El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-05
Encourage Church Unity
Thirty Two Religious Organiza-
tons Represented In Chicago
Conference
BY Frederic j. Hnsl1in
NHIcAGo. IN. Dec. 5-The great

4 4 Y
assembly of the Federal Council
~ of Churches of Christ in America
now in session in Chicago. is in many
ways the most important religious
gathering ever held in this country. It's
500 delegates officially represent no
less than 80 religious denominations
Of this country. This council grew cut
Of the Inter-church conference held in
New York in 1905. when definite steps
were taken toward effecting an organi-
cation which would Tolerate all of the
! churches of the nation
Between the years 1906 and 1908 a
plan was submitted 10 and approved by
| 81 UNCONVENTIONAL bodies and the first
meeting OF the federal council was held
in Philadelphia in December Of 1903. At
this time the full OTganiZa don was COM
pleted, the officers elected and a work
ing plan agreed upon The council
holds its general meetings or assemblies
! every fourth year. Between these, the
activities are in charge OF an execu-
tive committee of so, which has a sub
] committee for the management of the
! business Of the council The executive
! committees hold regular annual meet
! lngs and special meetings as often as
! IS necessary.
To Secure Comfy in Work
/ The objects OF the federal council are
| 10 bring about a public recognition Of
! the tact that the grea test religious de-
7 nominations are cOnStitutionally fed
I Grated, TO organize and promote state
+ and local federation, to secure comfy
I IN church and mission work, both at
! home and abroad, thus avoiding waste
I Dy duplication, to encourage the
churches to do their best, each for all
and all for a Christian America and
( 10 forward the federation idea among
thS churches CT the world. More man
Z 10000 churches are included in the
! membership of the council, which is
composed OF state. city and town ana
county and district federa- lions.
The federal council has unanimously
I adopted three specific principles for
which 1t asserts the Christian church
must stand They are: First the
gradual reduction of the hours of labor
10 the lowest practicable point and that
degree of leisure which is a condition
/ of the highest human life; second, a
release from employment one day in
seven; third, living wage as a min
lmum IN every industry and the high
est wage that each industry can dfofrd.
One Day of Rest.
While 1t is urged that the normal
one day of rest in seven should be the
Christian Sabbath or the Lords day,
II IS recognized that there are cOudi-
tons of industry that require the con-
tinuance of some workers upOa the
Lords day. In such cases the council
insists that it is the positive duty of
every Christian employer to arrange
that those employed upon this day
should be given one other day in eV-
cry seven, for the rest and recreation
and happiness. It is the obligation of
every Christian employer in any line
OF industry TO so arrange his scale of
daily compensation that the living
wage Of his emplOye is calculated upon
a six day and not seven day basis.
In survey made in a town where the {
steel industry prevails, 1t was found I
Jhat 20 percent OF the employees, or D
about 1900 men, were working Il :
hours a day and seven days in a week ]
Fully so percent of these workers were !
classed as unskilled and were paid at !
the rate of 16 - cents an hour. There /
fore, by working for u hours, such men |
were earning less than 81 a day regu- /
larry, while any reduction in time I
meant a prOpOrticnate reduction in .
Extend Usefulness of Church.
Under the social service committee, /
the council is also actively al work in
deVising plans to extend the usefulness
or the rural church and thus make it !
a more practical help to the commune
ty- That is accomplished generally by /
union OF efforts Instead OF Trying
to maintain several poorly supported
churches it is better to have one in
which all denominations can partici-
pate The increase of friendlineSs !
brought about by the breaking down
of the barrier Of sectarian prejudice
has already been experienced in hun |
dreds of rural towns Sometimes two /
or more denominations use the same !
church by turns.
Better even than this, say some
church workers, is the plan of all unit /
ing upon the selection of one minister I
who breaches a simple Christianity |
with no sectarian bias, and thus unites |
all in the bond of common interest.
This is the beginning of The Church
OF Tomorrow movement which pro-
greSSive Christians believe will be
evolved in the not far distant future
In this individual opinions in minor
matters viii be respected for all, but
the true, broad principles of Christi
anity will be recognized as more i'm
portant than sectarian limitations.
One of the matters to be prominent
ly brought forward in the assembly
now in session is the organization Of /
the Church League of Peace. The OBJ
Jet of this is to bring. together ulti-
mately the Christian churches of all !
the nations of the world.
Benefit 10 Missionaries.
The value of the Federation of |
Churches at home is most strongly felt !
by the missionary in foreign lands who |
has frequently been hampered by the
bonds of sectarianism. The term Each |
Tor all and all for Christ" means more !
to a few Christian believers surrounded |
by heather than it does in a Christian |
country and, since the restrictions !
gradually are being removed by the !
home mission boards it is possible for |
several missionaries to unite in the es-
adjustment of one school in which !
many heather may be given the I'M /
biased teachings of Christianity in re-
5ions where it would be impossible if |
each worked for the credit Of his own |
church alone.
In the selection of new fields the fed
Grafton movement will prevent a Meth !
0dist missionary being sent to a locali- !
" where there is already a thriving
Presbyterian mission, but rather to !
some place where the Bible is as yet | :
unknown
The Federal Council Of Churches
maintains its national office in New 7
York City.
The 30 denominations represented in
he fedreal council are as follows: I
Baptist (NOrth), Free Baptist, Chris / :
ian, Congregational, Disciples of
Christ. Evangelical Association, Evan
selical Synod, Friends. General Synod, !
Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Episco- I
)al (South), Primitive Methodist Col
1red Methodist Episcopal, Methodist ! I
Protestant. African Methodist EpiscO- ,
'al African Methodist Episcopal Zion,
Mennonite, Noravian, Presbyterian,
Welsh Presbyterian. Reformed Presby- ]
erian, United Presbyterian. Protestant ! {
Episcopal, Reformed Church in Amer
ca. Reformed Church in the Z. s. A, /
Reformed Episcopal, Seventh Day Bap- ,
1st, United Brethren in Christ, United :
evangelical. National Baptist conven-
ion, Congrega tiOnal Methodist. q
Tomorrow: Shoes and Leather.