The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-04-20
.LUTHERlNs PLAN 400TH RE-
FORMATION Anniversary
All Protestant Church Bodies will
Join In Historic Event.

Headquarters have been established
in The Hornor Building, Philadelphia,
to make arrangements for nationwide
celebration of the four huudredth ami
versary of the Reformation in 1917, and
to get in communication with the &c.,
900, 900 Lutherans the world over For
more than year the joint committee
has been working on plans, and sub
committees are now putting the main
feature into final form.
An anniversary medal showing Luther
mailing the famous ninety-tve theses
on the church door at Wittenberg and
bearing appropriate Inscriptions is be-
ing designed and will be ready for dis
tribution by October 1916. A motion
picture film depicting the principal &C
tlvities of Luther and Reformation
scenes will in all probability be used to
visualize the events of the places and
the movement. A group of scholars
has been at work for more than a year
translating the writings of Luther and
we'll known American writer will is
sue a popular life of the Reformer
The Luther Play" is filling engage
ments in many centers with great sue
| cess and further engagements are be-
ing booked for 1917. Services of wor-
ship will be held by individual congre-
cations with special speakers and music,
and in addition celebration festivals
will be conducted in many centers.
These may extend oyer a period of
several days, depending on the size of
the community. Chorus singing by
massed church choirs and singing So
cieties will be featured and the wealth
of Reformation hymns and oratorios
will be used extensively.
All Protestant bodies will observe the
event. 1t will be as in 1863 when the
entire Protestant world concentrated
the four hundredth anniversary of the
birth of the leader of the Reformation,
Martin Luther. The council of Church
| Boards of Education, representing
seventeen denominations has opened a
central office in New York to conduct q
campaign of education during 1917, for
the purpose of increasing the financial
support and the efficiency of the church
colleges.
1t is intended to make the celebration
commemorative of the great historic
event of the sixteenth century with the
emphasis upon the principles which
have contributed so largely to the
worlds progress. The religious factor
will be the leading feature of the cele-
bration but other phases of historic in
terest will receive attention. The aim
will be a constructive celebration look
! ing forward as much as backward.
Above all it is hoped a spiritual impetus
will result which shall benefit the en-
tire world. Special Reformation liter
allure, books, and monographs will be
produced and booking agency for lee
lures is established. A department of
the headquarters is provided for refer
ence and information purposes and cor
respondence is invited on matters re-
lating to the Reformation period or to
proper and constructive celebration
of the event
Five Synods of national character are
represented in the executive committee
the general synod, the general coun-
Gil, the United Synod of the South, the
Joint Synod of Ohio, and the Iowa
Synod. the members OF the COM
mittees are drawn from every sectiono of
the country.
The Rev Prof 7. E. Schmauk, D.
D Of the Mt Airy Seminary, Phia-
deIDhia, is chairman of the general and
the executive committees. MIR. f.
Clarence Miller, banker of Philadelphia,
is chairman of the finance committee
which is underwriting the expenses of
the office and committee activities.
The executive secretary, the Rev. How
ard Il. Gould, was called from Madison,
WIS., "Heie ne was UNIVERSITY pastor
for his denomination at the University
of Wisconsin, and pastor of Luther
Memorial Church. During the summer
of 1915 Mr.. Gould engaged in religious
and social welfare work in prison camps
in Europe under the direction of the
International Committee of the Y. NJ.
C. A.
forsake it, remembering the command,