New Britain herald., 1922-06-23
MISSION WORKERS CONVENE IN CHINA
Gathering at Shanghai Is Greatest
 in History Of Orient

SAANKAdl, June .o,-+L "NdL WaS
 held to be the greatest religious gathering ever held in China, the Ma
 tional Christian conference, which as-
 senbled in Shanghai in the first week
 of May with twelve hundred delegates
 attending, 6 review of the whole vast field of Protestant Christian mission
 work in China was undertaken and
 changes of procedure of the highest
 importance to general mission en- deavor in China were authorized.
 The main body of delegates that came from all parts of China nun berng a thousand was about evenly divided, half Chinese and half foreign. Tn addition to these, some two hun
 dred visiting delegates from foreign countries attended the conference in
 cluding 24 from America, l9 from Great Britain and five from countries of continental Europe. Among the
 prominent figures attending the big
 meeting from other lands were Dr
 John R. Mott of the Worlds Student Christian federation, r. S. Brockman
 of the r. M. C. A. k. S. Latroutte, formerly of the Yale Mission and now holding the chair of missions at Yale university; Marshall Broorhal of the home staff of the China Inland rnis- sion, Dr. H T. Hodgkin of the Friends Foreign Missionary associa- tion; J. II. Oldham, secretary of the International mission council; D. Carl Aeim of the Bazra mission; Count j.
 Moltke, of the Danish mission council and Bishop Nichols of Siberia
 An outstanding feature of the con ference was the voicins of a desire and purpose by a purely Chinese con ference commission that a united Christian church indigenous to China shall come into being. The single big achievement of the conference, how ever, was the authorization of a de cided mobilization in the method of coordinatng Protestant Christian ris- sion work in China. In offering the report it made, the Chinese commission, composed Of men and women, expressed regret that Christian Chinese are divided by denominationalisn of the west Dr T T. Lew. spokesman of the com mission, pointed out that this demon inationalism is based on differences, the historical significance of which l however real and vital to the mis- sionarles of the west, is not under stood by the Chinese For this req son, he said, denominationalism in stead of being a source of inspiration | has been and is a source of bewilder- ment and ineff1ciency. The speakei expressed the belief that it is only the { united church that can save China,
 The change made by the conference | in the method of CO., ordinating mis- sion work brings to a termination the | activities of the China continuation | committee, a body that grew out ot the missionary conference of 1918 i'll Shanghai and number of preceding conferences at Canton, Shanghai, Tsinanfu, Picking and Mukden. Since 1t was formed this committee has served as a means of communication between the Protestant Christian 1 forces of China and mission organiza- tlons of western countries Its aim | has been to promote co-operation and coordination among Christian forces in China and generally to serve as q house in connection with all aspects of missionary work in China
 Through the change effected at the conference this work is being taken over and it's scope enlarged oy a na tlonal Christian council having 100 members, representing Protestant Christian denominational interests and acting in an advisory capacity with out, however, having any powers in connection with doctrinal or ecclesi astical questions