Americus times-recorder., 1919-11-24
EPISCOP PALIANS'
DRIVE CALLED
RELIGIOUS test

lJlOcdly NOl4S4NNiNo SAAS SA'N4AA+-NN
general convention of the Protestant
Episcopal church in the United
States. has achieved more construc-
tive legislation, that should make for
the translation of religion into the
life of America and the world, than
any previous general gathering of the
representatives of the Anglican faith
in the new world in its 1872 years of
history, according to statement Civ
en- out by the leaders in the nation
wide campaign of the church.
1t has started the machinery for
the greatest missionary adventure IN
the history of the communion, and
adventure that should help nightly
to enable the church to recover its
apostolic torch of leadership freed
from the control of 'stand-pat" in
Auences that have for so long
muffed its proclamation of Christian
fundamentals.
It has provided for the creation of
a Square deal war chest" of be-
tween $67,O0O,0OO and 100000
that, as the forward-looking bishop
of Michigan points out, repress their
proclamation of the mind of the Car
penter of Nazareth to the new world
order.
The genius of the nationwide cam
paign is not the money-raising end
of it. 1t is a very modest financial
goal, that of $100,000,000 for the
richest church of Professionalism in
America. The big thing is the cam
paign's avowed determination to
reach every individual communicate
of the church, to discover just what
his religion means to him and what
he is willing to sacrifice for it. 1t in
tends to transform every paper
communicant" in a real churchman
ahame with the old zeal for the
spread of Christian fundamentals.
To Thwart Dictation.
A few rich reactionaries in an
Episcopalian parish will never again
be able to dictate the social creed OF
it's rector if the fundamental pur-
poses of the campaign are realized.
A new unofficial fighting arm has
barred itself at this convention to bat
tie for those social and economic
principles that 1000 years ago were
first proclaimed by Him who was "de-
spised and rejected of men, Man OF
Sorrows and acquainted with grief"
This new force in American Angli-
can Church history, the National
Church League for Social and Indus
trial Democracy, will never cease to
trouble the conscience of the church
until every pulpitarian within its pale
is the servant of Jesus Christ alone,
bowling to no power that the selfish
greed of any class can muster.
And at the head of this new force
for social righteousness stands fig
ure "four squared to every wind that
| blows" a man who fears no man,
the Rt. Rev. Charles D. Williams, the
bishop of Michigan.
This convention is the first to
translate into terms of action the de-
clamatory devotion of the Episcopal
church to the cause of the reunion
of the divided body of Christ. By an
overwhelming majority, the House of
Deputies definitely committed the
church to the proposed concordat
with the old church of the Puritans
and took steps for the amendment OF
the Episcopal constitution that will
insure the concordat being put into
practical operation three years hence
A Historic Event.
The concordat provides for the
Episcopal ordination of congregation
al clergymen without requiring then
to give up their membership or minis
try in the old church of the Puritans
1t is a historic event in religious an
nails, because it brings into close
unity of effort two great forces il
our national life that were as fal
apart reIgiously and socially as the
poles throughout colonial history anC
down to and including the war be
! tween the states, the Puritan of New
England and the anglican Cavalier
of the South.
Following the favorable action o.
the convention on the concordat, the
House of Bishops concurred with th'
House of Deputies in sending frater
nal greetings to the National Counci
or Congregational Churches now il
session. 1t is now up to this body
to meet the Episcopal church hall
way.
The entire administration machin
cry of the church has been reorganiz
ed so that in the future conduc
of the big business of the church, tht
spread of the Kingdom of God OF
earth there shall be a minimum
amount of waste and duplication O
effort.
The administration of the busines