New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-20
CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS NEWS NOTES
Mount Morris Baptist Church Takes Radical Stand on
Receiving Members of Other Denominations

Mount Morris Baptist Church, In Har-
lem, has taken a step that Is attracting
the attention Of Baptists everywhere. Re-
Gently, upon the suggestion of It's pastor
the Rev. Or. J. Herman Randall, the
church officially voted to receive into It's
membership persons In good standing In
churches other than those processing the
Baptist faith. Such persons are usually
received by letter, but the Mount Morris
Church said II would receive them IL they
had no letter but were able to prove their
membership. II received from Presby-
terrain. Methodist or other bodies such
persons would not have been immersed.
Hence the Mount Morris Church's stand
went contrary to the very foundation OF
Baptist doctrines.
Baptist weeklies are condemning the
action. THE Journal and Messenger" OF
Cincinnati, says in recent issue: I'VE
are not surprised by the action OF the
Mount Morris Church. Indeed, We were
expecting It. The pastor had. given EVIL
dence Of his down grade tendencies while
pastor in Michigan, and the Mount Morris
Church had opportunity TO know his POSI-
ton before II called him. 1t Is the same
question that Is agitating the Disciples OF
Christ They are having warm time
over II, and there IS reason to fear tna'
II will be hardly less warming to Bap-
lists. Those who practise this thing are
not Baptists."
English Baptists receive persons from
other churches, without insisting upon
their immersion form Of baptism before
so doing. So do Free Baptists In this
country The latter a small body, strong
est In New England. have recently joined
the larger Baptist body. The problems OF
Christian unity, now under discussioh III
many quarters, are much simplifed in
certain directions II the Baptlsts, one OF
the largest Christian bodies, do not Insist
upon immersion.
The Rev DR.. Randall is absent on va
cation and union services are being held
by his church with half dozen other
Harlem churches. One prominent Zap
list Of New York, however, speaking OF
the stand taken by the Mount Morris
Church, said yesterday:
The most that can be said for Bap-
lists is that there has been during the
last four or Ave years q slightly less
rigid practice in regard TO receiving Chris
t!ans who have never been immersed at
the Lords Supper when administered by
Baptist ministers. think the general
custom is that our ministers say nothing
whatever ss TO who shall and who ahall
not receive or partakc. They do no. en-
cludc any That change represents, how
ever. about all Of the change among Bap-
lists that think is general This course
OF the Mount Morris Church is not fol-
lowed. Here and there, as always, there
are men, sometimes churches, that take
extreme action, but there Is no general
movement. II church unity depends upon
BaptIsts giving up immersion as form
of baptism Il Is still long way of. And
this applies both to reception Of new men-
bers and the receiving OF persons from
churches other than Of the Baptist de-
The Mount Morris Church is one OF
the largest and strongest Of New York
Baptist churches, or OF American Bap-
fist churches, for that matter II Is in
good standing with other Baptist churches
OF this city and OF the country. Its con
gregations, save in summer arc large,
and FOR several seasons II has conducted
a lecture course Sunday mornings that has
met with great success.