The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-03
FEDERAL, COUNCIL OF
CHURCHES OF CHRIST
Big Church Body With 100000 Members, Or oO,OOO,-
600 Constituents Opens in Chicago Next Nednes-
day-Thirty-one Protestant Denominations Have
Been Federated For Four Years
BY THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.

BY THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.
The average man of the street does
not take much interest in church ma
Chinery but the fact is of more than
ecclesiastical Importance that thirty
one Of the leading denominations OF
the United States have for four years
been officially federated in one Organl-
cation, and that the constituency COM
priSeS one hundred n fifty thousand
churches, seventeen million
cant members and ddherentS. hrouSh
the family relationships of these mem-
bers, TO the nu1nbe Of fifty millions.
The body which boasts Of this fol.
lowing is the Federal Council OF
Churches of Christ in America, when
assemblies in Chicago next Wednesday
for its Q~uadrennial meeting, remaining
in session for five days.
AS conventions go nowadays, TINS
one will not be much for size. Inc
official delegates only number ABOUT
three hundred. This is a de~llberatlVe
body. and not a mass meeting. Inc
council in Chicago Will pc as o1lieI-
en1 from the ordinary religious mass
convention as the House of Congress
is from a Washington Y. NJ. {. A.
theatre meeting. This gathering IS Of
fetal.
The Real Thing in Church Federation.
That word official" is spelled in Dig
letters when men talk about the Fed
eral Council. Behind it lies the whole
story Of the long tOilsOme years
through which the diverse
tons were getting to the point OF pc
ing willing to federate, through the
action Of their highest official courts.
This was slow work. and it was on1y
Consummated four years ago at the
first council meeting in Philadelphia.
OF volunteer observation-disclosures
organizations there are a legion. Inc
Young Mems Christian Association Is
such, Christian EndeavOr is such, the
Sunday School Union is such, the tenn
perance societies are such, n Men
and Religion Movement was such. All
these organizations. which comprise
in their membership persons from
many or all denominations, merely
represent the individual viewpoints or
their w members. Inc feoeral
Council alone is the official body called
into being by the deliberate action or
ences. General councils, and general
synods The members Of the Federal
Council are officially appointed by
their denominations and responsible TO
their denominations for all he &C
tons of the council. Thus the utter
cago are really official declarations OF
the united Professionalism Of America
When All Churches Speak.
For the first time in the history OF
the American churches, there has been
provided an agency through which
the responsible representatives OF all
the denominations, from the Ep1ScO-
palians to the Quakers. may speak
to the world. 1t is significant OF the
changed times in which we live ina
this federation is not founded on a
doctrinal basis. It is for work and
o for the formulation OF theological
tenets. All the denominations holding
in common the great essentials OF the
evangelical faith have got together
without interfering with one another
creeds, solely for the purpose or socla-
service. h greatest achlevement IN
the line Of practical Christian unity
yet secured in America is this Fedora
Council.
The ~utterances Of the first ~quadren.
NAL council held at Philadelphia are
great papers. The declaration on the
church and labor is commonly be.
lieyed to be the finest ~ntterance or
the labor question, from the stand
religion, that has ever been formu
lated. The Federal Council commit!
the churches of America to a socia
program.
Thus, the meeting in Chicago will
handle such living themes as Church
CIllly DIT I1OIlc LIZ al EOi
ward Movements of the Churches,
Federation Work." THE Relation O
Young Peoples Organizations t.
Christian Unity" The Home and 1t
Enemies" Family Life" "Sabbatl
observance" Temperance" 9TH
Church and Social Service" Evan
gelism."
The Federal Council on Trial.
There has been a great deal of quie
discussion among leading ehurchme'
in various parts of the country con
corning the approaching meeting @
the Federal Council. The worth
whileness Of the organization has bee
up for debate. There is no dout
about the wisdom Of the form of OF
ganiZation, or O the magnificen
opportunity that was given to the Fed
eral Council four years ago. The fee,
ing has been quite generally expressed
however. that as yet the council ha
not made good"
The executive committee tried carr
estly to secure a general secretar,
Offering the position to John r. Mot