The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-12-07
THE TREND OF THINGS.

Bishop Earl cranston and DR.. Wallace
Radcliffe are representing Protestant
churches of the District of Columbia at
the Federal Council Of Churches, now
meeting in Chicago.
Vice President-elect Marshall spoke on
Christian unity at a mass meeting last
| night as part of the second general con-
| ference. His immediate subject was the
| young people. Rev. w. C. Biting, OF
st. Louis, spoke on the same subject.
Other topics to be discussed are tenn
perance, the family life, and Sabbath
observance. In the regular work OF the
council, recent forward movements in
| the churches, and their results, the State
| and city declarations, the new life in the
rural churches. and evangelism will have
places. The supreme work of the coun-
Gil is being focused on the three phases
of home missions, foreign missions and
peace and arbitration. The report of
| the president, Bishop Hendrix, while OPP
timistic, will not, II is said, claim that
great things have been accomplished
| during the past four years. Rather will
ii be shown that q solid foundation has
been laid, ready now for substantial for
ward work. Claim will be put forth that
working unity of Protestant bodies
has been fostered and furthered. possibly
more than by the commissions regularly
named for that end.
The utteranCes of the first quadrennial
council, held in Philadelphia, are great
papers. The declaration on the church
and labor is commonly believed to be
the finest utterance on the labor Ques-
ton, from the standpoint of abstract
justice, morals and religion, that has ever
been formulated. The federal council
commits the churches of America TO
social programme.
There has been a great deal OF quiet
discussion among leading Churchmen in
various parts of the country concerning
the approaching meeting of the Federal
Council. The wOrth-whileness OF the or
ganization has been up for debate. There
is no doubt about the wisdom Of the form
OF organization or about the magnificent
opportunity that was given to the Fed
eral Council four years ago. The feeling
has been quite generally expressed. how
ever. that as yet the council has not
made good"
The executive committee tried earnestly
to obtain a general secretary, Offering
the position to John R Mott John w
Baer. and others. 1t was felt that the
position of leadership In this great or
ganiZation was the foremost in all the
country. II required the qualities OF a
major general and Of an archbishop. The
first corresponding secretary. the Rev.
DIR. Z. B, Sanford. whose idealism and
than any other single factor in bringing
into existence the Federal Council. was
obliged by impaired health TO surrender
his active duties. The Rev. DR.. Charles
S. Mcfarland acted as temporary sec
rotary. Now, at Chicago. a secretary
must be chosen, and largely upon his
personality will depend the future of the
organization
The mutterings that have been so wide
ly heard have made it clear that the
churches are not content to have merely
an organization with formidable titles
and Offices TO mark time and to create a
lot OF costly but ineffective machinery.
What is wanted is real leadership in the
moral and religious life of America.
For this purpose the council was called
into being. During the last quadrennium. !
hampered though il has been, the council |
has issued some literature and Endorsed |
some plans; but both literature and plans |
are largely those OF existing denom- |
national agencies. Twenty State fedora |
lions have been formed and nearly 100 |
city and town declarations. but these are
in large part the natural expression of
the local sentiment Of federation. The |
district secretaries who were to be an |
integral part of the Federal Council. have |
been dropped.
In addition to dealing with religious |
conditions in America and with foreign !
mission work abroad, there is some like
lihood that the Federal Council may make !
deliVeraECe upon tie case Of the Chris |
tians in the Turkish Empire. Whatever |
1t does, the convention in Chicago cannot |
escape being really eventful in the life |
of the churches in America