The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-15
A BROKEN WORLD
 LOOKS ID AMERICA
 FOR RESTORATION
Responsibility of Evengeli- cal Christian Church of America Is Outlined In
 Sermon by Dr. GrOgan

America. through great cooperative movement of the evangelical Christian churches, must throw herself heroically and sacriticially into the great work of reconstructing broken and dismembered world, or God will turn elsewhere, as He has had to do in the past, to find a na- tion to carry out the great commission Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
 These were the words of Dr. James O Grogan, Alabama field secretary of the Interchurch World Movement, in a ser mon Sunday morning at the Highlands Methodist Church. pr. Grogan took his text from the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, For this cause bow my knees unto the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. to Whom every family in heaven and earth is named"
 pr. Grogan spoke in part as follows
 "I have been invited here today as the field representative of the 1nterchurch World Movement to tell you something of the aims and purposes it has in view. First of all it may be well for me to tell you what it is not, The lnterchurch World Movement is in no sense, nor vii, it ever seek to become what some people have called a superchurch. It is not an attempt, even in the remotest fashion, to bring the churches into or ganic union, nor does it seek in any way to impair or infringe upon the rights and liberties of any cooperating or non cooperating evangelical denomination.
 THREE FOLD PURPOSE
 According to its own official and au- thoritative pronouncement, the movement has a three-fold purpose: Q) To undertake a scientific survey of the worlds needs from the standpoint of the responsibility of evangelical Christianity, @ to project a cooperative community and world pro- granme to meet the needs arising from the survey, C) to discover and develop the resources of life, money and prayer required by the problem fixed
 May I say, first of ali that the ln- terchurch World Movement is not an or ganization. nor movement apart from and evangelical Christian churches in this country. It is nothing more nor less than the creature of these churches. It had it's birth in the faith and vision and courage and love of the great denomina- tional leaders of the great evangelical churches in America. It is controlled by, and all of it's plans and programmes are under, the careful supervision and di- rection of, the cooperating denomina- ticns.
 Tt does not. seek to raise funds, project enterprises, build churches,  in the world. It is nothing more nor less than a great cooperative movement rep resenting the evangelical Christian churches of America in their effort to make full and adequate response to the spiritual and social needs of a distressed and shattered world in this crucial hour of human history.
 "Can the evangelical Christian churches of America and of the world meet the great responsibilities of this present hour and find the money and the men and women necessary to carry on the great work of the kingdom of God without coming together In great co-operatite movevent like the one l have the honos of explaining to you today?
 ON THE RHINE
 When I was in Europe last year l made the trip from Paris to Coblenz in or der that 1 might see Old Glory floating in the breezes that swept over the em- battled towers of that wonderful forti- fication on the2Rhine, from which ,ne ,.n- perial government of Germany had proud ly floated the imperial flag for two generations As I looked at that flag with it's AS stars and it's background of white and blue and thought of what 1t symbolized, and what 1t stood for in the hearts and lives of the American people, I could but wonder if America, with all
  of men and women would throw herself heroically and sacrificially into the great work of reconstructing broken and dis n nembered world, and if she would carry the spirit of social justice, political free dom and religious liberty. for which that flag stands to the uttermost parts or the earth
 SUFFERING WORLD
 .'As I stood and looked at it, and as I have thought of it since. it seems to me that back of it and shining through 1t could see the radiant face of the Son of Man bringing healing peace, the re- deeming love and spiritual redemption to the hearts and lives of the broken-hearted and suffering peoples of the world.
 .I believe now that the evangelical Christion churches of America, through this great cooperative movement, must fulfill this vision and carry the message of redemption to a lost world within this generation. or that God will turn else where. as He has had to do in the past to find nation to carry out the great commission. "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every crea- ture.
 
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