Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-11-22
Sees New And More Satisfactory Conditions in the Future

tries of the church. The one question
will be, What is the ministry which
beyond others will tend to bring US
together? Ny friends. l believe
the day is going to come when this
question of the ministry of the church
is not going to be confused with Ger
tain other issues that have been in,
jected into it. And here | must con.
TESS the sins of my own communion.
! If this historic ministry is to be re,
garded with any serious consideration
/ by the great Protestant communions of
| this land it must be freed from GER
tain implications that at present they
connect with it. Certainly If the
Episcopal Church were inclined to in
; sist upon all services being based up
ON, or being conformed to, the Prayer.
Book, she would be making, to my
/ mind, an unreasonable demand l
! have no doubt that in the future re-
united church We shall have, not uni
; formity of public worship--we shall
have greater diversity, out we shall
have the practical agreement of all
in the faith of the Incarnation"
World Moving Forward
| The world is certainly moving. Here
| is one of the great leaders of the great
Episcopalian Church inviting Method.
lists to use his church freely, taking
bold stand against the position of
apostolic succession in the ministry,
and insisting that the reunited
church" of the future viii not be
characterized by uniformity" but by
the greatest diversity" Why has
DR.. Mann taken this advanced ground?
The answer Is simple He, in com.
mon with multitudes Of Christians of
our day, has clearly caught the vision
which the Master Of US all had when
he prayed that they all may be one;
as thou, Father, art, in me, and l in
Thee, that they also may be one in
US: that the world may believe that
thou hast sent me-"
Another great factor in this great
modern movement is the federal
council of the churches of Christ in
America" The great ideal of this
movement is a practical Christian
commonwealth. Hundreds of local and
a good number Of state declarations
have already been formed, represent
ing thirty denominations which aggre-
gate 100000 members. The great
aim of the movement Is that every
city and town shall eventually have
its council Of churches. The theory of
the movement is that "only in Chris
tan work can Christian unity be re-
alized-not in reasonings, or rites, or
forms Of church order" Hence the
council has a deep, practical interest
in foreign missions, home evangelism,
international peace, the Sabbath, the
home, temperance, social service, re-
fgious education, marriage and d.
vorce, and the problems of the city
and of rural life.
Movement Worldwide
Another significant step toward
unity was taken in the general con-
vention of the Protestant Episcopal
church held in Cincinnati, O., In Octo-
Der, 1910. A joint committee sub
mitted the following resolution:
Whereas, there Is today among all
Christian people growing desire for
the fulfilment Of our Lords prayer
that all His disciples may be one; |
that the world may believe that God |
has sent Him;
Resolved, that joint commission !
be appointed to bring about confer
ence for the consideration of ques-
tons touching faith and order. and |
that all Christian communions |
throughout the world which confess |
our Lord Jesus Christ as God and Sa-
viour be asked to unite with us in ar
ranging for and conducting such con-
ference"
This report was accepted joyfully by
the convention and the resolution
was adopted unanimously. A
joint commission was appointed, con-
sisting of seven bishops, seven presby-
ters and seven laymen. After three
years of work this commission finds
that:
Inc effort on behalf of this world
wide movement is helping to keep the I
thought of reunion before the minds i
Of Christians everywhere; it is teach +
ing people to think of reunion as some
thing that is possible and to be con. .
sidered seriously; it is proposing the
one step toward reunion that is prac-
CONTINUED on page sixteenl