Evening star., 1949-09-09
Presbyterian
Education Group
|sReorganized Is
Executive Committee
Of Southern Church
Reconvenes as Board
By the Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va, Sept. 9.-An
88-year-old Presbyterian church
agency whose first major UNDER
taking was publication of reli-
gious literature for the Confeder-
ate forces voted itself out of exist
ence here yesterday.
Members of the Executive Com
mittee of Religious Education and
Publication of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States,
serving II Southern States, re-
convened Immediately, however,
and organized as the Board Of
Education, in accordance with 4
plan of reorganization adopted by
the General Assembly of the
church at Montreal, N. c., in
May.
The Rev. DR.. J. J. Murray, pas
tor of Lexington CVaD Presby-
terian Church, who had been
chairman of the former Executive
Committee. was elected chairman
of the new 20-member board.
Headquarters in Richmond.
The Rev. DR.. A. L. Currie, pastor
of Second Presbyterian Church,
Richmond, was elected vice chair
man and DR.. Edward D. Grant Of
Richmond was named executive
secretary, the position he held
with the former Executive Com
mittee for Is years. He serves as
general director of the boards
work.
Headquarters will be continued
in Richmond, DR.. Grant said after
the board meeting and the only
personnel changes will involve the
transfer of several new staff mem
bers from Louisville, KY, to Rich
mond.
Charged originally. on formation
OF Presbyterian Church in the
South in 1861, with the publication
and distribution of suitable reli-
gious literature. functions of the
old COMMITTEE of Publication"
had been greatly enlarged during
the subsequent 88 years.
Most Functions Retained.
Most of these functions are re-
tanned by the new Board of Educa-
tion under the reorganization plan
and. in addition, the board will
assume primary responsibility on
October l for the entire education
work of the church.
On October l, $500,00 in Chris
tian education and loan funds will
be transferred from Louisville to
Richmond and, at the same time,
funds and functions of the Sunday
School Extension Department and
the Defense Service Department
will be transferred from Richmond
to new Board of Church Exten-
sion. to be organized next week in
Atlanta. The new Board of An
nuities and Relief will maintain
headquarters in Louisville.
The Rev. DR.. John L. Fairly of
Richmond, who had been editor
in-chief for the old Executive
Committee here. was appointed
secretary in charge of the new
Division Of Religious Education.
To be general manager of the
new Division Of Publication, the
board named Clinton Harris Of
Richmond.
Aged Home Fund Voted.
Meanwhile, Virginia Presbyte-
rians voted to raise $150,000 TO
provide more adequate homes"
for the aged.
The action occurred yesterday
in closing sessions of the Presby-
terian Synod of Virginia, the gov
erning body of the church in the
State, at Union Theological Sem
mary.
The Rev. T. c. Bales of Clifton
Forge was named chairman of a
committee to organize a campaign
to raise the money.
Aid would not necessarily be
restricted to aged Presbyterians.
according to the Rev. John Allen
MacLean of Richmond, new mod
orator of the Virginia synod.
In other business the synod
adopted its Stewardship Commit
tees decision to hold "tithins
week" throughout the Virginia
Presbyterian synod.
Delegates accepted the invita-.
tion OF Winchester to hold. next
years synod in that city.