The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1920-07-03
THE INTERcHuRcH WORLD MOVEMENT

There is at least temporary halt in the movement
TO get together in cooperating body, under sort
cf supervisory committee all the Protestant denomina-
tons of America The interchurch world movement has
lost the large Baptist denomination from among its sup
rorters and the Presbyterians u S. A., which
fully adhered to it. has completely withdrawn. No
cooperative movement could be considered at all COM
plee with these two great denominations absent There
was criticism of the movement from the beginning, the
merits of which it is not necessary to discuss There
was opposition by ministers and prominent laymen in
every denomination, the majority being for il in
and against il in others Because of the great size Of
the combined budgets of all the denominations, some
S60OO000 the impression many received was that it
was big money-rasng scheme The fact is that this
sum was but the sum of individual budgets of the
various bodies to which was added amount the man
ayers Of the movement believed would be easily raised
from what was known as the friendly group" This
designation was given to that large number of Of
means who not members Of churches and are not
disposed to contribute largely to purely UNCONVENTIONAL
funds but who believe in the stabizing value Of re-
ligon and especially in the civzng and peace pro-
noting value Of foreign missions and were thought to-
be willing to contribute to general and undenomina-
tiona fund The expected has NOT attended the
effort to interest the friendly group, for what reason
does not yet appear unless it be the unfavorabe imam
cia impression spoken of above That this impression
obtained largely within the churches themselves is one
Of the reasons for Presbyterian and Baptist lack OIL
support Many expressed the thought that the spiritual
rather than the financial should be stressed in any
ment to bring the churches into closed harmony Of op
Grafton.
Wide-visioned men do not believe that this check toll
the movement to put the Protestant denominations into
closer relationship than temporary Undoubtedly
it reflective of spirit which has long been in evil
dence. There has been little, if any opposition to the
fundamental idea Of closely knit body, working
more harmony of plan and cooperation Of effort The
centripetal movement Of the denominations has been
marked for time especially during the last decade
beginning with comfy in foreign missions and division
of the mission fields and continuing by gradual draw
ing together and in instances the actual union of
different branches of the denomination. Three
great denominations the Presbyterians Methodiss and
Baptists seem almost the verge of unifying them
selves in this way. Such cohesion seems to be
necessary step that larger union not necessarily
ganc but of effort and policy, which would place the
churches of Professionalism in body its front
to the forces OF evil is concerned while leaving the de-
nominations free to govern themselves and hold their
special tencts without compromise concession The
various denominations have long history of accom-
plishment behind them Loyalty to them is strong Love
of them great Adherence TO them tenacious These
things must all be rcckoned with in any movement to-
wards unity of effort and of association But such
ganic fusion is plainly much nearer than it was a few
years ago, and the nerchurch word movement must at
east have had the effect of broadening vision ripenng
Judgment stimulating action and contributed much to
accelerate the cOmpacng of the Protestant forces-St
Louis Globs-Demoerat
-