The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-06
ISSUE CIRCULAR ON
WORLD CONFERENCE
Explains the Complications
That Arise in Effort to
Make a Success


full text of the circular letter issued re-
Gently by the preliminary commission of
the Episcopal church for the purpose of
arousing interest in the proposed World
Conference is as folowss
'sro All Our Brethren in Christ:
''Much must be done before the proposed
world conference on the faith and order
of the church of Christ can be called.
The mere details of the preparations are
numerous and complicated. The names
and addresses of the proper officers of
those communons throughout the world
which confess Our Lord Jesus Christ as
God and Savior must be obtained, and in
vitations issued to them. These invita-
tions cannot always be accepted promptly,
for meetings of official bodies may not be
held for two or three years. What shall
be the basis of representation? Where
shall the conference meet and how long
should it remain in session? In what
Way and how far shall the course of its
procedure be outlined beforehand? 1t may
well be years before these and numerous
similar problems, which will be disclosed
as the preparations go on, can be fully
solved.
But the first question Is whether we
Christians really desire reunion. Have we
that deep and definite faith IN the one
Lord which must fill us with the desire to
reunite in His one body? What are faith
and membership in Christ? Is the relation
OF the Christian to Christ merely indi-
Vidual or does it constitute membership in
a body? Is that body merely human
organization, self originating, or is it
the living. continuous body of the one
Lord? Do we know whether or not the
brethren, from whom we have been sepa
rated for centuries, possess any of the
precious things of which we are stewards
or which, perhaps, we do not ourselves
possess? Can we learn anything from
each other? What is the church? Has it
any authority and if so, what? What is
the basis of its claims? What is its mis-
sion Is there any sufficient reason for
the continued separate existence of the
eommunions to which we severally be-
long?
The committee appointed by the Pro-
testant Episcopal commission to consider
the plan and scope of the world confer
ence believes that, before the conference
can actually be called, there must be Gre
ated more general and intense desire for
reunion, warmer atmosphere of Chris
tan love and humility, and some wider
and clearer comprehension of such oues-
tions as the above which must be faced
and considered when the conference
meets. The committee therefore urges
that Christian people should assemble to-
gether informally in frequent meetings,
first, for united prayer that the way to
reunion may be made plain, and that we
may have grace to follow it; second, that
coming to know and appreciate each other
pettef, we may learn of those precious
Things which we have hitherto kept from
each other, and thus may deepen and
WIDEN the desire for reunion which shall
convince the world that God has sent His
Son. Such local and informal conferences
VIII help to prepare the way for larger
conferences which will gradually lead up
TO the world meeting, at which 1t is hoped
that we shall see that there is no suffi-
cient reason for much. al least, of our
present separation.
In aid of such conferences the secre-
tary will send, on request, to those who
so desire, the names and addresses of all
the persons who, within such area as NAV
De specified in the request, have shown
sufficient interest in the matter to ask
to be entered on our permanent mailing
list. That will serve two purposes-it will
enable those who wish to do so to get into
touch with some persons near them who
are Interested, and 1t will doubtless sug-
gest others who would be glad to be en-
tered on the mailing list, If they knew of
the movement
The only names so entered are those of
p-hn ,-;t tA 81,
request 1t, and we hope to receive many
more requests.
The commission recommends Q) That
such conferences should at first be very
small and informal If the smallest num-
Der of persons fairly representative of a
community can first be brought together
to discuss the problem thoroughly. there
VIII be better prospect of real progress
t2) That the devotional side should be en-
phasized throughout. The desire for re-
union must be grounded in and fed above
all by common prayer. 80 That, in Sc
lecting topics for discussion, careful
search be made to find those which are
really fundamental, but which the d.
visions of the past centuries have OBJ
scured. AS the meaning of these ques-
tions is grasped more fully, it may come
to be seen that the divisions growing out
OF them need not have occurred. d.
Nisive and disputed topics should be care
fully avoided until, by repeated meetings,
the members of the conference have
reached a large measure of unity.
"a photography will soon be printed and
mailed to all who are on our mailing list
which may may help to suggest books for
instructive reading, though 1t must be
confessed with sorrow that at present too
many of the books which attempt to deal
with Christian reunion are disfgured by
partisanship and lack of thorough knowl-
edge. Let us pray that our hearts may be
so filled with the love of Christ, and our
eyes so opened by the Holy Spirit, that
we may all be made one in Him, Who
liveth and reigneth, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. one God, forever and ever.
For the committee on plan and scope,
your brethren in Christ
"WILLIAM T. MANNING.
Chairman.
..RORERT IL GARDINER