New Britain herald., 1915-10-21
I38,000 CHURCHES
 INFEDERAL COUNCIL
CongregationaiSt Convention Holds Second Days Session


 the country over night, the national
 council of Congregational churches to-
 day resumed it's labors in Center
 church, the meeting house esta blished
 by John Davenport and his band of
 colonists who landed near the spot,
 now the Central Green, PIT years ago.
 II the United Church., a few yards
 to the north the Women's Home Mis- l sionary Federation opened it's annual
 meeting at the same morning hour.
 The council session was followed by
 the business meeting of the Congre-
 gational Sunday School and Publish i ing society.
 Recommendations First Business. 1 The first matters taken up were
 recommendations submitted by the l executive committee in which cer- 1 tain subects on which discussions at 1 length are expected, such as church unity, evangelism, temperance and hnances were made the order for spe- clal times. Rev. Raymond Calkins of Cambridge, Mass, for the commission on county, federation and unity, in a report said that the commissions &C., tlvlt1es had been directed to the SUD- port on behalf of the Congregational churches of the federal council of the Churches of Christ in America Actual working cooperation exists among the great maority of American Protestant churches which are being welded together in "an expression of the Christian conscience of the mill lions of Christian people whom they represent" The federal council off, cially unites in their activities 138,- 900 churches with 100000 mem- bers
 Reports on Church Unitey.
 Rev. William H. Ward reported on the movements towards union with other denominations saying that a plan of union with the United Breth- ern and the Methodist Protestants which have been accepted by a ma ority of their local conference seem almost certain of adoption at their forthcoming general conferences The report further said that organic union l is world movement. In the mis- sion fields union is making rapid l progress. It has come to be the rule | that kindred denominations working 1 in any country must unite their l churches into one national body. The l existence at present of over one hum dred denominations is not creditable to American Professionalism. This gives a sting to every criticism by the Roman Catholic church. Surely it is ! time for Congregationalists to do their part in reducing the divisions of Protestant Christendom
 Executive Committee Reports.
 Rev. Dr. c. F. Carter of Hartford, Conn.,, as chairman, reported for the executive committee which made l these recommendations, which among others were adopted: Placing the accounting on the basis of the calendar year; to have churches make a per capita contribution of four cents each year on gross mem- for council expenses; that council commissions be those on evangelism, social service, religious education, comity, federation and amity, public worship and temperance, each with membership of seven; that the executive committee try to secure uniformity of nomenclature in states having double organization, that fellowship churches make pro- vision for observance of the Tooth an- n:versary of Protestant reformation, October 31, 1917, and that the ten- centenary of the Pilgrims landing be observed.
 Rev. Hubert c. Herring of Boston was reelected secretary of the cour- cil.
 The following were elected: Execu- tive committee for four years, Her. bert J. Brown, Portland, Me, O. J. Hill Kasas City, Mo-, and D. M. Ferry, Detroit; commission on mis- sions for your years: Arthur l.. Ship man, Connecticut, Burton Payne Gray, Massachusetts, David P. Jones, Min nesota, President H. c. King, Ober- lin college, Ohio, Roger Leavitt, Iowa, Albert Parker Fitch, Massachusetts and Rev. Lewis T. Reed, New York; for two years to fill vacancies. H. w. Darling, Kansas, Rev. Archibald Had don, Michigan, and Frank Kimball, Illinois. On the same board from societies Rev. E.. M. Moves, Massa- chusetts from the American board, Dyer B. Holmes, New York, from the | Board of Ministerial Relief, Miss Sarah Louise Day, Massachusetts, | from the Woman's Mission board.
 Other Reports Read.
 Other reports read were from Rev. 1 C. F. Swift, of Fall River, Mass, for the commission on evangelism, Rev. | w. E. Strong for the American Board l of Commissioners of Foreign Missions, | and Rev. Oliver Huckel, of Baltimore | on Welfare of Men Uuder the Flag.
 John H. Perry of Connecticut, re- ! ported proposed amendments to by | laws, one pertaining to deputizing of | a!ternates to the council being length I fly debated because of differing opinion over phraseology, and being l adopted after acceptance of clarifying 1 amendments.