Evening star., 1920-02-06
UNION OF CHURCHES
|NT0AFEDERAT|0N
AIM Of MOVE HERE
200 Houses of Worship Are
Invited to Conference
February is.

Churchfnen of Washington and vi
| cinity are much interested in the ef-
| fort to organize a federation of coun-
Gil Of churches in Washington. In
vitations have been sent to 200
| churches to send the pastor and two
| or more lay delegates to a dinner
| conference to be held at Mount YER
| non Place Methodist Episcopal church
| South February 16 at 5:15 o'clock.
At two informal conferences, at
| tended by clergymen and members OF
| fifteen denominations, it was agreed
| to mobilize the Protestant churches
| of the city, as they have been In many
| of the leading cities of the country. 1t is
| stated. TIE principles and methods of
work have been established by the expe-
riences Of one to ten years, according to
the age of the federation. The most re-
Gently organized federation is in Balti-
more.
Importance Of Federation.
II is pointed out that federation
of hurches is to the religious life OF
a city what the chamber of commerce
is to the industrial and commercial
life of the city. There are certain
religious tasks that can best be per-
formed by the churches working to-
gether. IL is declared it is no longer
a question Of whether city will have
federation of churches, but when
Inc DuSIneSS Iucu, WuO hHOW lAC SOOu
which can come through a chamber
of commerce, will apply the same
methods to religious work. -'
There are certain religious tasks
that can best be performed by the
churches working together, 1T is
tions are formed by the congrega-
tions electing, according to the prac-
tees of the respective denominations.
the pastor and two or more delegates
to a council This council may meet
several times during the year. Be-
tween the meetings of this council the
work is directed by an executive COM
mittee through various departments
organized to meet certain religious
needs.
Executive Secretaries.
The executive committee employs
an executive secretary whose rela-
tions to the cooperating churches is
similar to the relations of the secre-
tary OF the chamber of commerce to
the business institutions represented
by that body. There are now more
than forty such secretaries through
out the country.
One of the features of the work of
the secretary, it is stated, is to gather
and make available all sorts of In
|sfors ration about the spiritual. moral
Fand social conditions of the city. Such
information would thus be available
for the ministers and church workers.
Recruitfns. Biggest Work.
The greatest contribution made by
the federations. it is stated. is in the
work of recruiting the churches. 1t
is declared that in Indianapolis in the
last six years $4,000 members have
been added to the churches. Cleve-
land churches in four years have added
40 900 members.
The evangelistic work is done by
the pastors. Through having all of
the churches doing the same thing, at
the same time, through effective pub
licity. the members are aroused to
support theiraown pastors as Loyalty
as they would vocational evangelist.
These ard other important lines of
work are to be explained at the con-
ference dinner. Rev. Roy B. Guild.
WHO has helped organize many fed
erations, is to explain the work at
the dinner.
Temporary offices have been located
in room 93T Woodward building and it
is expected Washington will soon
have flourishing Federation of
Council of Churches.