The Washington times., 1925-05-25
HARMONY
FORCES
SCORE
Assembly Shows Itself Averse
to Fight by Big
Majority
By HAROLD c. MCCOY,
International News Service.


COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 25.-
By an overwhelming vote, the
Presbyterian general assembly, in
session here today, adopted the re-
port of the committee on bills
and overtures recommending that
no action be taken relative to the
request of the First Presbyterian
church, New York City, for ap-
proval of its action in the Doctor
Harry Emerson Fosdick case.
Only a few scattering "noes" were
heard when the vote was taken.
The vote of the general assem-
bly, in this matter is the first big
victory scored by the harmony"
faction.
Two Reports Given.
Two reports on the case were
presented by the committee. One
of the reports recommended that
the assembly drop the case on the
ground that the matter was now
a closed incident with the resigna-
ton Of Doctor Fosdick. The other
made the same recommendation
but left the way open for debate
In the assembly after presentation
Of the report.
The second big hurdle before the
peace" leaders of the general as
sembly must be faced Tuesday
afternoon when the judicial COM
mission is scheduled to report its
decision on the complaints against
the New York Presbytery relative
TO licensing of ministers who, it
Is alleged, have refused to affirm
faith in the virgin birth and other
basic tenets Of the church.
May Bring Debate.
Harmony" leaders are planning
to force adoption by the assembly
Of resolution calling for an in
vestigation of the whole case if
there are indications, when the
report is presented, that the radi-
cal elements, both modernists and
fundamentalist. show signs Of de-
string to debate the whole issue
on the floor of the assembly.
These leaders said today that If
the assembly should determine to
thresh the case out on the floor
adjournment of the sessions would
be likely to be deferred for at least
two weeks.
The delegates to the general as
sembly were called upon by Doctor
William Chalmers Covert, of Phila-
delphia, to launch crusade to per-
-petuate the Christian home in
America. Doctor Covert is general
secretary of the Presbyterian Board
Of Christian Education and submit
ted a report of the work of this
body to the general convention.
Spiritual Life Menaced.
Doctor Covert called attention to
the struggle of the Christian home
with the disintegrating influences
at work today and said he believed
the time was ripe for a movement
In which pastors, educators, and
parents joined for the preservation
Of the unity of home life
Society, as it exists in the world,
now rests on the foundation Of the
social unit we call the home"
Doctor Covert said. "If the home
dissolves under the stress of mod
ern life, the maintenance of or
ganized spiritual life will be next
to impossible"
Shortage OF Pastors
The report of Doctor Covert call
cd attention to the fact that the
Presbyterian Church at large is
facing a deficit of spiritual leaders
and that this deficit is far more
difficult to meet than a financial
shortage.
Presbyterian pastors are dying
more rapidly than others are heing
ordained. Out of every twenty
seven which the Church ordains
the report pointed out, ten come
from other denominations There
are only half as many candidates
for the ministry today, in proper
ton TO the church membership, as
there were in training for the pull
pit thirty years ago, the report
said