There has been, it is claimed, no
sacrifice of principle. Nobody has lost
his self-respect. Three years ago. when
a supposed open-pulpit law had been
adopted. there was a clamor in all direc-
tions. Some wanted a convention recalled
TO repeal it. When the convention came
in regular order to he called the law was
a dead letter. Nobody cared what action
but it was insignificant and attracted no
attention. The incident illustrates the
tremendous change in sentiment and the
larger appreciation of others, even others
who differ
Unity Plans Promoted.
Three definite plans for Christian unity
were launched during the year, and there
came near being a fourth one. Two of
in E-niScnna1 in
Disciples of Christ Church. The Chris
tian Unity Foundation EpiscopaD is
unofficial and sets about to make study
of conditions. its idea being that some
how. some time. actual organic union may
be brought about. 4 commission, Off
cial, with 100000 to pay expenses, also
Episcopal, projects world conference
on law and order. not Episcopal merely,
but everybody on equal terms. When
such conference shall be held nobody
dares even to suggest a date as yet The
Disciples of Christ continue their plea
of unity framed many years ago, and are
soon to urge Christendom to a new con-
sideration of the unity problem through a
statement that ii will issue. Congrega-
tionalists have met the -Episcopalians in
rather more than formal fashion, in dis
cussion al any rate. and Methodists have
some unity plans of their own on hand
as noted in The Herald two weeks ago,
projected to bring North and South to-
gether.
Lnymen Developing Power.
The year was remarkable in it's devel- |
opment of 1aymen. More was said about |
laymen and foreign missions than about !
laymen and other topics. but really the |
efforts of laymen started during the year !
were along home mission lines as well. |
and especially in social service directions |
Christian laymen did not during the year |
project campaign that criticises what |
has been, unless 1t be their own short |
comings; but they did set out to help. and |
that in far larger measure than hereto |
fore. The feature, shown as never be- |
fore, is that ordinary business and pro-
fessional men-not ministers. and never |
wishing to be ministers-offer to give |
time and thought to tasks aiming to
make the world better. Some of these |
men are wealthy and offer to give both |
and some of their money. |
Others are ordinary mechanics, strug-
Cling lawyers. and such. and they offer
to give spare time. The phenomena,
which is new at least in such numbers.
and which developed wonderfully during
the year, is not confined to the East. but
obtains in every part of this country
and in England and Scotland. 1t has not
reached the continent of Europe as yet.
In all religious bodies efforts have bean
begun to train and direct these volun-
teers. In the Roman Catholic. as in The
churches, the feature obt aims
Counting the Cost.
The striking record of the year WIS a
financial one. Gifts to uplift causes broke
Ill records. To foreign missions thu gifts
we're $1,CnO.G00 ahead Of any precious
..ar. and they placed the United States
md Canada ahead of England and in
he front rank of national contributors
n .i,is direction. The amount now going
o foreign mission fields appt oximdt 4
q, ,OOC 100 year The $10.o00.000 of Mr.
ndie Carnegie to world peace was I'm
,art in response to ministers, led by the
American Secretary of State. who favors
IN arbitral court at The Hague and who
,elieves the Christian people should be
n the forefront OF the peace movement.
colleges that have diie1ereC Che4stian foun-
lations. even II nqe S1olgoeled by re-
Igfous bodies. secur< puf proper ton
( the voluntary g5kt9 1lk year than
or some years. - estimate put