The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-08-09
CHURCH UNION
GROWS NEARER
EPISCOPAL VIEW
Encouraging Report Is
To Be Submitted At the
Coming General Con-
vention of the Church
Ir San Francisco


ted PrcSS.D - Church union and the
possibility of all Chrstendom recOg
+ I iZiHg one creed appear TO be a step
nearer than they have for many cen
turics according to report of the
commission on the World Conference
I On Faith and Order which will be
submitted to the general convention
/ of the Episcopal church in Portland,
Oregon, next month.
( The report announces there will be
/ a meeting in Washington, ID. c., in
j May 1925. of delegates from nearly
4 n hundred denominations. from a
score Of countries. to discuss the pos
sihiliilips of Christian union. Thi5
/ will be a re-cOnvention OF the body
! which met in Geneva in 1920. OF
/ this gathering the report says: "deen
differences were manifested but all
! were convinced that great progress
can be made" At the Washington
conference all the denominations pres
ent at Geneva are expected includ-
ing Anglican, Baptist. Congregation
Cn Orthodox Frieds. Lutheran. Meth
odisl Presbyterian. and Reformed
churches.
Before the conference meets the
committee suggests that fundamental
questions shall be discussed, the re
port suggests:
What degree Of unity in Faith
will be necessary in reunited
church?
"2.-Is Il statement of this one
Faith in the form of a creed neces-
sary or desirable?
Aft so, what creed should be
ised? or what other formulary would
be desirable?
"4-What are the proper uses of
a creed and of a Confession of Faith. 2
Until Christians are agreed that
the church is and the place and func-
tiOn of creed. the report continues.
at seems futile to take up other
questions. 1t has been well said that
there is no church which has not
something of value to give to its sis
ter churches or to receive from them.
If we believe that, let us test its
truth.
AT Geneva it was proposed that
special commissions should be Great.
ed for the study OF dogmatic. histor-
cal and liturgical questions, and those
concerning ministerial orders and au-
/ thorties, as affecting the differences
between Christian communons; and
that negotiations should be opened
between related communions for clos
/ c CT ri h.,
| goal Of complete union.
"The Eastern Orthodox churches
are now very hopeful as to the World
Conference.
"An evangelical letter of the Holy
Orthodox Eastern church of Constan-
tinople was issued in 1920. urging the
! promotion of closer relations of friend
ship among the churches. and to that
end (a) the acceptance of Il uniform
calendar; Oh the exchange of broth
erlY letters; (c)a more friendly in
! ter course between the representa-.
tiveS of the various churches: (d) an
| intercourse between theological peri
odicals; (e) the exchange of stud
ents between the seminaries of diff
ferent churches; Q0 the convening Of
/ pan Christian conferences to examine
questions of a common interest; (g)
Iimpartion and historical examination
of doctrinal differences; (h) mutual
respect for the customs and usages
prevailing in each church, (D mutual
permission for the use of places of
prayer and of cemeteries; G) the set
tlement of the question of mixed mar
riages; and (k) the mutual support
of the churches in the wor of streng.
thening religious belief, of charity and
the like.
"A favorable reply was made to
this communication"