Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
United Churches to Plan for Closer
Cooperation at Meeting on Tuesday


Continued From Third Page.
underlying principles of the Congrega'
tional churches today.
OF necessity, as well as by design
The Pilgrims had broken away from TIN
ecclesiastical system Of the Church Of
England, and cast off what they con-
sidered unnecessary ritual and author
ty, and had set up the principle tina,
every congregation has the right TO de.
- termtne It's own articles of faith anc
rules of conduct, within the limits per-
'mitted by the Bible.
y From Plymouth the Congregational
idea spread to other parts of New Eng
land, and in this region where it de-
veloped the Congregational Church still
show sits greatest strength today. Con-
gregation after congregation was formed
spontaneously throughout New England
rs the population grew. Each congre-
CATION chose its own officers. admins
tered its own affairs and was entirely
free from all outside control.
Denomination Spreads Westward.
A New Highlander migrated westward
new churches were organized. The
eldest west of the Allegheny Mountains
vas formed at Marietta, Ohio, in 1916
BY lS26 there were three missionaries
OF work on the prairies west of the
Mississippi River. A few years later
missionaries to the Indians reached
Oregon. The oldest church west Of the
Ore, In lSA4.
BY 1850 the number of Congrega-
tional churches throughout the country
numbered more than 2O06. During the
years until 1910 the number of churches
continued to grow rapidly with the
growing population of the country.
In recent years the growth of the
church has been marked not so much
by the founding of additional churches
as by the increase in membership. In
the last nine years the growth in the
membership Of the church has been
greater than in any similar period in
its history. the membership increasing
from S0S,266 to about 100000.
National Council Established.
In its early Colonial history the Con-
eFegationa1 Church lacked general or
ganization. The individual churches
continued their independence for many
years. With the increase in their num-
Der, however, the same problems tended
70 draw them together. The National
Council of the Congregational Churches
was organized in 1871.
The council has aided in the unifica-
tton Of the missionary work of the
churches, and now the home and for
eign mission boards employ more than
400 American workers. The total an
nual cost of this missionary work
amounts to about 100000. The or
sanitation owns missionary property,
including invested funds, worth more
than $50,0o0,000.
The CongregationalistS still hold, as
In the beginning, that the right of each
worshiping body to govern itself must
net be abridged by any federation or
authority. AS consequence the Ma
henal Council is In principle an ad-
visory body only.
In this sense there is no such thing
as the Congregational Church, as one
might speak of the Methodist Church
or the Catholic or Episcopal Church.
The head of the National Council is
not . bishop or even q president. He
y called instead by the unassuming
title Of moderator.
Christian Church Began in 1875.
The similarity both in church struc-
cure and general beliefs between the
Congregationalist organization and that
Of the Christian Church was an i'm
portant factor in making the present
merger possible. The latter denomina-
ton, which is not to be confused with
the so-called "Campbellites" or Dis
eapleS Of Christ, was formed from three
movements which began shortly after
the time of the Revolution, or during
the troubled period between 1880 and
1905.
81 These movements one of which grew
up In England, another in Virginia and
North Carolina, and a third in Ken
lucky. all spontaneously took upon
themselves the name Christian" and
for several years carried on their work
apparently without knowledge of the
existence of the others.
The oldest branch, which split of
1rem the Methodist Church, was led by
James OKelly in 1893. O'Kelly, who
had been something of a power in the
early Methodist Church, disagreed with
the Methodist leaders of that day, par
Neularly with Bishop Francis Ashury,
ever individual rights in connection with
the administration Of the church.
Two Other Movements Traced.
After a few futile attempts at patch
ING up the differences, he and his fol-
levers formed q new church organiza-
tion, moved somewhat by the demo-
cratic spirit which then prevailed in
political as well as religious thought
EeF q time the new group was known
a. Republican Methodist"
The second group split off from the
Baptist Church in Vermont, under the
leadership of DR.. Abner Jones, who
seught to make Christian character the
only test Of fellowship in the church.
The third group grew out of the
celebrated Cane Ridge revival in Ken
tueky in 1893 and 1900. Led by Barton
". Stone and several others, q group
left the Presbyterian Church after the
Iev1vals and formed the Springfield
PTesbytery," resolved to be done with
ether than local rule and to finish with
I'll creeds save that of the Bible.
Presbytery Makes It's Will.
The presbytery lasted but brief time
~ June, 1904, the church leaders per-
Cetved that the new organization sa-
Vored as much of eccleSiastictsm as the
old, and SO they dissolved it. first, how
ever, drawing up THE Last Will and
Testament Of the Springfield Presley
terry" as curious a document as ever
appeared In church history.
The union of these three widely sep
Axated movements was gradual, and 1t
waS never formally contaminated. It
appears rather that the members Of the
various groups grew acquainted with
cash other first as individuals. This
at length brought about union meet
tHgS among them. In 1888 a. General
Christian Convention" met at Milan
n. Y.
This appears to have been the first
concerted action of the conferences, and
comes as near being the time, accord
Tag to the church's own historians, as
any that can be named for the begin
ming of the present Christian Church
The General Christian Convention OF
1850 was composed of accredited dele
gates from almost every State in which
the Christians had churches.
Both Congregationalists and Chris
tians, almost from the beginning, have
been deeply Interested in education