Evening star., 1926-10-22
LUTHERANS MAY
MERGE 5 BOARDS
Biennial Convention to Pass
on Home Missions
Report.
By the Associated Press.

RICHMOND. Va, October 22.-Five
mission boards and committees will be
merged into one board of American
missions" If the report Of the Joint
Commission for Reorganization Of the
Home Mission Work is adopted by the
fifth biennial convention of the United
Lutheran Church in America. The
report submitted today would merge
the Board of Home Missions and
Extension, the Board of Northwestern
Missions. the Immigrants Mission
Board, the West Indies Mission Board
and the committee on Jewish missions
Headquarters Of the new board would
be at New York and an annual budget
OF 1897 100 would be required.
The tendency toward self-depend-
ence of peoples, which was attributed
TO an outgrowth of the war and mod
ern international understanding, is as
serting itself on the foreign mission
helds of the Lutheran Church, the
convention was told in the report of
the past two years work by it's Board
OF Foreign Missions. The board ex-
pressed itself as being especially graft
ned that this movement of the mission
nelds toward self-support and self-de-
termination is coupled with increas.
ing zeal for evangelization on the part
OF the indigenous congregations
Plan Two Departments.
Under the plan for the merging of
all nome mission work. the new board
VIII operate through two departments,
department of missions and a de-
partment of church extension and
finance, each department to form
divisions for the furtherance of their
work. The department of missions will
ne charged to provide provisional
secretaries and general superintend.
ents. maintain and develop home
missionary activities throughout the
Wnole church. to provide a permanent
missionary staff, arrange for the
support OF students in the college and
seminary. 1t will also arrange for
specialized training Sin cooperation
with the board of education, the
educational institutions of the United
Lutheran Church, Womans Missionary
Society, Laymen's Movement and
others
Special attention will be given ''to
the spiritual needs of racial or
language groups" and the aim
throughout will be ''the preparation of
men for life service as home
missionaries.
Inc department of church extension
and finance will give special attention
10 increasing the resources of the
board for acquiring of property and
the erection of churches and other
oulldlngs as may be required. Special
attention will given to church archi-
lecture In consultation with the com.
nlttee on church architecture of the
United Lutheran Church. The Joint
commission also presented to the
convention nominations for members
or the new board, giving represen.
tation to each of the five existing
boards and committees.
May Regain Position.
A step that is expected to again place
the United Lutheran Church in Amer.
lea In third place among the Prot
estant denominations in membership
was taken Yesterday at the fifth bien-
NAL convention of the church.
TWO years ago the Lutherans were
IN third place. with the Baptists and
Methodfsts leading, and the Presby-
ter1ans a few hundred members be-
htnd the Lutherans. In two years
the Presbyterians passed the Lu-
therans in membership. The LII
therans took the position that all their
members were not being reported to
headquarters, consequently they were
not getting credit for what they had
achleVed. The blame was fixed on
the method Of taxation of congrega-
lions for the United Lutheran Church.
This apportionment was changed so
as to make all figures on memberships
available.
Formerly the taxation was based
on the number of confirmed members
in a congregation. Hence, in some
quarters, 1t was charged, there was
an evasion Of taxation. In the check |
up Of memberships the Lutherans
we're not fully represented Under
the new system taxation will be based !
upon the number of communicates in |
n church. Consequently each church |
will feel no hesitancy in making pub !
lie the number Of confirmed members, |
and within the next two years, lead !
ers at the convention here believe, the |
Presbyterians will be passed for third |
place.