The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-06-09
CITY CHURCH WORK
SPECIALISTS MEET
First National Gathering
of the Kind Ever
ls.. z.,i..s Held.

y Ik<1NHLAND, ONO, June 9-Dele-
gates from all sections Of the country.
practical experts in every phase Of city
churchswork, began to arrive here to-
day forsthe national conference on
THE Church in the CITY, which will
open in the Hotel Cleveland tomorrow
morning under the auspices of the
Interchurch World !. Movement of
North America.
Everything points to one OF the
most significant meetings in the his
tory of the Protestant churches in
America, one absolutely unique in that
u Is the first national gathering OF
ity church work specialists ever held
in this country. Besides the sched-
uled interchange of ideas, there will
be reports on actual experiments in
the approach of the city church to So
called radical groups.
Inasmuch as Cleveland is still hot
bed OF interest IN this problem as a
result of the sequels to the May Day
riots, special importance attaches to
the part which will be taken by the
Cleveland Federation of Churches.
This organization, among other things,
will have specific guidance OF the
theme: 1.-THE Church in Relation to
the Social and Civic Agencies of the
City"
"The Passing Saloon and the oppor.
tunity for the Christian Church" Is
the, topic scheduled to come before the
entire assemblage tomorrow afternoon,
when the conference also will give
attention to the subject of "a Comun,
ity Program for the City Church"
National leaders will present the
message of the InterchuEch Word
movement, with s. Earl Taylor of New
York its general secretary and chief
executive officer, speaking on Its Pur
bose and Program" Ralph E. Diff
fendorfer of New York, will address
the conference on the proposed meth
cd and organization OF the national
survey being made under his direc-
ton.
THE Purpose Of the conference ;"
said DIR. Diffendorfer, "is to discuss
and attempt to outline Protestant
program for the cities, to review the
plans of the movement for surveying
and developing this program, and to
make available for record the exper.
fence of the trained and successful city
pastors.
''In view Of the national survey of
the cities OF America which the Inter-
church World Movement is now con-
templating and also in view OF the
fact that no national conference has
ever been held, so far as we are aware
4 on the whole problem OF the Protes-
tAnt program in our great cities this
gathering in Cleveland promises to be
an epoch making one"
Outstanding pastors in downtown,
suburban and residential churches will
participate in. the conference, as well
as. strikingly successful English speak
ing pastors working among immigrant
and industrial peoples national, state
and city mission and church executiv-
es; representatives from seminaries
and training schools intersected in
the training of city leadership, and
representatives from outstanding res
cue missions.
Following the expressionI Of the
movements basic ideas by DR.. Taylor
and Mr.. Diffendorfer tomorrow morn
ing, the keynote Of the conferences
definite task will be sounded by W. P.
Shriver, national city work expert of
the Presbyterian Board of Home Mis-
sions, who will speak on 1.-THE APP
proach of the Interchurch World
Movement to the American City"
Following the discussions on "the
passing saloon" a community pro.
gram and the church's civic and So
cial influences on Tuesday afternoon
and evening the conference on Wednes
day will devote itself to considering
different types OF church fields. This
will be done through series Of Sec
tional meeting concentrating on the
down town church on the thorough
fare, the organization and manage.
ment of the city mission and the
church extension societies, the church
YIN the residential and suburban COM
munities and the church in the foreign
speaking community.
The reports on actual experiments
will be heard Wednesday evening, and
the closing day, Thursday, will be CIV
IN over to the problem OF finding and
training the thousands of workers to
be needed for city leadership under
the expanded-scope of,church endeav-
n youswant the new RIverzeridae