The sun., 1919-05-26
lDR. HOLMES FORMS
| HIS OWN CHURCH
Leads Congregation Out of
Unitarian Faith and Adopts
New Name.
SOCIAL SERVICE THE AIM
Clergyman Hereafter Will
Preach q "Universal HUI
manistic Religion"

DR.. John Haynes Holmes, who as q
UNITARIAN clergyman has been at work
for many months to lead his congrega-
tion OF the Church Of the Messiah, Park
avenue and Thlrty-fourth street, out Of
the Unitarian faith In order to establish
church which would have no affiliation
whatever with denominationalism, an
nounced yesterday that he has succeeded.
The congregation has adopted the name
The Community Church Of New York"
and licenses him to preach q universal,
humanistic religion" which does not rec
ognixe the bounds Of Christianity, DR..
Holmes has resigned from all connection
with the Unitarian Church. AZ he does
not intend to preach theology, II is un-
certain whether he will continue TO DO
a clergyman.
The church Of which DR.. Holmes has
been pastor since 1907 was established
In 1925 as the Second Congregational
Church Of New York. In 1889 the name
was changed to the Unitarian Church Of
the Messiah, continuing a. such during
the eighty years that have elapsed. The
congregation II said to consist OF about
400 contributing members and has lately
enjoyed a considerable increase In atten-
dance
Pacfnst Before the war.
DR.. Holmes became Unitarian clergy
man In 1904. He has had calls to All
Souls Church OF Chicago and other lead
ing churches, and was at ono time vice.
president OF the Middle States Confer
ence of the Unitarian Church. Prior to
tho entrance OF the United States into
the war he held pacinst Views, and II
was reported that some Of his utterances
Mad been carried by German fiers over
the lines for propaganda purposes. When
he was asked about this report DR..
Holmes said:
Before the war I. as a pacifst, ok
pressed tho hope that the United States
States entered the war have made no
such statement"
DR. Holmes began his efforts to estab-
lish an undenominational church in jan
uary with the adjustment OF pew rents
and the institution Of steps to pave the
way for a social service organization.
He said then that he did not believe his
plan would obtain full acceptance for
ten years. His announcement from the
pulpit yesterday was as follows:
'The old name of the church has long
since lost It's meaning. at least for our
people. To many II had q sentimental
value. made precious by long and tender
2 ssociation, but II meant nothing to any
Of US in terms Of spiritual thought and
work OF our time, and 70 the public Of
large 1t was q source Of confusion and
error.
Tho change to the Community
Church Of New York IL simply an en-
deavor to interpret the free. democratic
social religion to which We are commit
ted, and to give public guarantee Of our
determination to live out tho conse-
Quences Of this religion to the very end
by this action the church has now
completed a great work Of reorEaniza-
ton. have left Unitarianism. cut my.
self OF from all UNCONVENTIONAL connec-
lions Of every kind, that I may preacf,
universal humanistic religion which
knows no bounds Of any kind, not even
Christianity.
All Creeds Made Welcome.
1--WE have done away with assess
ments. pew rents. &C., and thus placed
the support of the church on tho abso-
lutely democratic basis Of free volun.
tary subscriptions. We have rewritten
our covenant, eliminating every las,
vestige of theology. thus RELOCATING al
matters Of belief to private individual
opinion and putting membership in the
institution on an out-and-out citizen.
ship basis.
ANY person who Is a part of oul
great American community Is welcome
to our church, whether he be rich oil
poor. black or white, Christian, Jew
Hindu or Parsee. By adopting this new
name we put the social, democratic
| stn mp indelibly upon our work We now
belong to the community, to take ranl
with the school. the library, the com
runity centre as public institution fol-
! public service. Our work of reorTan
iration complete we now turn to tn,
q eater task OF making our church eftec
tive In the democratic life of Amefica.
DR.. Holmes announced some time age
that he believed the war had shown tina
Reconsideration Is no longer to b,
| tolerated.
Our churches will be related as tn,
wards Of city are related" he said
we shall all be Christians together a,
we are all Americans together. We shall
have different religious ideas as we hav,
different political ideas. but We shall
be organised religiously as POLITICAL,
in single community"
In giving another definition of tn,
scope OF his new church plan he lik
ened II TO Red Cross organizatio,
dedicated TO the services OF mankind.
Among the names considered were 9TH,
! Church OF the New Democracy" 9TH,
Peoples Church" and Tho Free Eel