Evening star., 1925-10-01
UNITY OF CHURCHES
AGENDA GIVEN OUT.
Basis of Discussions for One
World Religious Body
Drawn Up.
15y the Associated Press.

I\ ihe Associated Press.
NEW ORLEANS, October 1.-The
agenda or basis of discussions upon
which agreement upon church unity
viii be sought at the world conference
on Christian unity. called for August.
1927, was made public here yesterday
in advance of the meeting Of the 4Sth
triennial general convention of the
Episcopal Church to assemble in New
Orleans, October !.
Eight subjects are listed for discus
sion at the proposed world conference
which will meet at Lausanne. SWitZer-
land. These subjects We're agreed
upon at conference in Stockholm,
Sweden. in August. A problem re-
garded as vital is that of the creed.
Upon this subject the agenda says:
With It view to greater unity, 1t is
essential that the now separated parts
of the church should unite in an eX-
plirit declaration of their fundamental
beliefs.
The now separated churches need
TO come to an agreement with regard
to the position which the reunited
church should take up concerning
the most ancient statements of the
ChnrCh's $ faith, the creeds commonly
called the Nicene and lhe Apostles
Creeds.
The following should he the posi-
ton of the reunited church toward
the Nicene and Apostles creedS
1t processes its belief in the truths
set forth in these creeds.
1t leaves the times and manners
OF the use of these creeds to the
decision of the local churches.
The agenda also defines the mean
Ing of church unity as contemplated
by the continuation committee, ap-
Inc
conference of Christian unity which
met in 1920 .....-...-.-..
The agenda for the 1927 conference
SAYS:
The unity of a body, as st. Paul
teaches, implies the diversity. not the
uniformity, of its parts. and therefore
Christ'S church, which is his body,
should never impose uniformity upon
its parts, but should guard their di-
versity within its unity.
Division i'm Rivalries.
THE unity of the church," says
The agenda, finds a natural express
sion in local unity of administration
and organization, whereas its divi.
slons are most apparent where they
result in local rivalries. In this re-
Spect the utmost endeavor should be
used to restore in the church in our
the apostles, when the only churches
were local parts of the one church.
and it was obvious to all men that
in one place there was only one
church.
LAS the church carries the saving
truths of the Gospel to all the lands
in all times, and thus deserves more
and more its ancient appellation,
Catholic, 1t has the more need to
provide for the diversity of its parts,
remaining all the while true to the
eternal Gospel which 1t has received
from Jesus Christ through his
apostles" es.-=- -
A list of churches which during the
past 10 years have made financial
contributions to the work Includes:
The Church of England the Church
of Canada, the Episcopal Church, the
Christian Church of China, the
Church of Ireland. the Church of
England in India the Angeiiean
Church in Argentina and Eastern ,
South America the Church Of Aus
tralia, the South Australian Baptist
Union, the Northern Baptist cenyen-
tion. the Seventh-day Baptist gem
eral conference, the Baptist Union OF
Great Britain and Ireland the Con-
ereeational Union of South Africa
the Church of Greece, the Church Of
Denmark, the Armenian Pa tria rebate
of Cairo, the Wesleyan. Methodist
Conference of England, Scotland and
Wales. the Presbyterian Church In
the United States, the Old Catholic
Churches of Europe, the Reform
Church in America, the Welsh CAL
whistle Church, the Presbyterian
Church of New Zealand and the South
India United Church.