The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-12-07
World Movement
to Be Launched Here This Week
Leading PrOtestants of
State to Participate in
Three Days Conference.
Plans of New Religious
Movement to Be Outlined
BY Able Speakers.
Nv CAROLYN IL. ELLIOTT

Nv CAROLYN Is. ELLIOTT
The meeting which will convene this
week in the First Presbyterian church
win bear historic witness as the initial
Rssemblasc of Alabama's cooperative in
nuence in the most significant movement
ever undertaken by the evangelical
churches Of North America.
Il is fiL less than the interchurch
world movement, that will call together
reXt W ednesday morning at 1879 O'Clock
between 100 and 20 representative cergy-
men, laymen and iaywomen of most OF
the Protestant denominations in Alabama
for d state training conference Of three
GAYS.
rnis conference. IA morning, afternoon
and evening sessions, win give considra-
ton TO everN phase of the great coop
erati(e effort laaf is already engaging
Protestant. denominations representing
membership OF AGO. 00e people.
All methods and plans for Christian
social service Of The churches will be
treated eXhaust4vely in addresses, train
.ns classes and round table discussions
under the efficient leadership of the fol-
lowing faculty of six. selected from as
many denominations: Dr. john w. Laird,
prominent layman Of Baltimore; Mrs.
James II. Mccoy. secretary home depart
n5ent, womap's work. Southern Method
list church: Charles Rowland. Athens,
Ca, president laymen's missionary move
1uent, Presbyterian church; II. L. Free
man of Adrian, Mich, and William l..
Hudson.
Alabama is one of many training con-
ferenees that viii re held in the key
cities of the United States, and the key
men and women VINO are delegates Will
take the information received back OF
their various denominations and into
every nook and corner of the states
Members of the Alabama faculty who
will arrive Tuesday come to Birmingham
after attending the national leaders
training conference recently held in At
lantic City.
1t is estimated that after the state con-
ferences are held at least 100000 people
Zone in every hundred of the nations
population will be able u give at least
rough outline of the nature of the inter
church world movement, it's detectives
and the points at which it will touch the
local community.
BIRMINGHAM KEY CITY"
Birmingham. as Alabama's key city,
is exceptionally happy that such historic
conference is to be held here and that
such chosen witnesses will be at home
this week with headquarters at the Tut
wiler hotel. Careful thought has been
given for the comfort of the delegates
by a social committee on arrangements
composed of the following well-known
church men and women of the city DR.
j. II. Phillips, Mr.. A. c. Montgomery,
Hon Joe C. Hail. Judge Hugo Black Mr.
Fulton B. Clark, DIR. George R. Stuart,
DIR. John A. McSporran, DR.. H. NJ. Ed
monds DR. P. B. Wells, DR.. r. n. Simp-
son. DR.. r. A. Broadly, Mr.. Ed S. Moore
Mr.. E. E. Linthicum. Mrs. W. D. Smith
and Mrs. ]. w. Bruce.
Among the prominent delegates regis
tered are those of the state advisory
committee, interchurch world movement,
represented by Dr. L. C. Branscomb, Biz
ningham. chairman; Rev D. F. Neon
nell, MONTGOMERY; Rev. L. e. Brubaker.
Ensley; Mrs r. L. Hobby, Union
Springs Mr.. Leon c. Palmer. Montgom-
cry: Rev O. S. Welch, Montgomery;
Rev f. W. Gamble Selma: Rev. O. B.
Speigel Montgomery: Rev. John Dawson,
Selma DIR. George H. Denny, Tuscaloosa
Mrs. Charles Henderson, Troy. This list
of the state advisory committee will be
completed within the next few days.
Although the training conference is
composed of representatives of the va
rious denominations. it is not, strictly
speaking, a delegated body, according to
information received from DR.. James O.
Grogan, field secretary of Alabama and
Mississippi. "On the contrary said DR..
Grogan, every service every training
class, every round table discussion, every
conference, will be opened to the public.
apc everyone interested in the vital ques-
tons of the church today is invited to
attend these sessions"
MANY TO ATTEND CONFERENCE
This means that a great many will at
terd the training conference, for thought
null people are unanimously interested in
the positive influence the church must
lend to the solution of such vexed dues-
fI,l ofa1 Trrnra ctss %1,a c1c
Question" THE Social Vice." Free
Speech, ." National Loyalty christian
Americanization, Religious Education
Hospitals, 'The Preservation of Home
Life of America" and other equally in
teresting topics
As a matter of fact, the state training
conference offers a liberal education in
such short time on world conditions to-
day, at home and abroad, maps out vi
tai cooperative programme the churches
must needs share If unfavorable condi-
tions are to be permanently changed and
points the hour of opportunity to each
Individual life for larger faith and re
newed personal service.
Regular text books will be given tt
delegates and visitors. and after 20 min
utes talk on each topic by members OF
the faculty the remaining 40 minutes OF
each hours programme will be spent ii
iaformal round table discussions
Such a COMPREHENSIVE programme Cttl-
not fail to reveal the significance of the
interchurch movement.
In the meantime, for the benefit of those
who have not been in touch with its de-
velopment, the definition of it's purpose
in an editorial of the Atlanta Constitu-
ton, as live workable Christianity
seems to be about as suggestive and
practical. and big. and sound, as evan
Eelical churches in cooperative effort
are learning to be.
ENGROSSED WITH DETAILS
After statement that the churches
have been too greatly engrossed with
minor details of theology, and too insist
ent upon points of UNCONVENTIONAL differ
ence, the editorial commented: "Wher
England France and America solidified
their aims under Foch it did not NEAR
that America gave up her belief in tbs
conception of democratic government
So, all denominations can cooperate il
spreading their religious programme
without surrendering a particle of Their
autonomy or without fusing their creeds
and beliefs
After a meeting of the Cleveland inter
board conference of May, 1919, largely
represented by the official denomina-
tional boards of the evangelical churches
of North America, the findings of that
conference affirm: 1.-The interchurcr
world movement is a cooperative effort
Benevolent agencies of the evangelical
churches of the United States and Can
ada. to survey unitedly their. commor
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