The Washington herald., 1912-05-25
Orrahufrrtatr

AtAntA IN May, 1slA as a result OF the
action Of the General Assemblies iust
adjourned At Louisville, Bristol and
Seattle It Is fair to assume that tbIs
IL the longest step forward toward elo1er
amliation Of Presbyterian churches, II
not ultimate consolidation.
Secretary Wilson, of the Department
OF Agriculture, q a stanch Presbyterian
and had received at the last General As
sembiy an appointment as delegate 70
the pan-Presbyterian council The I2lth
assembly, however, rescinded its action
because Il disapproved the sscretary's
acceptance Of the vice presidency OF the
brewers congress held at Chicago last
summer.
The executive commission. or board OF
bishops" Of the Presbyterian Church Of
the United States has now been at work
for q year and has evidently accom-
plished all its promoters hoped for IN
the way Of service. It has settled q lot
of vexed questions ''cut Of court" The
assembly has appointed DR.. wallace
Radcliffe upon this comission for q term
Of three years, and also has made him
delegate to the pan-Presbyterian
Council to be held In Aberdeen. Scot
land, In June.
The executive commissions report to
the General Assembly as usual covered
multiplicity OF subjects and was con-
sidered "a little at time" The portions
taken up Thursday morning were nam
died with surprising promptitude, svoking
no debate whatever. When the commits
sion's opinion. adverse to consolidating
Committees IN presbyteries was read.
member OF Assembly wished to know
whether the adoption OF the report
would compel presbyteries to dissolve
again committees already consolidated.
The answer-that the Assembly could not
constrain any presbytery on any matter
connected with the presbytery's own or
ganiZation; could at most only recon-
mend-satished the questioner. The COM
MISSIONS reason for objecting TO the local
union Of home mission church erection
and Sunday School committees was the
feeling that as long as the boards deal
ing with these subjects continue separate,
each Is entitled TO a committee serving as
its particular agent in each presbytery.
The budget OF work of the executive
commission in the year past was toId OF
at length in me report. Stress was laid
particularly on the success with which the
uniform every-member weekly pledge
system" had been put into practice in
the churches adopting II, and plans were
outlined for extending the adoption OF II
next year. The cost of propagating this
new financial plan was estimated at
$1,000 for next year, and the Assembly
readily approved the idea OF having the
benevolent boards supply these funds.
They viii spend less for promotion work
under this joint plan OF the commission
than they have been spending on their
separate methods for developing benevo-
lence. The boards were counseled not to
make special appeals to the churches IN
any way to draw OF attention from the
regular operation OF the joint budget But
the special days heretofore confirmed to
various boards as times for Sunday
school collections were continued
There has been lot Of vague prophecy
Of trouble whenever the report of the
committee on relations with Union Semi
nary came up. But in q very few mo-
ments OF perfect peace the subject was
disposed OF for the year without a hint
Of dissent The committees account Of
its years work was brief and led UP to
the statement that the seminary directors
had not had time to meet for action
after the committees definitive propo-
sttion was submitted to them. Robert C.
Ogden, president Of the directors, in view
OF this inability to have the matter
taken up in regular board meeting, had
expressed the hope that Assembly would
grant another year for the negotiations.
The committee held that real progress
in Christian amity had already been
made.
One Of the long-standing questions be-
fore the church was settled in apparent
ly satisfactory fashion by the executive
commissions amended report on the pro-
posed combination OF the Board Of Relief
and the Ministerial sustentation Fund.
The commission had not been able to
secure harmonious agreement on the
plan first proposed to the present as
Semblyi but after many hours Of dis
cussion a new plan was agreed on which
the directors Of both boards are in fun
harmony
The plan provides that the number Of
directors Of the Ministerial sustentation
Fund be reduced from fifteen 70 twelve
and the same persons be elected members
of the Board Of Ministerial Relief and
directors Of the Sustentation Fund: that
they shall administer the relief depart-
ment Of the church. Continuing the work
now done under the Board Of Relief.
and the sustentation department, continu-
Ing the work now done under the Min
isterial Sustentation Fund, and that they
shall, under the charter Of the Minister
ial Sustentation Fund. pay to an annui-
tants the definite annuities purchasable |
by their contribution to the fund plus
a pro rata annuity provided by the in
crements Of an other contributions TO |
the fund-the maximum amount OF the
total annuity to be 500 Both sets Of |
directors are to resign.
The commission recommended that the
policy Of the General Assembly shall |
be further that the relief department
provide for all ministers as they become |
disabled. who have not Identified them |
selves with the susteutation department, /
or whose necessities require additional |
relief to th1t obtained from the susten. |
tation department, provided the aEgre- |
gate amoune Of relief shall not exceed /
500; and that all churches shall be ex- I
pected to contribute annually TO the re- |
lief department Of the Board OF Relief /
and Sustentation. Inauguration OF q !
movement TO secure a Sf0,0ooOOo perua- |
nent endowment fund to be divided be- /
tween the two departments according
to the designation Of the donors, IS a |
part Of the plan.
In New York Avenue Church the service
on Sunday evening win be a musical
study Of Hymns Of the Sea-" Including 1
setting OF Tennyson's Crossing the Bar
and Wallace'sl Rocked IN the Cradle Of
the Deep. thA old and popular song b.