Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-14
PEOPLE OF q DENOMINATIONS
WORSHIP AT COMMON ALTAR
Community Church in
New York Suburb Regard
ed as Significant Expert
ment in Religious Develop
nent
BY JUNE HADDAWAY-


copyright, 1881
NEW YORK, June 12.-Twenty-
one different religious denomina-
tons will be united under one roof
tomorrow night when the first wor'
ship services are held in the new
community church in Jackson
Heights, a suburb of this city.
The church was dedicated Sunday
A Methodist bishop presided. A
minister of the Dutch Reform
church invoked the divine blessing
A Baptist pastor read the scriptural
lesson. An Episcopalian rector
preached the sermon and Presby-
terrain minister pronounced the ben
ediction. The composite service was
followed by congregation whose
members were limited only by the
seating capacity of the church.
Age-old questions which have been
disturbing religious, minds since
schism developed in the first church
and split it into branches, hold no
misgivings for those who are launch
ing this experiment unique ir the
history of the American church.
Nationwide Attention
1t is an experiment which is
drawing the attention of clergymen
all over the nation. 1t will bring
out whether those who do not believe
In immersion can worship under the
same roof with those who do; wheth
err a man may fall from grace, or
merely backslide.
The church is in a section OF New
Inro1nnod
Gently It's constituency is wealthy
as evidenced by the fact that one
supporter gave the plot of ground
and others gave $1,75O,O0O for the
structure They didn't want num-
Der of churches teaching different
creeds, but a church that would be
a community center and would afford
spiritual miniStrations to the COM
munity. Catholics and CHRISTIAN
Scientists have their own churches
however. Among the leaders In TINS
movement are DIR. f. E. Johnson
social research secretary Of the Fed
eral Council of Churches, and H. =.
Wollever, assistant editor OF the
Christian Advocate.
Committees made long research
into the creeds and beliefs OF the
denominations reported IN the con-
gregation and arrived at satls-
factory basis for procedure of serv-
ices. Methodist hymnals Will be
used. The chants will be from Inc
Episcopal service. For communion
an abbreviated Episcopal form Tor
the conservation of the elements will
be used and it will be served ac-
cording to Presbyterian. ConSrega-
tional and Baptist forms. The in
diyidual may take his own choice as
to the form of baptism. A baptistry
has been installed for those who
wish immersion and sprinkling will
be used for those who desire 1t.
The church is to have no trustees,
but trustees and stewards. A meet
ing of the members of the COM
munity church decided after consid-
cradle research by committee that
the tenets of the Methodist church
more nearly approximate the creeos
of all denominations and for that
reason Methodist minister, the
Rev. Fred p. Corson, was chosen.
A Religious Experiment
'"The church has changed its pro-
gram to meet the changing needs
of the people" said DR.. Corson to-
day. "It must keep step with the
progress now being made along
other lines of human activity. That
| is what we are trying to do here. 1t
is religious experiment. 1t is lr-
teresting to note that the church is
following the lines of the communi-
! ty itself. While they embrace all
the units of living and amusement
that go to make up the domestic
| life of a group of people we hope
to be equally comprehensive in our
scope and embrace many of the in
dividuals besides the religious We
hope to have an ideal church
Five branches OF the Presbyterian
church, the United States, Canada,
! South, United and Independent; the
northern and southern Baptists: the
northern ana southern MethodiSts;
Unitarian; Universal; Congregation
| al: Dutch Eeformmed; Disciples;
Episcopal: the Church Of England;
/ Moravian. and four independent or
ganizations are represented
- 2-.1liasi Sai