Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-08-11
Worlds Religious Heads,
Meeting In England, Find
Common Wen AsHopeful
Duke Dean of Raleigh Rep orts Closing Sessions Of
Religion Found To Be Rather Lax

and a Fundamentally common Chris
tian tradition and religious expert
| ence As the conference proceeded this
! common faith was more and more
j emphasized.
The conference decided to unite.
Oxford. with Edinburgh, Edinburgh
being willing; to pursue the problems,
of unity in faith and order together
| with those of life and work. A COM
mittee of seven was appointed to
work out the plan together with a
similar committee to be appointed at
Edinburgh. 1t was also decided to try
to form a World Council of. the
churches in order to coordinate the
common activities. and testimony of
the non-Catholic churches throughout
the world. The delegates did this in
very determined way. The leaders
asked for $50 pounds to finish UP the
cost of the Oxford conference and to
finance the task of working out the
new plans for the balance of this year.
The delegates and others in attend
ance subscribed over 1000 pounds.
Since more than half or the Oxford
delegates are also to be at Edinburgh,
it seems likely that the plans will go
forward there.
Worlds Religious Leaders.
"a have affecting that we were favor
ed to have part, in a meeting of his
toric significance. There were many
things there to, crafty a Quaker. The
periods of silent devotion, the method
of discussion in the commissions and
the way in which the reports were
made up by a careful consideration
of individual concerns, the absence
of attempts to carry points by ma
joTity votes, and the report on war
were all gratifying. We could not, of
course, in such a gathering get an
out and out condemnation of war;
we got Jesus words Love your
enemies" in the report. At Stockholm
the absolutist pacifist had hard time
to get recognition of his right to be
called a Christian. Here those who
favored war were at times almost on
the defensive. We got strong state
ments against racial discrimination
and for freedom of the church from
political control.
There were, of course, some dis
satisfactions. The free churches of
England did not have the prominence
that they had at Stockholm. There
was too much Barthian theology for
many, Americans 1t happened as a
result of the death of Bishop Brent
and the growing prominence of the
Federal Council of Churches, that the
present leaders of that organization
were among the prominent American
leaders. A large part of them happen
to be Presbyterians. The Methodist
bishops were comparatively neglected
in contrast with the prominence of
the Anglican, Scandinavian and Or
thodox bishops. This is largely due to
the fact that the Methodist bishops
have been largely occupied with theis
own correctional work. and that lead
ers in the inter-church work have
been largely of other communions. If
the conference had come while
Mcdonnell wys president of the Fed
eral Council, the story might have
been different. A very large number
of persons who wished to speak on
the reports on education and inter-
national relations could not find OPP
portunity for lack of time. Some felt
sighted because others with less
claims, as they thought, were given
opportunity.
On the whole however there is en-
thusiasm for the cause, and | believe
the lasting impression will be one of
a great step forward toward healing
the schisms of the church and espe-.
cially of Professionalism.