The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1922-05-06
THE FEDERAL COUNCIL OF THE
CHURCHES.


BY George E. Haynes. Secretary,
Commission on the Church and Race
Relations of the Federal Council.
]. The Form of Organization.
Federal unity is simply denomina-
tionalism in cooperation" This is the
central idea which guided the men who
have led the movement of the FEEDER
al Council through the formative from
1908 to 1912 and through the period
to 1922. This organization has given
freedom Of action to the various
denominations while securing unity
of effort on many things where the
Protestant churches needed united
front in meeting issues of the hour.
Today more than 20.000.000 members
are represented in the thirty denomi-
nations that are constituent members
of the Federal Council.
number OF organizations of church
men of different denominations were
begun before the Federal Council and
the sentiment developed in such CO.
operation as theirs largely made pos
sible the federation of the denomina-
ttons as ecclesiastical bodies in the
Council.
A statement of the plan of Fedora
ton was recommended by the Confer
ence of Denominations in 1905 and
the constituent denominations between
1906 and 1908. At the time of the
organization meeting in 1908, there
was set forth the purpose of the Fed
eral Council ito secure a larger COM
bined influence for the churches of
Christ in all matters affecting the
moral and social condition Of the peo-
pie. so as to promote the application
of the law of Christ in every relation
of human life" The plan stated fur
Their that the Council shall have no
authority over the constituent bodies
adhering to it; but it's province shall
be limited to the expression of its
counsel and the recommending of a
course of action in matters of COM
mon interest to the churches, local
councils. and individual Christians"
The Federal Council. therefore, has
no authority to draw up common
creed or form of government or of
worship, or in any way to limit the
full autonomy of the Christian bodies
adhering to it," The Council. there
fore, brings together the various de-
nominations for unity in service and
does not concern itself with polity
or doctrinal statement. 1t undertakes
to express the will of the constituent
bodies as expressed by them and not
to legislate for them 1t undertakes
to get the UNCONVENTIONAL bodies and
the interdenominational movements TO
"do the work of the churches in CO.
operation" The Council performs it's
work through a number of Commits
sions made up of representative
churchmen of the many constituent
bodies. These Commissions head up
through their officers and employed
secretaries into an Administrative
Committee which meets monthly and
on which each denomination is entitled
to one official representative. II is
responsible to the Executive Committee
which meets once a year: and the
Executive Committee is chosen by and
acts for the whole Council whose
members are named directly by the
denominations in proportion to their
membership, and Which meets once
time there are the following Com
missions which win be described in
later article:
Commission on Councils of Churches
Commission on Evangelism and Life
Service.
Commission on Temperance,
Commission on Relations with
France and Belgium.
Commission on the Church and So
cial Service.
Commission on the Church and Race
Relations
Commission on International JUS
tice and Goodwill
Commission on Relations with Re-
ligious Bodies in Europe.
There are now about so local feder-
ations and councils in as many diff
churches of their spective cities or
counties. The local churches chose
their own representatives for these
declarations. Three states have state
declarations. These local declarations
or councils are entirely autonomous
of the Federal Council, although many
Of them have been formed through
the help of the Federal Council The
relations between them and the Fed
eral Council Is one of cooperative fell
lowship and mutual helpfulness.
Nearly all Negro churchmen in the
United States are represented through
their regularly elected members 10
he Federal Council. They serve on
its Executive Committee, its Admins
trative Committee, and its Commits
sions the same as representative Of
other churches. One OF the leading
Negro churchmen, Prof. John r. Haw-
kins, is Second Vice-Chairman of the
Executive Committee. The Federal
Council has practiced the principles
of brotherhood for which II stands.