The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-09

New York, April Special.)-T men and religion forward movement Is getting ready to invade the metropol- itan district and to stir up the men of the church as they never have been stirred up. The object of the move ment is to bring the church and the church men into direct touch with so- cial and civic work to make the churches a living vital force in the life of the cc immunity.
 The organizations participating in the movement are: The Brotherhood of Andrew and Philip, the Baptist broth erhood, the Congregational Brother hood of America, the Brotherhood of Disciples of Christ the Gideons (com- mercial travelers). the International Sunday School association, the interna- tional committee of Young Mems Christian associations, the Lutheran brotherhood. the Methodist brotherhood, the Otterbein broth erhood. the Pres byterian Brotherhood of America, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. and the United Presbyterian brotherhood.
 Four great conferences have already been held. These have been at Buff falo. Chicago, Nashville and Kansas City.
 Moving from the four great centers
 
 held, the work has spread out and even the fringe of Canada has been touched. The plans for the future are to push the work all through Canada, along the Pacific coast and in this section of the country.
 But that will not be the end of the work. It will only be the beginning. Once the entire country has been en frightened as to the movement and in structed In it's purposes, will remain the perpetuation of that work; and that perpetuation will be done by the churches tn hemselves.
 It is not the purpose to drag the church into partisan politics but it is sought to place the Christian sentiment of the community effectively behind all movements for civic righteousness and for the uplift of humanity. As one of the leaders of the movement puts it, our object is to apply Christianity to every day life.
 The French Episcopal church, New York, began -on April l the, support of the Rev. Abel Roufineau in Saintes, France. Thus maintained. it is ex- peeted that he will reopen two and pos sibly three abandoned Huguenot churches. Efforts are making to in duce other French Protestant congre- gations in America to take up the main tenance of French pastors, and so en- able them to reopen. more closed churches. The reason for these closed churches, Catholic and Protestant is the recent separation law. This law did not close the churches, but 1t did cut off the salaries of ministers Catho- lie and Protestant alike. from any ad- vantage from the state for religious purposes and in the cases of the Catho- lie clergy, from salaries as government l nlA Iz trained to give as in English speaking countries, at least not for maintanence of public worship, and so churches in thousands of instances have had to be closed. Many have been reopened by the efforts of French people themselves. Many others have not been. Hence the movement to secure help from outside. The New York congregation mentioned. now Episcopal, was originally French Huguenot, and is one of the oldest churches in the city.
 Tn June, Baptists of the world are to meet in Philadelphia. There are mill lions of them, one of the largest bodies of Christians in the world. The prin- cipal meeting is called the Baptist World alliance. With this alliance will be held, on preceding or succeeding dates, the sessions of the Northern Bap- tist convention and meetings of mis- sionary and other large Baptist inter- ests. The high honor of president of the World alliance is in the balance The name of the Rev. Dr. Robert $ MacArthur of New York has been pro- posed and indorsed in New England | in the west and spoken well of in England. Southern Baptists are, how ever, rising to say that they have mer fit for the honor, and that it belongs to them for the double reason that they lhave not yet had it, and within the limits of the Southern Baptist conven. tion are two-thirds of the Baptists oi the whole United States. English and lContinental Baptists. who are coming to Philadelphia in numbers, concede tho lhonor to an American. Southern Bap tist leaders mention no names, but res their cases on the rotation principle ITO this alliance meeting are coming Russian Batpist ministers, their wa, paid by Americans.
 The following are the topics for discus sion at the church congress in Wash ington April 25-8, inclusive: 'The Valu' | of Protestantsm,'' "Womam's Suffrage as Affecting Our Religious and Educa ticnal Institutions" "rhe Seat of Author ity in Church Government" "The Josu | Christ of the Gospels and of The ology,
 "The Necessity for Comity in Christian Missions" '"The Need for Prayer Bool Revision to Meet Present Day Condi tions." .orhe Place of Meditation in thu Development of Christian eharacter.''
 It is authoritatively announced, and sait to be intended especially for possible pill
 grims and other visitors from the Unite' States to Rome this year, that the pop
 desires Catholics and non Catholics no
 to participate in the official reception tha may be given at the Quirinal or on tn
 capital if they expect to be received il
 audience by him. The present year tn
 holy see will observe as a year of mourn ing, and no great functions will be hell in St. Peters or the vatican. It is de ..' clared to. ha certain that Piux X will nc