The Washington herald., 1913-05-25
NEWS AND COMMENT.

NEWO AMI NONAlUAiNAs As
The Laetare medal. presented annually
for thirty years by the University o.
Notre Dame to some cathohc distin
zuished for eminent service to tht
church, TO the country, art, or science
has been presented to Charles G. Her
bernan, editor-in-chief of the Catholic
Encyclopedia
Church union on the Pacific Coast
though not as far advanced as in som'
other parts Of America, is by no meani
a neglected issue as a mass meeting u
dts Interests attests, held in, the Firs'
Conversational Church of San Francisco
on the evening of May L. The meeting
was called by a committee representing
the Episcopalian. Presbyterian, Meth
odist. Baptist. Disciples, and Congrega-
tionaI denominations The speakers were
Rev Charles F. Aked, on ,"Our common
Christianity" Bishop Edwin n: Husnes
on ''The Hindrances to Unity, ano
Bishop William Ford Nichols, on The
Ideal of Unity
Garrett Biblical Institute, under Meth
odist auspices had its annual commence
ment in Chicago the past week. Dr. w.
] Davidson, professor Of religious edu-
cation, has achieved marked success IN
teacher-training class work Tor SUNDAY
schools. Forty-five. of these classes have
been in evidence in Chicago the pasa sea
son. with membership of $40. In
eighteen of these classes certificates have
been recently awarded on quite elaborate
written examinations. The Methodist
Church claims 20 have 1900 teachers pur-
suing similar courses,
Twenty-Five Episcopal churches in
Bronx borough. New York City, con-
cluded recently what they called
Church Social Week Eight of the num-
Der observed the week in full, eight more
in part, and nine preferred to wait and
ioin another year after they had seen
the experiment tried. Instead of mass
meetings. as are usual in religious
awakenings. and were the sole feature
employed by the Laymens Missionary
Movement, many small meetings were
held. These were not addressed by i'm
ported speakers, but by clergy and lay
men local to the borough. The meetings
began on one Sunday, were held once or
twice on week nights. and closed on the
next Sunday Four important points
were scored, when compared with old
ways of holding religious conventions in
cities.
About 1900 people attended. No such
numbers could be gathered in any mass
meetings, even In the largest NHeH
only sixteen congregations are drawn
upon. Nearly all of these people were
told about missions, Sunday schools, So
cial service, work for. boys. parish sup
port the spiritual life. and most of them
gave promises to do definite work dur
ing the year to come As rule, con-
ventions treat of one subject only. In
arranging the mass meetings about 400
persons served on committees. and, there
xa-ifI nrlE in
hand Usually the burden of big meet
'ngs rests on a few. Finally, through
a series of entertainments which most
IF the churches gave part of their
social week programme, the receipts
were made to exceed expenditures. Large
conventions cost a lot of money. Christian
leaders in other cities, and in other
bodies beside the Episcopal, are asking |
for details and some are canvassing the |
matter of holding social weeks next fall. |
The greatest gathering of Christian |
students the world over saw is to be |
held at Lake Mohonk during the first
eight days of June. Forty countries |
will be represented by 800 delegates. |
Especially will the new influence of /,
China and Japan be exerted, and for
the first time Latin America, Indian, !
and negro students will be in the con-
Student Christian Federation, which met
last time at Constantinople, and which
has held sessions at oxford. England:
At Versailles, in France. and Tokyo,
Japan Some of the greatest leaders,
clergymen and laymen. in European
countries, and in Christian mission fields
Of Asia, will make up the number, and |
the conference being over Will go to
summer conferences in June and July.
held in New England. in the South and
as far West as the Pacific Coast.
In universities in this and other coun
tries the Y NJ c. A and Y. w. C. A.
lead in Bible. mission and general
Christian work. There is a student
volunteer movement. aiming to enlist
and train students for service in foreign
mission fields. Into the Lake Mohonk
conference this June the German theo-
logical attitude will project itself. and
50 will the French student attitude since
the passage of the separation law; At
the head of the conference and of the
work in all lands is DR.. John r. Mott
whom President Wilson wanted to have
quit Christian leadership for a time and
take up a diplomatic post. DR.. Mott ]
from a world tour in time tot
attend the conference.
Members of commissions on a World
Conference OF Faith and Order, appointed
bv supreme bodies in Episcopal, Presby- | {
terisn. Congregational. Baptist. Metho- !
dist. Disciples. and other bodies, four | {
teen in all. have just held a meeting {
in New York. The same meeting was
originally called for Washington. for one '
reason that Vice President Marshall and
Secretary Of State Bryan. members Of
The Presbyterian commission might at I
tend. At the New York meeting an i'm G
Dortant step was taken. Thus far Epis- 9
,opal leaders have managed the whole !
hing. Now il is formally transferred
% the shoulders of all commissions, q
wenty-two of which have been appoint i
ID TO date. 1t was reported at the meet s
ng that Cardinal Gibbons. for the Roman
Church. and Archbishop Platon, I
or the Russian Orthodox Church, have I
lsked to be kept informed, and in alb 7
'tract approve of movements toward L
nifty. The final outcome was summed
Ip by President J. B. Remensnyder, of )
he Lutheran Synod. who said: IF ever Q
were true that the Episcopal church Q
vas alone In this Christian unity plan s
II a world conference on the subject 1t q
s not true now. Todays conference
'laces all commissioners on a level.
from this time forward the movement 2
oward unity is on the shoulders of all =
Principal bodies"
Committees have now been named to "
ay before religious bodies that have not a
ct named commissions such plans as n
ave been formulated for a world con- v
d to consider and recommend an edu-
al fer,, t.