The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1916-11-24
SPECIAL COMMEMOR-
ATIVE SERVICES.
REFORMED CHURCH In THE U. 5. PLANS
TO CELEBRATE FOUR HUNDREDTH
ANNIVERSARY.

Plans are being laid for an impos-
ing observance Of the four hundredth
anniversary of the Reformed Church
in the United States. The celebration
projected by the General Snyod at
Lancaster, Pa, in 1914, has been CIV
en- definite scope and character in the
acts of the district synods of the
church whose sessions have just been
closed.
Special commemorative services
will be held during the year, 1917, by
all synods and classes at their an
nual meetings, exercises marking the
event will be held in all of the edu-
cational institutions of the church,
and each local congregation is called
upon to hold special anniversary SER
vices.
The celebration is designed with ref
erence to the future quite as much
as to the past-the aim being to stir
up the Christian consciousness of the
entire church with reference to it's de-
nominational responsibility at home
and abroad. In view of the growing
sentiment in favor of the practical ex-
preston of the Christian life in nat
ional affairs, the celebration will have
patriotic as well as religious signif-
icance.
In the Reformed Church these OBJ
jectives will be crystallized in a
united effort to strengthen all of the
educational institutions Of the church
both by creating for them larger
place in the hearts of the people, and
by greatly increasing their equip
ment and endowment. The practi-
cal plan adopted for securing these
ends is to take complete enrolment
of the denomination in connection with
the anniversary celebrations in the
churches. In this enrolment every
member of the church, will be given
opportunity to pledge anew his de-
votion to his mother church and to
seal it with a gift to the four Humid
redth Anniversary Fund for the ad-
vancement of Christian Education. 1t
! is expected that the latter will call
forth many large donations for the
establishment of permanent mem
orials in the form of scholarship
buildings and endowments at vari-
Gus seats of learning within the
church, and that the Fund, as a
whole, will reach at least One Million
, Dollars
! The Association of Schools, Colleges
and Seminaries of the Reformed
! Church will lend it's services in the
campaign. This organization in
cludes all of the educational institu-
tions connected with the Reformed
Church of which there are twelve, as
follow The Theological Seminary
Lancaster, Pa. Central Theological
Seminary, Dayton, Ohio; Franklin and
Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa D.;
! Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa.
Heidelberg University, Tifin, Ohio;
Hood College, Frederick, Md; Allen
town College for Women, Allentown
Pa; Mission House College and Sem
mary, Plymouth, Wis. Catawba Col
Ilege, Newton, N. c.; Mercersburg
Academy, Mercersburg, Pa; Franklin
and Marshall Academy, Lancaster,
Pa, and Massanutten Academy, Wood
stock, Va.
The Association has opened offices
in the Reformed Church Building,
Fifteenth and Race Streets, Philadel-
phia. The Rev. Clayton H. Ranck,
formerly pastor of the Third Reformed
Church, Baltimore, Md, is General
Secretary. The officers of the Associa-
ton are: President, Henry H. Ap-
pie of Franklin and Marshall College,
president; President George Leslie
Omwake of Ursinus College, secre-
tary; President Joseph H. Apple Of
Hood College, treasurer These Off
GERS with Professor VIM. G.. Schaeffer
of the Theological Seminary at Lam
caster, Pa, and Head Master VIM.
Mann Irvine of the Mercersburg
! Ano6nT1orT
Committee