The Washington herald., 1915-10-31
IN THE REALM OF RELIGION

borne by the United States. This is not
true because we of America are better
or more Christian than other nations
We, are not. In theirA circumstances our
conduct would in all human likelihood
have been on level with their conduct.
But our different circumstances, our
fortunate detachment from the scene OF
struggle, our independence of European
entanglements. all combine to lay upon
US an unusual responsibility not merely
to do the conventional and customary
thing but to erect new and higher stand
ards beyond anything the Church OF
Christ has ever before striven to meas
ure up to.
The war and It's meaning for the peace
full American Church constituted the
thesis of nearly every address of the
great convention. Chicago churchmen
set a record which seventy-five other
cities will try to break during the next
six months OF a nationwide campaign
Forty-fve hundred men registered for
the convention and paid 81 each. An
the Protestant churches In the city were
represented. The sessions. held at Me-
dinah Temple. were presided over by
Harry A. Wheeler, a master of business
and a man equally at home in conduct
ing the affairs OF the kingdom
This series Of laymen's conventions
differs from that of six years ago in
that home missions Is now included side
by side with foreign missions. One OF
the greatest addresses of the convention
was an Interpretation of THE Appeal
of Chicago" by Prof. z. A. Steiner, OF
Grinnell College, Iowa.
The South American field doomed large.
Bishop Kinsolving. Of the Episcopal
church. and Bishop Stuntz. of the Meth
odist church, both missionary bishops in
South America, brought urgent messages
OF opportunity and need from our neigh
Dor continent
The lsymen's movement wfp gather
power as 1t rolls through the leading
cities of our land. And IL is safe to pre-
dict that the climacteric convention in
d. C., in May, 1916 will be
one Of the most significant religious
gatherings held IN many. years.
Rev. FINS Idleman. for nine years pas
tor OF Central Christian .-hurch, Des
Moines. Iowa, has accepted a call to
Central Church, New York City, and
will enter upon his new work January l.
The New York church is said to be the
Oldest church of the Disciples OF Christ,
having been founded in 1910. However.
the cause Of the Disciples is not strong
the new pastor will be able to build up
the New York church as he has the one
which he leaves. OF DIR. IdIeman's
change a friend has said:
At the hour OF his most evident success
he now resigns his church of LOO mem
bers, relinquishes the commanding posi-
ton he occupies in the cultural political
and commercial life of Des Noines to
accept a church of 800 members smoth-
cred under the vast commercial and re-
ligious enterprises OF New York City.
Rev. ]. W. Van We've. D. D.. Decatur.
Ill. vice president board OF conference
claimants of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. In a recent address on the re-
tirement of aged ministers. said:
The support of the minister must be
from the market basis to the
basis of military service. in which the
ideas of loyalty and sacrifice are more
than those OF employment
and wages. The minister should have a
position Of separateness and honor like
that of an officer In the regular army.
The military officer is wholly at the dis
posal of his government. He keeps him.
self detached from other interests in or
der that no personal affairs of his own
may interfere with the promptness and
elustt VI nte stfNlCc- vi tne Quiet
hand. the government assumes the entire
for his support. From the
time when he Is accepted as a cadet, he
receives an allowance proportioned to
the demands of his position. and when
his time of active service is over he re-
tires on an adequate and honorable PEN
sion. We require OF our ministers the
same absolute devotion which the gov
eminent requires of its officers. In all
equity We ought to provide in the same
absolute way for their comfort The
crucial point in the problem is the re-
tired minister. The necessities of the
work are the security of the active min
Ister for his support. His congregation
can be depended upon to see to that, but
the retired minister by the behest Of the
his comfort should be the care Of the
whole church.
The sincere and practical adoption of
such a policy would put a new spirit into
the living ministry. II would free money
for better ministerial equipment. and
would give us a larger number OF choic-
est men for our ministry
On last Tuesday night Beta Chapter.
II Virginia. of the Phi Mu Sigma Fra
ernity, was installed at the NJ. r.
Church, South. at Fredericksburg Va.
With impressive ceremonies. The in
,tallation was presided over by DR.. Cliff
on p. Clark. supreme master Of the fra
ernity. assisted by a delegation from
Alpha Chapter, of Virginia, located at
Alexandria. Accompanying the supreme
master from Washington were Willis S.
Warren. supreme recording secretary:
William II. Braund. charter member; T.
Irk-
James Merritt Maupin. jr.. president of
Kappa Chapter: ]. Marshall DeShields,
historian of Gamma Chapter. The dele
cation from Alpha Chapter, OF Virginia,
of Lester Cook. president;
Thomas NJ. Jones, jr.. secretary: Harold
". Davis. Robert Gulland, assistant sec
'etary; W. E. Dunn and Elmer Smith.
The visiting delegation was met at the
lepot by representatives of the new chap
er. and were handsomely entertained in
heir homes. DR.. Clark and Mr.. War
en- were entertained by Mr.. and Mrs.
Masters, Messrs. Braund ana Leith by
Y. ]. r. Davis. Messrs. Dunn and Gull
and by Mr.. Edwin II. whitehouse.
SIessrs. Maupin. DeShields. Cook and
Davis by Mr.. Rowland F. Tankard. The
OF the installation were con-
iucted in the historic old Methodist
SnurCn OF rreueTlChsDuTS- MemDers OF
he new chapter are: !. P. Davis (teacher
II the class composing the chapter. r.
= Tankard, E. II. Whitehouse. J. X.
II. V. knight. Fred A. Thomas,
= A. Sarver, James II. Mitchell. Walter
Vivian L. Layton, William Z.
Porter. Alton Whitehouse. c. NJ. Rowe,
William T. Lowry, Joseph w. Rixey. E.
!. Embrey and w. l. Brannon. mem
,ers of the official board of the church.
Ilso came in as sustaining members of
he chapter. r. F. Tanksrd was elected
PRESIDENT of the new chapter.