Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-09-21
MINISTER'S ADOPT
STANDARD OF ACTION
Concluding Feature Of COngrega'
tiOnal COnvOCatiOn
Favors Federation In Small Town
and Outlines War Plans


! state were present here last week
adopted at its closing session on Friday
morning STANDARD of action for the
ensuing year. which covered wide
range of fundamental principles, The
resolutions were drawn up by Com
mttee on Findings, and unanimous
ly adopted upon their presentation by
DR.. G. S. Mills of Bennington.
At the Thursday evening session G,
f. Marshall Of MeIrose, Mass, spoke
to a large audience on "The Prime Ne
cessity of Getting Together, taking
the place of George W, Coleman Of
Boston, who was unable to be present
DR., II, c, Herring also spoke, "The
Outlook Of Professionalism " referring to
an increasing unity Of effort on the part
of the various Protestant denomina-
tons.
The Findings Committee paid
hearty thanks to Secretary c. c. Mer-
rill, who had inauguarated the Convo-
cation idea and had worked il out so
successfully; TO President Thomas, who
had opened the College to the ministers
to the Rev. Henry c. Newell Of the
Local church, Prof. Hathaway for his
organ recitals, and to many others who
had contributed to the success Of the
Convocation, In addition they adopted
the following:
And now we Congregational Ministers
Of Vermont, assembled in Convocation
at Middlebury and comprising three
fourths Of the total number Of acting
pastors, as a result Of our thought and
conference, do adopt the following
standard of action for the ensuing year:
Character and SGrriCo
As ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we sincerely re.dcdicate ourselves to
Him and to the service of humanity in
His name and spirit. We will seek for
purity Of heart and life, that our vision
Of God may he undimmed; we will en-.
deaver by spiritual culture and moral
discipline to he fitted for our task; we
will hold ourselves "doggedly' to the
studies and careful preparation which
shall make us as efficient as we may he
in the preaching of the mscarchable
riches of the Christian Gospel; we will
seek to he animated by the spirit Of love,
compassion and saving purpose in our
personal relations with all men. that We
may present them perfect in Christ
Jesus And this we will do in constant
dependence upon Gods guidance and
prayer for His help.
Constructive Thinking and Prc0chin0
The world war again reveals the truth
that wrong thinking issues in wrong DO.
ing, in nations as in individuals We
believe that the principles of the Chris
tian faith alone are adequate to the
permanent solution of the great prob.
ems which are now thrust upon us. It
will he our purpose to think these prob,
lens through in the light of Christ 5
ideal, that we may be of constructive
service in building new world order
ont Of the present international chaos,
and we will embody the results of such
thinking in our preaching.
organization in Local churches
We will clearly recognize the impor. :
lance Of such organization and will res
olutcly cndeavor to perfect it, the fol
lowing to be- taken as general model:
one or more persons, in separate com.
mittccs or in combination of commit
ices to have definite charge of ~ Wor-
ship and Fellowship. (2) Business, (3)
az Education. (j) Com.
nunity Service. (6) Missions. The
leads Of these departments together
With other church officials to constitute
| Pastor s Cabinet, Church Advisory or
Executive Committee, with regular meet
ngs
FcHowSMp wih Ncorby Churches
No Congregational church should at
cmnt to do its work apart from n sense
# close relationship with other Congrc-
tational churches. Hence we will sup
oolt thorough going effort to make
mr. County Association meetings a more
'ital feature in the life of the churches
through ~ n commanding program,
y an adequate attendance from each
hurch, (3) choice of the very hest time
nd season for holding them, az coop
ration between Associations 50 ms to
ecure strong outof state speakers.
Zach meeting is thus TO become n kind
f miniature Convocnton for both min
Strrs and lavmen. We request the Adj.
isorv Committee of each Association to
old ono or more meetings each wear,
mart from the meeting of the Associa.
ion. to which the Secretary of the State
Conference shall he invited. when the
interests and needs of all the churches
hall he thoroughly considered and suit
BILE action suggested or taken.
Fvdn0eism
We purpose to have a Fundamental
rogram of Evangelism which shall en-
st the entire membership of our
hurchos. So far as it may apply in our
field we would adopt as the
asis Of this program that suggested nv
,r. Swartz. We ask that this program
2 printed in its entirety in the October
Missionary. 6
MISSIONARY
Tn the midst IF orr struggle for n
'Orld safe for Democracy We RECOGNIZE -,
nat we cannot succeed unless Mt the '
anne time we come into more vital svr-
athletic relationships with alien neo-
los in all our communities We believe (
nat this homo missionary hclnfulness
lOuld he n definite mart of the pro- {
ram If work of each church having
lch nooplo in its community s
Rejoicing in the splendid continued