Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-09-13
HAS A SCHEME To
UNITE lUTHERANS
Representative to General Council
Proposes Boat Trip Through
Panama for 1918.
ALL BRANCHES REPRESENTED
Believes That Way Would Be Found
TO Reconcile All Differences Of
American Members.
BY REV. z. f. RTDES.


To get the representatives Of more
than 100000 Lutherans OF America
on board ship and keep them there
until they have agreed 10 unite in
single national church federation was
the novel plan proposed today in the
general council.
The scheme. which is perhaps the
most unique ever brought forward to
bring about q church union. original
ed in the mind of DE. J. G. Kunzmanu
Of Philadelphia, superintendent Of the
council home missions. and was
ehampioned today By him Il is pro-
posed to carry # out in 1913, two
years after the great quadri-centen-
NAL celebration of the Reformation
planned by Lutherans. Dr., Kunz-
mann's plan is this.
A steamer is TO be chartered at
New York for q four weeks cruise
during the month Of July or August.
1919 The general council is 10 be
represented by 500 delegates from it's
various local synods and invitations
are 20 be issued TO tbe General synod
and United synod of the south and
other big Lutheran bodies to send
similar DELEGATIONS The trip is to
be made from New York through the
Panama canal to points on the Pa
cifc coast Stops are To be made at
Charleston, $. c., San Juan. Porto
Rico. Panama. san Diego, Los An
reles. San Francisco. Portland Tia
coma and Vancouver At each of
these cities fl is planned 70 hold grand
rallies at which the claims and pur-
poses Of the Lutheran church viii be
set forth
While on board the ship the time
viii be spent i'm deliberations looking
toward a church union Each Luth-
eran body WIFI he given an oppoTtuu-
lty to hold sessions in turn. while
the other delegates listen to their
proceedings Joint sessions viii then
he held and committees appointed to
overcome faculties standing ia the
way of federation. At night it is
proposed ta have addresses by the
leading men ON theology and higher
criticism and discussion on modern
mission and social problems confront.
ing the church When ports are
touched. these lectures will be given
in connection with the rallies.
Return by Rail.
When Vancouver is reached the
delegates will leave the boat and
travel across the country in special
trains. stopping at the larger centers
OF population Great mass meetings
are planned for Chicago. Baltimore /
and Washington Or. Kunzmann is
enthusiastic about the success of his /
plan In urging its adoption he said |
THE year 1917 viii see the great +
quadri-centeuuial jubilee of the LHth- .
eran church. Then for the first time .
Will America fully learn the history
and teachings and mission of our .
church. and then for the first time .
viii the Lutheran church become con
scious of its mission. Then. too. viii .
it first begin TO realize the necessity /
of uniting her forces in order 10 ac-
complish that mission She viii then
know what further questions to dis
cuss in the leading centers Of popu-
lation and 20 enable her to do this is
the purpose Of this excursion
Touching southern ports, We viii
have an opportunity of discussing the .
problems Of the south. touching at
Porto Rico. We can end out the prob
lens confronting our missions there; +
reaching the Pacific We viii have an
Of learning something
about the questions that are dominant
land II will give our church leaders
an opportunity Of knowing our coun-
try"