Evening star., 1948-05-05
Methodists ADOPT
Missionary Program
10 Fight Communism
By Cospor Nonnes

stor Stoff Correspondent
BOSTON, May 5-The General
Conference of the Methodist Church
meeting here today heard one of its
delegates call for the sending of
200 well-trained young couples as
missionaries" to overseas areas to
counteract Communist propaganda
and then adopted a program to put
the plan in effect.
Ralph E. Diffendorfer, executive
secretary of the denomination
Board of Foreign Missions and
Church Extension, told the gather
ing: We have to change the train
ing of our missionaries to know
something about the communism
they are going to combat. When
you are on the firing line against
something, you must know some
thing about it. You must be we'll
equipped to not only answer oues-
tions, but to state your own ioeol-
ogy"
Mr.. Diffendorfer said he wanted
to send them to where the battles
are on. He suggested they be sent
to such countries as Japan, Korea,
China, Philippines, India and Latin
America. Trained workers also
would be sent to European countries.
particularly Germany, to counter
attack communism.
Program Is Adopted.
The conference then adopted the
quadrennial plan, which enables the
churches to follow the kind of pro-
gram Mr.. Diffendorfer advocated.
The quadrennial plan includes a
first year emphasis on knowledge of
faith: the second year on the ma
ture of the church; the third on a
program for recruiting youth for the
ministry and the fourth on the
mission of the church.
The second objective. called an
advance fund. is to develop foreign
missions, home church extension
and overseas. Out of this program
DR.. Diffendorfer interpreted the
right to send couples overseas to
communicate positively the Chris
tian and democratic way of life and
thus provide substitute for COM
munism.
Einstein Sends Message.
A telegram sent by Prof Albert
Einstein to DR.. Ralph w. Sockman
of New York. a conference delegate.
called for support of world govern
ment to end "a pernicious arma-
ments race and eventually war it
self"
Prof. EinStein said in his message
the clergy has an unusual "oppor-
tunity to render an invaluable serv-
ice to the community by providing
information and enlightenment to
vast sections of the people"
In this YOU are freer than the
press and the radio whose organs
unfortunately are so susceptible of
being influenced by political author
tiles and vested interests"
$1,000 900 Budget.
A budget totaling about S50.0OO,-
600 for the next four years will be
acted on by the conference today.
The budget, sponsored by the
Commission on World Service and
Finance, will recommend that the
denomination raise SS,000,0QO an
nually for world service for the
next four years. In addition. it will
call for the raising of an additional
fund OF $4,000 to s5.0O0.0OO an
nually for the same period to be
used for overseas missions. home
church extension and overseas re-
lief.
The commission also will suggest
that the second Sunday OF Lent
each year for the next quadrennium
be devoted to home and foreign
missions and overseas relief giving
Members of the Greater Boston
Fellow ship of Reconciliation last
night picketed the convention hall
They called on the conference to
change its 1914 attitude on the
atom bomb and block busters" in
the interest of peace.
Educational Program.
The Committee on Education will
recommend passage of a proposal
authorizing the Methodist Church
to study its educational setup in
Washington and to prepare a pro-
gram for adoption by the denomina-
ton at future meeting, it was
learned today.
Center Of the study would be
American University, spokesman
said The study would be under
taken by the church's Board of
Education and the senate of the
university, with funds provided by
the administrative fund of the
Council of Bishops.
DR. Paul F. Douglass, president of
American University, hailed the pro-
posal as forward thinking step
on the part of the church. He
pointed out the study would involve
consideration of the world respon-
sibilities' of education in the Ma
tion's Capital American Univer-
sity is one of 1913 Methodist educa-
tional institutions in the United
States.
Dulles Gives Talk.
John Foster Dulles, a member of
the American delegation to the
United Nations. told the conference
last night the churches will have
key role in preventing war with
Russia.
V. K. wellington Koo. Chinese
A MI h a n
asserted the recent act of Con-
gress extending economic aid to
China in the sum of 1898 ,00O, 900 fol-
the next IL months will be of great
help TO the Chinese economic situa-
tion and to the trade relations be-
tween the two countries"
A transcribed message on the
centennial of Methodist missionary
work in China from Generalissimo