The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-01-24
PRESBY.TER|ANS.
PR0POSEB BIG
INSTITUTE
hH "a
-
1W i
-
~ ~
Plans for University. Here to
Be Presented General As
sembIy March ~
By international Nowv Services,


Plans for a great interdenOnlina-
tional National Institute OF Religion
are being considered by the Ma
tional Capital ! Presbyterian Com
mission to be presented to the Pres
byterian General Assembly when It
meets here Tuesday, March IT, 3 IS
An outline of these plans as pre-
pared, by the chairman of the com.
mission, Rev. George B. Stewards
d. D., OF Auburn, New York, presi-
dent of the Auburn Theological
seminary, was made public today
by DR.. Stewart. after consultation
with other members of the COM
mission.
The institute as designed by DR..
Stewart would include q national
university at Washington for Chris
tan training. with departments as
follows:
Many Schools.
A school of theology, correspond
ing to a theological seminary, but
with new as well as standard sub
jectsf to enable the minister OF to-
morrow to. meet all the require
ments of his office.
A school OF religious education,
for directors Of religious education,
pastors assistants, church secre.
taries. workers among boys, girls
and other groups. 81:
A school of missions, for mission
aries, national and foreign.
A school Of sacred music and e.
clesiastical fine arts, for church
music, directors, of choirs, organ
lists, church architecture and
decorations. 4&
A school Of evangelism, for evan
A school OF religion drama, for.
visual education IN, religion, includ-
ing the technical side of pageantry
and the. use Of the lantern.
A school of publicity. for religious
promotion. ~
A correspondence school. for ex-
tra-mural students. ~.
So convinced is DIR. Stewart that
the time has come when all evan
gelical denominations should unite
In such an enterprise that he Is pre-
pared to suggest abandonment OF
the commissions original function,
that OF establishing in Washington
Presbyterian center, in favor OF
merging Presbyterian enterprise
with that of other denominations
for q larger ideal.
In making public his brief for n
National Institute Of RegiNon, DIR.
Stewart frankly says that he does
not believe that the commission
would unanimously agree with all
the features Of his proposal. Never
theless, no objection is made by
any Of the members to getting the
proposal before the public and be-
fore the Presbyterian Church for
discussion. 1a@
The National Capital Presbyter-
ian Commission was established by
the Presbyterian General Assem-
bly, in 1923 with a view to studying
and promoting the religious inter
ests OF the National Capital 30 far
as the Presbyterian Church might
have responsibility. The commits
sion consists Of Chairman Stewart
and the following: f
National Commission.
Reverend Charles Wood, D., D.,
Washington, D. c.: Reverend John
G.. Palmer, D. D., Washington, D.
c.; Reverend John Timothy Stone,
Finnegan, LII. D., Washington. D.
c.; Harrison B. Smith, Esq,
Charleston. w. Va; Honorable Bay
ard Henry, Philadelphia, Pa; John
NJ. T. Finney. M. D., Baltimore.
Md; George w. Perkins, New York
city; Ledyard Cogswell, jr., Albany,
N. Y; A. G. Ernst, Cleveland, Ohio.
Doctor Stewart takes full per-
sonal responsibility for the con-
tents of his paper, which he says
he prepared in the hope of reach
ing some adequate solution of the
vastly important problem in re-
ligious education facing the Protes-
tant Christian Church."
He holds that this is the clay
mans age" that the clergy are
no longer the sole authority" and
that the Church now is seeking
to discharge many functions through
a somewhat extensive organiza-
ton Of it's members. Hence, the
ministers need training along many
new lines and the church requires
a large body of trained lay leaders
and workers"
Educational Center.
DR.. Stewart points out that
Washington already is an influen-
| tial educational center, and cites
opinion that the city is destined to
become the social capital of the
nation and the political capital OF
| the world. He points out the adj
vantages to an Institute of Re-