Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-05
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
SPEAKS HERE WEDNESDAY
Secretary OF State VIII Address Fed
eral Council OF Churches
Of Christ.
! SPEAKS AT CITY AUDITORIUM
Great Meeting OF Representatives of
Evangelical Churches In America
to Open at Central Y. M. G. A.
on Tuesday.

|
Secretary of State William Jennings
Bryan has accepted an invitation to
make an address at the City Auditorium
Wednesday night during the annual
meeting OF the executive committee OF
the Federal Council OF tho Churches of
Christ. The world-famcd orator is e1-
! pected TO arrive in Richmond on We'd
nesday afternoon. and the subject OF
I his address will be international
| Peace"
The other speaker at the city Audi
forum on Wednesday night Will be Or.
smaller Mathews. president OF Chicago
! university, and one OF the most widely
known speakers and educators In the
country Ills subject will be Militant
| Idealism."
ACCEPTANCE OF aIU. BRYAN
/ RECEIVED YESTERDAY
The announcement TINT Secretary
Bryan Will be among the speakers dur
NinS the meeting Will acrve to increase
fhe great interest which has already
neen shown in the approaching gather
ing. It was not definitely known until
yesterday that Secretary Bryan would
ADDRESS the gathering. Members of tho
committee arranging for the meeting
as wei as other Richmond people, are
elated over having secured an ac-
Secretary OF State.
The opening session Of the annual
meeting OF the executive COMMITTEES and
commissions OF the Federal Council OF
, the churches of CHRIST in America will
ne heid Tuesday morning, beginning at
y:3o o'clock. In tho auditorium OF the
Central Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton Building. The sessions will be
open to the public.
The executive committee Of Tho
council is composed OF about 100 of
the Leading representatives OF the
churches. which compose the council.
ana meets annually. while the coun-
eli meets quadrennfally. The presen-
ttation and discussion of reports from
tho various commissions will occupy
the greater part OF the sessions
lOUTGROWTTH OF ISTERCHURCH
| CONFERENCE HELD IN 1905
The Federal Council is the outerowth
or an interchurch conference on fed
Grafton. held In Carnegie Hall. New
york CITY, In 1906. The council was
sentins thirty denominations This
conference adopted the constitution
or the Federal Council and transmit
ted 1t to the various denominations.
with the understanding that approval
of two-thirds OF 1t would give IL full
effect The approval was secured
early in 1908. and the frs. meeting
was held In Philadelphia during tho
| same year.
| The constitution of the council spc-
l
shall have no authority over the con-
stituent bodies ndhering to II: but it's
province shall be limited to the ex-
preston OF its counsel and the recon-
mending OF a course of action in mat
tiers OF common interest TO the
churches. local councils and Individual
christians. II has no authority to
draw up q common creed or form of
! government or of worship, or in any
way to limit tho full autonomy of the
Christian bodies adhering to IT."
| This provision. Of the constitution
specifically limits the authority of the
council SO that II cannot in any way
infringe upon the rights of the con-
| stituent bodies.
| The basis OF union is indicated by
| the preamble to the constitution,
which reads as follows: I'm the prov
ldencc of God. the time has come
when 1t seems lifting more fully to
manifest the essential oneness of the
Christian churches of America in
Jesus Christ az their Divine Lord and
Saviour. and to promote the spirit of
i fellowship. service and cooperation
among them"
| This platform Is broad enough to
include all those who believe in the
| essential divinity OF Jesus Christ
Lord and Saviour.
BISHOP HENDRIX WAS
FIRST PRESIDENT
| The first president Of the council was
! Bishop Eugene Il. Hendrix. of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. South
The second president elected in 1912
to serve for four years, is Professor
Smaller Mathews. of the Baptist Church.
president OF Chicago University. The
honorary secretary is DR.. Z. B. San
ford; recording secretary, DR.. Riving-
T, ton D. Lord; treasurer Alfred r. Kim
| ball. The executive secretary Of the
council Is DIR. Charles 8. mcfarland,
an "a a q III
K. Carroll
| The council itself meets quadrenniai-
| ~, and consists of about 400 qualified
delegates officially elected by the vari
GUS UNCONVENTIONAL assemblies or other
constituted authorities. The executive
committee consists OF about 100 of
| these delegates, and acts for the coun-
Gil between its sessions. holding an
nual meetings. Tho executive commit
tee has an administrative committee
! holding regular monthly meetings.
! UNITED WORK IN
| HANDS OF COMMISSIONS
The united work undertaken by the
: council Is carried on by the following
commissions: State and local fedora
1 tons. foreign missions. homo missions,
religious education, social service,
| evangelism. family life, Sunday observ-
nncc, temperance. and peace and arbi-
| tration. The various commissions have
regular organization with chairman,
secretary and executive committee, and
the members of the various commits
sions ire the picked men of the coun-
! try in the various subjects for which
they are chosen.
| The constituent bodies of the council
at present are as follows: the baptist
Churches. North, the National Baptist
Convention (colored). the FREQ Bap
tist Churches. the Christian Church.
the Congregational Churches. the Dis
ciples of Christ. the Friends. the Ger
man Evangelical Synod, the Evangeli
cal Association, tho Evangelical Luz
therau Church. General Synod. the
Mennonite Church. the Methodist 3pis
copal Church, the Methodist Episcopal
Church. South: tho African NJ. E.
Church. the African M. z. Zion Church.
tho Colored M. o. Church in America.
the Methodist Protestant Church. the
Moravian Church. tho Presbyterian
Church In the U. S. a.. the Presbyterian
Church in the L. s.. the Primitive
Methodist Church, the Protestant Epis-