Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-05-19
Rev. Dr.. Carson, New M0derater,
Recipient of Trophy
of His Election.
EACH OF ITS SIX PORTIONS
SYMPOLIZES CHURCH WORK
Eight Hundred Commissioners
at Assembly Consider
Church Unity.
BY REV. A. N. STUBBLEBINE.

- 489 u " as
byterian general assembly, having or
ganized yesterday by the election of the
Rev. DR.. John f. Carson, of Brooklyn,
as moderator, the 500 commissioners
we're ready for business following the
devotional exercises, which opened the
con days session. Among the
affairs to be disposed of during the day
is the consideration of reports from
special committees
Among these reports was that of the
committee IN Christian life and work.
The report stated that the ~presbyteries
have very generally given attention to
the recommendation of the last assem-
bly, that they appoint committees on
interchurch federation, or empower ex-
isting committees to attend to the mat
ter of the relationship of the Evangeli-
cal churches one to another. About
two-thirds of the presbyteries and syn
DDS have acted in this matter, the re-
port said:
The report called attention to an in
v~estigation made by the secretary of
the committee. which shows through
the country, as a whole, the total num-
Der of ~non-church members is 500 per
cent. 1t was also set forth In the re-
port that the number of vacant Presby-
terrain churches has increased as be-
tween 1909 and 1910, from 1856 to 2,167.
Assistant Clerks Appointed.
h assembly convened at o o'cloek
with devotional services led by the
Rev, DR.. George William Knox, of
New York. The assistant clerks as fol-
lows were appointed: The Rev. DR.. w.
p. Fulton. of Philadelphia; the Rev.
William B. Preston, of jefferson, Tex;
the, Rev. John Il. Eakin, G%reenville.
Tenn; the Rev. Theodore NJ. Wright,
"a Jose, Cal.
The order of the day was the pes
entation of a gavel by the Rev. Her
bert r. Ruddel, acting chairman of ar
rangenlents, who said:
This gavel is mad of wood from the
following sources: A portion from the
Chelsea life-saving station. symbolic
ing the evangelistic work of our
church; second portion from the old
church at Deerfeld, where David AMI
John Brainard worked, and where the
body of John Brainard now lies buried
Aiiio iNPAt Cii Tx iiliE6tOlldIg Mpl
of our church. The third portion is
from Lincoln University, representing
the educational side OF our churchworks.
Fhe fourth portion is from the old First
Church, these two representing the
older and newer forms of church ac-
tivity.
1.-THE base is made of wood from the
different evangelical churches of this
otf.. lTAfI,A1tat Ir-fr1~~a D-Atte
Protestant Episcopal. Methodist Pro-
testant and Presbyterian. symbolizing
the unity of all in one body.
Mr.. Moderator. this gavel you may
hang up in YOU wigwam as a trophy
of the late war for moderatorship.'"
The gavel was made by Richard
Harris. a local Presbyterian. Modera-
tor Carson replied fittingly to the
presentation and said it represented
true Presbyterianism.
The Rev. DR.. Robert Hunter, secre-
tary of the judicial commission, an
nounced the readiness of the commits
sion to receive p~apers-the first move
of getting at the heresy.
The Rev. DR.. Little, chairman of the
executive commission, made his report.
The first question of great Importance
to the Presbyterian church is the con-
%solidation of the different benevolent
boards of the church.. For six years
there has been a persistent demand for
a Encouragement of the boards" for
economy of administration. I'm our
Investigations for light and principles
to govern us in the effort to find out a
satisfactory solution of the problems
before us we have had the earnest CO.
operation of all the birds and perma-
nent committees of the church and of
the officials of these boards" said DR..
Little.
In reference to a separate bureau on
social service. OF which the Rev. John
Mcdonnell, of Newark, has been chair
man. and the desire for a separate
bureau to include the work of the diff
ferent subjects as temperance, sab
bath observation. labor, immigration
and other kindred subjects, the COM
mission advised against a separate
bureau. The commission advised put
ting this work under the Board ot
Home Missions and so unity the work
under existing boards.
DR.. Black said under advise of ex-
pert counsel that there are legal OBJ
stacles in the way of consolidation and
therefore the only consolidation Of the
board which is feasible is a consolida-
ton of the personnel of he board
members. This will not interfere with
legal entity. makes several enti-
+ios ono in the persons of their direc-