Evening star., 1925-10-20

with 10 delegates The Evangelical
group of 5000 members is made mp
from - churches I'm Pittsburgh. Gin
cinnati and ST. Louis.
Three pivotal proposals are ad-
council by the committee of II in Its
final report made public just prior
TO today's opening.
The first Is the unifiCa tfon of the
ii foreign and home missionary or
RaniZa tions into two general bodies;
the second is the creation of a Joint
promotional council and The third Is
the combining of the Congrega
alist, the Missionary Herald and the
American Missionary into united
publica ton. to he issued weekly un-
der the name Congrega tiona list.
This united publication would have
monthly missionary number TO be
known as the World Work
IinificatiOn Of Missions
Unificat ton of the II foreign and
home missionary orga niZations into one
general home body and one genera !
| foreign body WAS decided upon by the
committee OF II in its latest delibera-
| lions because of legal obstacles which
! made the originally proposed clear-cuJ
amalca nation impra cticable. 1t is
! planned to bring the unihCation about
| through havins an identical board Of
directors function for the entire
| group. 1t is still the plan. however.
| to merge the mission bodies where no
legal tansle would result.
! The merger or unif1cat ation of the
! foreign mission work OF the church,
| IL was pointed out by congrega tional
leaders today, is A comparatively
| simple matter. 1t merely causes the
| womens boards to be absorbed into
! the American Board. 1t would make
necessary. however, the reconstituting
! OF the present orea MIA tion along the
| following lines: a prudential COM
| mittee of IS. including at least one
/. third women. to meet twice year.
! elected by the American Board at its
meeting in connection with the
| National Council. the total to he ar
ranged so as to provide Constituent
| State" and regional representation
! The secretary OF the National Council
! should he member ex officio but
without vote. This committee would
| he 40 constituted and operated that
| the woman members would he co-ordi-
mated with the men in every respect.
! as An integral part Of the manage
ment in order that the values Of the
! four boards may be conserved.
Plan for Merger.
| The unifica ton of the home board.
o nthe other hand. is a complex matter
| and one which will not finally he de
cided until the final report OF the
committee of twelve Is threshed out
on the floor.
| The present pla ms would bring under
a single management: The America n
Missionary Associatio the Congrega-
hA
Conerega tional Church Building So
! ciety, the Congregational sunday
School Extension Society, the Congre-
sational Publishing Society. the Con-
| sregation Educa tion Society. the
Congreea tionaI FOunda ton for Educa
/ ton. the Congregational Board or Min
| isterial Relief and the functions OF the
| national council In connection with
the Annuity Fund for congregational
Ministers.
IL is recomme ended that the board Of
directors. which would he identical for
each of the societies with unifcation
as the goal, would consist OF IS mem
bers who should meet semi-annually.
and at least one-third OF whom shall
be women. and provide for an admins
| trative committee Of u. OF whom six
| sha II he members OF the board of direc-
| tors or executive committee. and at
women. to function with authority ad
| interim. So far as practicable these
amendments should become effective
not later than January l. 1928.
Report Of Committee.
In the interest of economy" It is
| set forth In the report OF the commit
| tee of twelve, "but even more for the
! sake of the clearest mutual under
standing we recommend that the
national council name as Its commls-
sion on missions the members of the
prudential committee and OF the board
| of directors of the home board. Inc
| functions of the commission on mis-
| sions would continue substa ntialiy as
at present plus those specified below.
In connection with the apportionment
| schedule the commission on missions
| should provide with the concurrence
of the societies for the payment from
| their trea suries of the following items:
I It's own budget. including that Of
| the unconditional council. 2. The neces-
| sary budget OF The Congregational
| ist' with it's supplements, and 8. A
| noiscella neous fund to meet the fair
share OF the denomna tons In inter
denominal projects.
The committee recommends a joint
| unconditional council. which should be
an empowered cabinet. representing
the two national boards directly and
through the commission on missions
and the State conferences, having su-
perpision of all solicitation Of funds for
! the entire program OF benevolences.
| I'VE believe" continues the report,
| "a Joint pr6motional council can be
| so constituted as to provide impera-
| tiyely needed unification of promo
tton and have the highest promise of
success. because this is the normal
outerowth of our past practice and
true to our democratic ideals. The
promotional council should be the ad-
| ministrative, but not the authorita.
| tive body"
Merger Of Magazines.
| Dealing with the proposed consoli-
dation OF the three Congregational
magazines, the report points out that
at present the publications are oper-
ating at an average annual loss of
from $50 900 to $75. 900 each year.
For more than so years" says the
| report in this connection. there has
been demand for single publica-
| tion. for which a real campaign could
be put on In our churches. Again