Evening star., 1948-05-07
Methodists Organize
Commission 10 Push
Merger Of Churches
By cospor Names
Stor StoH Corre,ponJsot

BOSTON, Mass, May THE
General Conference of the Meth
odist Church unanimously adopted
resolutions today looking forward
to close cooperation and possible
union with other Protestant denomi-
nations.
The 754 lay and ministerial dele
gates to the denominations quad
rennial meeting voted to organize
q commission on church union to
consider questions relating to union
with other Protestant bodies. The
commission viii consider specific
overtures from any Protestant
denomination and also will initiate
steps toward such unions.
A recommendation that the newly
formed commission study "the
cordial invitation by the Protestant
Episcopal Church to carry on
oficial conversations looking toward
union" was voted by the meeting
The motion also included similar
instructions with regard to the
Colored Methodist Episcopal Church
and the Evangelical United Breth-
rem Church
Cooperation Is Pledged.
The gathering also went on rec
ord pledging fullest cooperation"
with the Federal Council of
Churches and ordering acceptance
of the councils invitation that the
Methodist Church participate in a
"plenary conference" of American
church representatives ito consider
the immediate possibility of closer
unity"
A brief furor preceded accept
ance of a report establishing a
Methodist Commission on Chap
lains to secure chaplains for the
armed services and the Veterans
Administration. Opposition spokes-
mer, Offering an amendment in
sisting that ministers wear civilian
attire in the armed services, de-
clared ministers in uniform become
n part Of the war system"
D. Stewart Patterson Of WASH
ington, vice president of the de-
nominations General Board Of Lay
Activity, asserted ut Is not a ques-
ton OF militarizing our ministers,
but question of having these men
within the military to represent
the spiritual forces OF our Nation.
1t is to put into the military the
spirit Of the church that this COM
mission is needed"
The amendment was overwhelm-
tngly defeated.
Strong opposition to a peacetime
universal military training law and
call for American leaders to reach
an understanding with Russia are
embodied in a resolution to be
acted on by the conference today.
The Committee on the State of
the Church, not only declared their
opposition to any system Of peace
time universal military training"
but called on the United States to
give bold leadership looking to-
ward the universal abolition Of
peacetime conscription."
The report, which the conference
Is expected to pass by a large ma
jority declares that neither the
peoples Of the Soviet Union nor
OF the United States desire war"
and urges steps be taken to change
the prevailing mood" conducive to
a eonfiict between the two powers.
spirit of ofFatalism."
Our worst menace is a spirit
OF hopelessness that any course Of
action other than war is possible" F."
the committee asserted. Christian
people should reject a spirit of
fatalism. about war. We affirm our
conyictious that war between the
soviet Union md the United States
is not inevitable
To this end, the report urges con-
ttnuing negotiations "on diplomatic,
high levels" by both governments.
Firm support Of the United Ma
tions In its efforts to create a func-
tioning international organization
for peace and justice" also was en-
bodied In the statement. Noting
ths tmperfections of the U. N. as it |
now stands, the report asserted: I'VE
look beyond the U. N organization
to the development OF world gov
ernment through a more effective
use Of the machinery now available.
A world of absolute national SOW
ereignties competing with one an
other leads inevitably to tension and
conflict"
A statement that Methodists as
individuals may decide their own
course OF action on the question Of
participation in war. provided they
obey God rather than men, was
also included in the report. In 1910
the General Conference passed a
strong resolution opposing any war
or participation in a war. Four
years later, with the United States