Evening star., 1942-05-30

the General Assembly of both bodies
of the two groups have reached un-
derstanding on many matters and
are now at work making a prelimi-
nary draft of a plan of reunion for
further study.
Southern Baptists approved pro-
posal for a fellowship meeting of
Northern and Southern Baptist
conventions in 1914 and a commit
tee was authorized to continue plans
for the joint gathering. Further
evidence of cooperation between
the two bodies was given in the re-
port of the Public Relations Com
mittee, which described the setting
up of Joint Conference Commit
tee. Speakers at the meeting of the
Southern group emphasized spir-
itual, rather than organic union.
At the opening of the Northern
Baptist meeting in Cleveland, the
president, DR.. William A. Elliott of
Ottawa, Kans., made strong ap-
peal for Protestant unity. He called
first for unity among Baptists and
then for a fuller and more effec-
tive cooperation" with all Protes-
tant bodies.
Northern Presbyterians postponed
action until next year on plan Of
joint ordination, by which Pres
byterian or an Episcopalian could
be ordained to the ministry by a
bishop and a presbytery acting
jointly, and thus be qualified to
preach and administer the Sacra-
ments in both the Protestant Epis-
copal and the Presbyterian church.
The plan had been drawn up
solely for study, following union ne
gotiations between the two churches
since 1887, and had been sent to
the presbyteries and dioceses of
both churches for comments and
opinions. But too few replies had
been received from the presbyteries
to enable the General Assembly to
act.
Hopefu! Financial Picture.
Several conventions heard opti-
mistic reports of church fund-rais-
ing activities.
Southern Baptists were told that
the past year was the best the de-
nomination has had in a long time
Receipts for 1941 showed a gain of
s265 .l05.34. The emergency relief
fund goal for stricken coun-
tries has already been exceeded by
$4,000. The Southern Baptist for
eign missions debt, which nine years
ago amounted to $l,000,00O, has
been reduced to $4,000. and it is
expected that the entire debt will
be paid off within a year.
Northern BaptiSts also had a good
story to tell During the past fiscal
year the denomination went over
the top of its unified budget by more
than 100000 and raised in full
its supplementary world emergency
fund of 100000.
Northern Presbyterians were told
by the Committee on Church Debts
that in the years 1937-194l the total
church Indebtedness was reduced
from s27,000,000 to $4,000, 900.
Churches were urged to take ad-
vantage of the present favorable
economic situation to liouidate
church debts as quickly as possible
and to steady the financial structure
of their churches.
Meanwhile, the Presbyterians
adopted an 100000 benevolence
goal, and included the church's s
theological seminaries for the first
time in the benevolence budget. In
addition, the church's service pen
sion plan was widened to include
teachers and ministers serving in
schools, colleges and theological
seminaries OF in approved nom
denominational or interdenomina-
tional ecclesiastical agencies.
Foreign Missions.
The foreign missions enterprise
was a topic of major concern at
most current conventions. Mission
ary zeal was manifest to a larger
extent at the General Assembly Of
Northern Presbyterians than for
many years past. Despite curtail-
ment Of missionary activity caused
by the war. PreSbyterians were eager
to recruit large new force of mis-
sionaries to send out when peace
is restored and to use unemployed
missionaries now in this country to
foster the spirit of international
goodwill and to offer a spiritual
ministry to American churches.
Greater opportunities for missions
after the war were predicted by
speakers and in reports presented
at the Southern Baptist Convention.
The status of the foreign m ssions
enterprise in wartime was also one
of the major issues before the
Northern Baptist Convention, the
United Presbyterian Church and the
Methodist Womens Society of Chris
tlan Service The Methodist group
voted to raise s2,922 ,12O during the
coming year to finance various mis-
sionary interests, social service,
medical and rural church work.
Tax Proposal.
The General Assembly of the Pres
byterian Church in the U. S. A.
this week adopted a resolution op-
posing enactment of a Federal tax
on gifts to churches, religious COL
leges and institutions and said that
a tax on such bequests would cause
immediate and extensive injury to
church organizations and would
strike directly at the Presbyterian
pension relief setup.
In Providence. R. l., the Rev.