The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-03
From the New York Sun.

JUNE 24 of this year is destined to be
 a red letter day of the first class A< for Christians of every denomina-
 tion On this date representatives of an American commission, formed to evolve plan whereby unity of Christendom may be accomplished. will meet at Lambeth palace in London with similar delegation representing European Christians to pre- pare a concordat which will include Chris tians on the other side of the Atlantic.
 Lambeth palace. where the delegates will hold their meetings, is the home of the archbishop of Canterbury. the su- preme head of the established church of England, who represents many millions of members With the Most Rev Randall T. Davidson, archbishop of Canterbury. will be associated on the European commis- sion the Most Rev. Cosmo G. Lang, arch bishop of York, and four other prelates, whose names have not yet been an- ncunced.
 1 On the American commission are Bishop Charles PalInerton Anderson of the Epis- copal diocese of Chicago, president of the oommission: Bishop Boyd Vincent. of southern Ohio. chairman of the Episcopal house of bishops; Bishop Arthur c. A. Hall of the Episcopal diocese of Vermont. and the Rev. Dr. William T. Manning, rector of Trinity church of this city, the wealthiest parish corporation in the world
 | When the delegation sails for Europe from New York on June F next 1t will actually be representative of 100000 Christians in the United States who are | formally committed to it's action by an | ecclesiastical legislative enactment, and 1t will indirectly be representative of at least four-ifths of all the Christians in America, who have taken steps to partic- ipate in this movement, the greatest in centuries. for the reunion of christendom into one great church.
 | That this idea Is not merely dream Is evident in the fact that within two years 9 commissions have been appointed by as many different Christian communions to cooperate and to formulate plans and a programme for world conference, the end of which is to bring about unity in faith and to do away permanently with sectarianism. These 25 commissions are fully empowered to meet and take the necessary steps at the world conference in question.
 | It Is too early to prophecy the date of this world conference or to state abso- lutely where 1t is to be held, but those who are leading the movement, aston ished at the rapidity with which the idea | has taken hold of the Christian world generally, place the date much nearer than was thought possible on October IS. 1910, when the idea of corporate unity | took definite form in the appointment of the first commission. At that time no one thought that the conference could be as- sembled in less than 10 years, if at all. The fact that already the majority of the Christian communions in the United states have risen to the idea and have em- powered delegates to such a conference leads the promoters to the hope that the first of the general meetings may be held before the year closes. As to the place, ! while this is not settled, New York is so far the only city mentioned ,and it has been suggested that the new Synod hall, | recently erected on the cathedral close to the Episcopal foundation of St. John | the Divine at Morningside Heights, is not only the most commodious but Is in every way the most appropriate meeting place for the conferees
 There will be several minor confer | ences and subcommittee meetings be- fore the great conference assemblies and 1t Is to the initial series of these | meetings that reference is made in setting a probable date in the coming fall. Actually the first of these inter- communion meetings Is the one to be held at Lambeth Palace In June, and before the commission returns a con | tinental meeting with Archbishop Ut- l rect, prelate of the old Catholic move ment, will be held. Both of these meet | ings, however, are between representa- tives of churches whose foundations include liturgical ideas of worship and whose points of difference are mainly on rules of policy. The meeting now being contemplated for the coming fall | is between liturgical and non -liturgi- | cal bodies. and this Is where the epoch | making period begins.
 For many years past the Christian world has been feeling the utter inade- Qudcy Ol u uiNlueu SHrlStenuOn Tn meet l ing social and civic problems and basic religious conditions" declared the Rev. | pr. Manning, rector of Trinity church. | Dr. Manning Is practically the father of this great movement, as it was his resolution. offered and carried at the | last general convention of the Episcopal church, which, so to speak, set the ball rolling. "One has but to glance over the titles of the serious bibliography of recent sectarian publications to see that the feeling of unrest and dissatisfaction with existing conditions is agitating the greatest of the Protestant think movement indicates that this unrest Is not confined to one wing of Christen- dom
 1 Attempts have been made in the past | been abortive and to some extent for this reason: The branch holding out the plea for unity has assumed the posi- | tion of being the only true branch and of begging the erring brother to for sake his evil and mistaken ways and l to come back home. In such case the | THE SPINNING