Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-01
! CHURCH ADVANCES
q CLOSER TO UNION
: Presbyterian General Assem-
bly, Approves Report of Co.
Operation Department.
Sy the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CINCINNATI, May 31.-Further step:
toward the unif1cation of all churche:
! having the Presbyterian form of gov
eminent were taken by the 1920 Gen
- eral Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States with the
= approval today of a report from that
: body's church cooperation and union
department.
The department was authorized to
take up a plan for organic union with
the United Presbyterian Church, the
Reformed Church iii America and other
: Reformed Churches and was instructed
to report back to the next annual meet
ing of the assembly
Favorable action had been anticipated
on vote to merge also with the Pres
byterian Church in the United States,
which is the Southern branch of the
= denomination, having its own assembly
and government but at the recent
meeting of that branch action was
taken forestalling any immediate con-
summation of the plan.
e Extend Investigation.
The Southern branch first adopted a
! majority report disappearing the unfit
z cation proposal, but later another was
: substituted permitting a commission to
make further investigation during the
coming year.
Friendly messages from the Presby-
: terrain Church in the United States and
= from the United Presbyterian Church,
; which now is meeting at DeS Moines,
: were read at today's sessions. The
action of the United PreSbyterians on
the merger plan still is awaited.
= The report Of the church co-opera-
ton and union department submitted
by j. Ross Stevenson of Princeton, N. j.,
chairman, indicated that the greatest
stress for the time being is to be laid
ION the unification of the Presbyterian
Church In the United States of Amer
lea, which is the Northern branch, and
the Reformed Church in America.
Describing regional conferences held
last year, the department said that the
union of these two denominations
should be kept clearly in view, regard
less Of any larger merging Of the Pres
. byterian family.
Give Women Voice.
The General Assembly amended its
constitution today, In accordance with
q favorable vote from the presbyteries,
4 whereby it joined the Congregationalists,
!. the. MethodistS and Baptists in giving
!, women voice In the administration of
church affairs.
: An overture officially was adopted
approving the election and ordination
- OF women as ruling elders. In this ca
pacity the women viii have the privi-
: lege Of participating in the building
powers of the local churches, the Pres
: byteries and the Synods.
Il. This also gives them the privilege Of
being elected commissioners to the Gen.
: eral Assembly, with the probability that
the 1880 assembly will see woman rep
: resentatives taking hand in the inter-
national affairs of the church.
6 The bars still remain, however,
against the ordination of women as
pastors, for the committe on overtures
reported today that the Presbyteries
had voted down, I'll to 100. A proposal
70 extend them the powers Of the
ministry.
Wide Interest Shown.
The vote on the overture giving them
the privilege of being elders was $50 to
400. These figures disclosed that the
question Of the participation Of women
attracted unusual interest, for the 2a0
Presbyteries which responded In the
voting represented virtually the entire
number in the church.
Through the adoption of resolutions
onered by the standing committee on
pensions, the assembly, made it possible
for ministers to. be pensioned after
October /, 1880, without the require
1nent of retirement.
The pension age is IS. All who have
passed the age Of 10 by next October
and who had been In active service for
the i've years previous will be able to
receive pensions without dropping from
active service.