Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-28
Religious Leaders Now on Way
to Great Congress at Panama
More Than Fifty American Societies and Denomina-
tional Boards Represented
BY RELIGIOUS RAMBLER
By THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER

I Christ; the Rev. A. Mclean, LII D.,
Foreign Christian Missionary Society:
the Rev. ID. 7. Morrill,. Board of For
eign Missions. Christian Church: the
Rev. T. B. Nee1y. D D., Board of Home
Missions and Church Extension. Meth
odtst Episcopal Church; the Rev. T. B.
Fay, d. D., Foreign Mission Board,
Southern Baptist Convention; the Rev.
c. j. Ryder, d. D., American Mission
airy Association; the Rev. c. I. SEQ
field. d D.. Central American Mission
the Rev. George Smith. Evangelical
| Union of South America: Elder W. A.
Spicer. General Conference, Seventh
Day Adventists: Miss Clarissa H. Spen-
Ger. National Board. Young Women's
Christian Association; the Rev. C. E.
Tebbstts. American Friends Board of
Foreign Missions; the Rev. Charles L.
thompson, d. D.. Board Home Mis-
sions. Presbyterian. United States; Mrs.
x. 8. Westfall, Womans American
Baptist Home Missionary Society; the
Rev. j. D. Williams, D. D., Christian
and Missionary Alliance.
Sir Andrew Wingate. K. c. I. E., is
chairman OF the British corresponding
committee in charge of the congress.
Notable men from Latin America also
are cooperating. The Anglican arch
bishop of the West Indies Is at the
head of the delegation from these
islands.
| "Dsat II - All AUOuJ
Out of the storm of discussion and
| controversy that has ragged about the
holding of this congress there has
emerged the following official def
milton OF the spirit and purpose of the
meeting:
| Resolved. That this conference
| strongly recommends that those who
are making arrangements for the
| Panama congress, as well as all writ
ers and speakers at the congress, bear
in mind that, If the best and most last
| ing results are to be obtained. while
frankly facing moral and spiritual con-
/ ditions which call for missionary work
In Latin America, and while present
! ing the Gospel which we hold as the
only adequate solution of the problems
which those conditions present, 1t shall
! be the purpose of the Panama con-
gress to recognize all the elements of
! truth and goodness in any form of re-
! ligious faith. Our approach to the
| people shall be neither critical nor an
| tagonistic, but inspired by the teach
ings and example of Christ and that
| charity which thinketh no evil and re-
! Joiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in
the truth.
In the matter of Christian service
we will welcome the cooperation of
any who are willing to cooperate in
any part of the Christian program
We should not demand union with us
| in all our work as the condition of
accepting allies for any part of it."
Interpreting Latin America
So numerous are religious conven-
tions, and so ephemeral are most of
them. that 1t has been rather difficult
to make the average church member
understand how different is the con-
gresS at Panama. Not only is it inter
national and interdenominational in it's
scope. and not only has 1t enlisted the
activities of the missionary leaders of
North America, but 1t also contem-
plates a complete survey of religious
and social conditions in Latin America.
The statement is made by the Rev.
S. Guy 1nman. the executive secretary.
that this conference will do more to
interpret the Americas to each other
than all the pan-American meetings
that have gone before.
Eight commissions, numbering 215
persons, most of them experts upon
the subject Of Latin America, have
long been engaged in the preparation
of eight reports, which will later be
| bound in three volumes. These books
it is predicted by those who have seen
the commissions reports, will be the
most comprehensive documents. upon
all phases of Latin American life, ever
published. Upward of a thousand per-
sons have contributed facts and
opinions to them, these documents all
being d1gested by the commissions and
written into the reports.
The subjects of the eight commits
sions are Survey and Occupation"
Message and Method" Education"
Literature" "Women's Work." THE
Church in the Field" THE Home
Base" and Cooperation and the Pro-
motion of Unity"
Stirring Two Continents
Not content with the interest which
the congress itself will awaken-and
South America is said to be keenly
alert to all its plans and purposes and
utterances-the leaders are going to
carry the messages of the meetings to
strategic points in South America and
the West Indies. A series of eight
regional conferences" to be addressed
by delegates, have been arranged for
the following centers after the Pan
anna meetings adjourn: Lima, Santi-
ago, Buenos Aires. Rio de Janeiro,
Havana, Cuba; San Juan, Porto Rico:
Mexico City, Central America and Co
lombia.
Beginning with March, most of the
important religious meetings of North
America will reflect this Panama con-
gress, and the religious press will re-
f, echo its messages. The effect upon
| political, commercial. social and re-
| ligious relations between the two
| Americas will be great and it is not
surprising that the President of Pan