The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-01-29

Religious leaders from Ypsilanti.
Ann Arbor and the Willow Run
Area, met at Charles McKenny
Hall Friday TO attend an all-day
Willow Run Conference on Re Zig.
ion, purpose OF which was to clari-
fy the function OF religion in the
federal housing area and establish
a closer coordination between re-
ligious leaders and other social ag-
encies in the area. The conference
was sponsored by the Willow Run
Community Council, in cooperation
with the Willow Run Regional OF
flee OF the. Michigan Council OF
Churches and Christian Education,
the Ypsilanti Ministerial Associa.
tino, the Projects Service Staff OF
the Willow Run FPHA. the Willow
Run Area Recreation Project, the
Coordinating Committee on Recrea-
ton OF Defense Councils OF Wayne,
Washtenaw and Macomb Counties,
the Recreation Committee OF the
Ann Arbor Council of Social Agen-
cies, the Ypsilanti Council OF So
cial Agencies. the Recreation De-
partment OF the Local so, JAW
clio, the Professional Staff OF the
Willow Run Schools, the Washte-
nav County Health Department,
and the Civilian War Services Of
the Washtenaw County Council of
Defense.
The morning session, attended
by ministers and area religious
workers, was discussion dealing
with the Function Of Religion in
the Willow Run Area" led by Rev.
Warren E. Jackson, Willow Run
Regional Secretary for the Mich
igan Council Of Churches and
Christian Education, with DR..
James Myers, Industrial Secretary
of the Federal Council OF Churches
OF Christ in America, serving as
resource leader. One OF the major
points in the discussion brought
out the need for faith and religious
beliefs TO be shared through pro-
vision of services OF worship, and
the opportunities for religious edu-
cation in the area. That friendships
should be shared through minister
ing to individual needs, pastoral
visitation and confessional was an
other of the points made in the dis
cussion, while third stressed the
need for cooperation between re-
ligious leaders and other social
groups and agencies operating in
the area. 1t was suggested that the
church can assist in pointing out
the basic physical and spiritual
needs Of individuals in the COM
munity, and that religious groups
should seek to coordinate their
program with leadership OF other
agencies. Church-sponsored pro-
grams OF health and recreation
were suggested as one means of
promoting the general welfare.
while another suggestion was that
the church has particular field in
experimentation and in offering
supplementary services in the area.
The afternoon session, which fol-
lowed a fellowship luncheon in
Charles McKenny Hall dining
rooms. was joint session with pro-
fessional workers OF the Willow
Run area, and was opened with a
summary Of the morning discussion
by Rev. Jackson. Rev. Raymond
B. Bair, pastor OF the First Pres
byterian Church in Ypsilanti, was
chairman of both the afternoon and
evening sessions.
A panel discussion. religion
Serving Tenant and Inter-Agency
Cooperation for Service" with DR..
Luther Butt, Methodist superin-
tendent of the Ann Arbor District.
presiding, made up the major por-
ton Of the afternoon program. TAX
ing part in the program were DR..
James Myers, Rev. Ellsworth
Smith, war emergency chaplain of
the Detroit Council OF Churches,
Rev. Robert Kincheloe, War Hous-
ing chaplain of the Maryland-Dela.
ware Councsil OF Churches and
Christian Education, Rev. owen
Geer, Mt. -Olivet Methodist Church
IN Dearborn, Rev. Roland Schwandt.
area minister OF the National Luth.
eran Council, and Rabbi ]. NJ. Co.
hen, Hillel Foundation, Ann Arbor.
In the discussion DR.. Myers
called the attention OF the group to
the need for a definition OF the con-
tent and purpose OF religious teach
ing and work. Rev. Kincheloe de-
scribed the function OF the "Balti-
more Plan" OF church and agency
cooperation, while Rev. Geer told
Of the need for putting a sufficient
content into the evangelistic en-