The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-13
NEW YORK RECTORS
 APPROVE STAND OF
 MINNESOTA BISHOP
Indorse Decision of Episco- pal Board of Missions to Send Delegates to the
 Panama Congress

New York, December 12-Rectors of 24 of the largest Protestant Episcopal churches in the city announced from their pulpits today their approval of the de- termination of the Episcopal board of missions to participate with the repre- sentatives of the large Protestant bodies iE the forthcoming Panama congress This participation has been the subject of much discussion and some dissension in the Episcopal church. The rectors united in plea for the abandonment of sectar rian prejudice as an obstacle to ultimate Christian unity.
 The clergymen joined in distributing g among their parishioners copies of a ps mphlet signed by them in which they quoted and approved statement deal ing with the situation, recently published by Bishop Samuel Cook Esdall of Minne- sota~
 The clergymen declared they regarded their action as a step in the direction of pra ctical church unity, as well as an answer to recent criticism of the action of the board of missions on the ground that it was illegal and tended to es- trange the Roman and Greek Catholic churches from the Episcopal.
 At it's November meeting the board of missions refused to rescind it's ac- oeptance in May of next year of the in- vitation to send delegates to the Panama congress.
 BISHOPS STATEMENT
 Bishop Esdal in his statement said:
 T am not pessimistic enough to be- lieve that there is any real danger of a split or schism in our beloved church; i; but there is grave reason to fear that there will be a great deal of bitter feel ing stirred up with consequent disadvan- tage to the unity and efficiency of the work of our church, both at home and abroad unless heated partisans on either side shall be given grace enough to ex- ercise some reasonable control over their tompers, tongues and pens.
 Some within our church feel that we are under solemn obligation to the cause of ultimate Christian unity to maintain courteous relations with the Protestant ccmmunons about us. Others in our church, equally conscientious, believe that any possible good of sending dele gates to Panama will be more than out weighed by the danger of becoming in- Volved in entangling alliances and
 i'll feeling toward us of the Roman Catholic church, and further insist we should beware lest in cultivating closer relations with Protestant Christianity, we do not widen the breach which separates us from Rome and the east"
 The bishop pointed out that the pub lished proceedings of the board show that in the resolution and declaration adopted it is stated in reference to the Panama congress that:
 NOT FOR LEGISLATION
 Tt is not to be a gathering for leg isiation on ecclesiastical questions, but it shall be the purpose of the Panama congr ess to recognize all the elements of truth and goodness in any form of re- ligious faith and all communications or organizations which accept Jesus Christ as Divine Savior and Lord and the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the revealed word of God, and whose purpose is to make the will of Christ prevail in Latin America, are cordially invited to participate in the Panama con gress, and will be heartily welcomed
 Resolved, that our delegates go for conference only and with no purpose authority or power of committing this board to co-operation.'
 Tn the mind of any fair-minded man." the bishop says, "the question was re- duced simply to that of the expediency or inexpedency of sending delegates to Panama. In my own personal opinion, based on what I heard from the bishops iE charge of our work in Latin n-American countries, it was not only expedient, but right that we should send delegates to Panama and I further feel that it would be invidious to assume that the men who have been chosen as our delegates can not be trusted to safeguard the position of our church in any conferences they may hold with others who are carrying on work in Latin America"