The Washington herald., 1911-04-01
CONGREGATIONAL NEWS.

4 significant symposium on church
unity from four view points made up
the attractive after dinner Programme
for the spring meeting. of the Washing
on Congregational Club, held last Mon.
day night, at the Mount Pleasant Church.
On the topic. "Co-operation-a road
to unity" William Knowles Cooper
traced the development during the past
century of a number of cooperative
movements in the Protestant church.
such as the uniform Sunday school les
sons. the Young Peoples Society of
Christian Endeavor. the Young Mems
and Young Womans Christian asSoCia-
tions, the Laymen's Missionary Move
ment, and kindred efforts. He said that
these federative efforts have proved a
powerful element in unifying Protestant
churches in America, and that he was
convinced that much Of the present open
mindedness on the subject of unity Is
due to these cooperative enterprises.
From the standpoint of a beneficiary
OF missions, Mr.. Tong Kaison, of Pekin,
China, who had his university work with
the class of 'S. at Yale told of the great
desirability of church unity in the pres
entatiOn of the message of the gospel.
He plead for greater consolidation of
missionary effects, and noted good many
examples of unity in such endeavor and
the great good that had been accomplish
ed. He cited the example of the Young
Mems Christian Association in its ef
fectiveness in China and Japan as an
evidence of the power of united Chris
tianity in the attack upon the problems
of the non-Christian world.
The Rev. DR.. Charles Wood, OF the
Church of the Covenant, addressed him
self to the topic, Church unity-an il
lusion or an anticipation" AS an ei-
dence of the growing spirit toward unity
he mentioned the ease with which min
isters pass from one denomination to
another-Dr. Aked and DR.. Cadman to
the Congregationalist from Baptist and
Methodist preserves. and Dr. Jewett, an
English Congregationalist, to the Pres
byterian-and the comparatively slight
emphasis now laid upon peculiar tenets
of any one denomination. DR.. Wood con-
cluded his remarks by saying that he
believed in the near future the work OF
Protestanism would be so unified as to
make the various denominations to all
intents and purposes one church
The Rev. Earle Whitley. co-pastor of
the Vermont Avenue Christian Church.
treated The subject of 'Denominational
movements toward unity" and told how
five or six OF the leading Protestant
bodies had appointed commissions to
study ways and means by which closer
cooperation could be secured. He told
of the passing away of denominational
prejudice in a large measure and the
coming in of the day OF large tolerance
and complete appreciation of the ef-
forts of one another on the part of
Christian people everywhere. Rev. Or.
Whitley represents a denomination which
has been aggressive in the effort to-
ward unity.
The president Of the club, Mr.. John B.
Sleman. jr., presided. New officers for
the ensuing year were elected. Rev.
Frank J. Goodwin. pastor of the Mount
Pleasant Congregational Church. presi-
dent: Rev. S. II. Woodrow, d. D.; Rev
Franklin Noble, and Rev. ]. W. Frizzell,
Phi. D.. vice presidents; Mr.. Irving p
Tade, secretary; Mr.. Jerome +. johnson.
treasurer: John r. Hinton. chairman of
the outlook committee; Fred III. Fish
back, chairman of the nominating COM
mittee, and Alfred Wood, chairman OF
the reception committee.