Evening star., 1933-01-11
UNIFIED Church
Plans SET FORTH
Unitarian and UniversaIist
, Commissions Report on
Needed Action.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BOSTON, January 1l.--A plan for
organizing an "all-inclusive fellowship
of religious liberals" under the name
of the Free Church of America was
announced yesterday in a report Of the
Unitarian and Universalist Commits
sions
The commissions were appointed by
the American Unitarian Association and
the Universalist General Convention in
1881 Ito look into the practicability Of
uniting these two communicrs for the
common good" The report adopted at
meeting on December 20, last. will be
submitted to the legislative bodies Of the
two denominations.
The report described the commissions
consideration of three alternatives-re-
tanning the status quo, forming an Or
ganic merger of the two denominations
or the organization of a larger and
It pointed cut that the commissions de-
cided to recommend the latter.
Need for Grouping.
1.-THE present need for such a group
ing," the report said. "offerS an oppor-
tuntiy to work out o coordination Of
the liberal forces of the United States
and Canaoa which might be far more
effective than q merger OF only the
Unitarian and Universalist denomina-
tions, The commissions, therefore,
adopted this third alternative and pro-
posed the Free Church of America, be-
lieving that the advantages Of merger,
together with other and more far
reaching advantages, are including in
this plan. They voted to call them
selves the Council of the Free Church
of America, and drew UP tentative
constitution"
In their preamble to the plan the
commissions asserted that the members
of the fellowship shall have entire
freedom Of belief and that "if we are
controlled by a purpose to serve man
kind in q spirit of mutual good will,
differing statements Of faith may en-
rich our common life"
Under this plan." the report said,
"the Free Church would become an all
inclusive. fellowship or religious liberals
Local churches would retain their
present name. adding thereto Free
denomination would retain, for the
present. at least. its ecclesiastical name
and Its funds. So far as possible. how
ever, all departments OF work would be
united or co-ordinated."
Local Church Option.
Local churches, under the plan. might
or might not merge. according to the
determination of local policy. The re-
port emphasized, however. that local
cancellations were not the objective
OF the free church movement.
The commissions voted that so far as
their objectives will permit, the fol-
lowing enterprises might we'll be car
ried on in common: Church extension,
religious education, women's work, lay
mems work, young peoples work, social
relations activities, missionary literature.
preaching missions. radio broadcasting,
religious publication, publishing houses,
hymnology. joint Summer meetings and
institutes, local headquarters, common
use Of properties and equipment, region
al representatives to work in both fell
lowships, regional conferences and asso-
Citations, religious work in foreign lands
and increasing cooperation with the
international Association for Liberal
Christianity and Religious Freedom" in
which both Universalists and Unitarians
have long co.Cperated.