Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-04
CHURCH NE RGER
PLAN OUTLINED
To INCLUDE z
ORGANIZATIONS
Consolidation of Effort and
Elimination of Waste Is
Motive Back of Program
Taking Form.
NO FRICTION LIKELY
IN ACTUAL WORK
Difficulties Believed Fore
seen and Provided Against
By Committee in Harmon.
i0uS Christian Effort,

ICY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wREl
New York, Feb. Am outline
of the plan for merger of approx
imately twenty two evangelical
Protestant church bodies, under the
name of The United Church OF
Christ in Amorica, which is to be
acted upon by the Interchurch
Gouatil ON organic union at II
three day conference beginning in
Philadelphia tomorrow, was made
public here today at the headquar-
ters of the Presbyterian church, the
originators of the movement.
The plan approved by an ad in
term committee of fifty Protestant
clergymcn Of various denomina-
tions appointed last December, car
ries preamble declaring faith in
God and other fundamentals of
christianity as "a common heritage
of the evangelical churches" 1t
provides tlD complete autonomy in
purely denOminatlonal affairsl CD
formation Of council, a repreSen-
tative body, meeting hi-ennially,
through which the united church
will act; CD representation to be
on the basis of two ministers and
two laymen for the first 100000
communicates and two ministers
and two laymen for each additional
10000 or major fraction thereof;
(4) that constituent churches eX-
cept as limited by the plan, shall
continue the exercise of their sew
era powers and functions as the
same exist under the denomina-
tional constitution" CD that the
council shall harmonic and unity
the work of the churches. includ-
ing missionary activities, evangel-
ism social service and religious ed
ueation.
1t is pointed out that the recon-
mendations of the ad interim COM
mittee are but steps in move
men for creating "a real eccles-
iastical entity, with ecclesiastical
powers, holding and administering
ecclesiastical property and funds of
such united church" This, it IL
said, may require a trying out pc
riod. After the plan shall have
been in operation for a term of
years, the announcement states,
the Importance of divisive names
and creeds and methods will pass
more and more into the dim back
ground of the past, and acquire,
even in the particular denomina-
ton itself, u merely historical
value, and the churches then will
be ready for and will demand Il
more complete union"
No Controversy Possible.
The form of union advocated, it
Is declared, does not interject into
the deliberations of the council any
topic, any question of
The validity OF orders or of the
modes and subjects of baptism or
Of the formulation of a specific or
creed" The hope
IS expressed that the evangelical
churches may give themselves with
A new faith and ardor to the
proclamation of the gospel, which
is the only hope of our stricken
world, and to all those ministries of
Christian love and leading for the
NoiiiiithitS, bile iltLtlOH anu tllC |
nations, by which they shall re-
veal to men the mind of Christ and
hasten the coming of his king
lOm.'
Emphasis is placed by the COM
nittee on the federal union" fea-
-ure of the proposed amalgama-
ion. 1T is an organic union" the !
'eport says, that has the vital
of growth and develop
nent. The council has definite
and duties and these
and duties may from
ime to time be developed in like
as the functions of our fed
raj government in the United
states may from time to time, by
Constitutional amendment. be mod
fled or enlarged"
The proposed constitution of the
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fC0ntinned on Para Tw0l