Evening star., 1949-12-18

Every one recognizes LQdI IIle
single Protestant church is a long
way off, but the time element in
vites rather than precludes action.
The Conference on Church
Union does not have a definite
formula to bring this idea to
fruition. One of its chief steps
was the appointment of a COM
mittee to draw UP a plan of union
that might appeal to other Prot
estant bodies as we'll as to those
who took part in the conference.
These were the Methodist church,
the Presbyterian Church in the
U. S. A.. the Disciples OF Christ,
the Evangelical and Reformed
church, the Congregational Chris
tian churches, the Moravian
Church III America Northern
Province, the African Methodist
Episcopal Zion and the colored
Methodist Episcopal church.
Seven other bodies, among them
the Protestant Episcopal church
and the Presbyterian church in
the United States had observers
there.
Reasons Apparent
The conference brought into
focus the compelling, underlying
reasons which have made the in
stinctive urge for Protestant
church union one of the religious
phenomena of the present CEN
tury. Formation of the Federal
Council of the Churches OF Christ
in America in 1906, while not the
first, was the most important ma
tional move in this direction. Tho
World Council of Churches first
meeting last year in Amsterdam
Holland, exempllf1ed the feeling
on global scale. True, these
councils emphasize cooperation
more than organic union, but CO.
operation usually produces a eli
mate of thinking that frequently
leads to union.
AS it appeared to many of the
delegates, the following. not nee
essarily in order of their import
ance, are major factors contribut-
ing to the church union move.
! One Is the revolutionary changes
induced in American thinking as
a result of present-day mobility
Of communication, as illustrated
by the automobile and the radio
AS one leader put it, this mobility
is the atomic bomb" that i.
sounding the death knell Of de.
nominationalism.
In the past, beliefs of the father
were handed down to the sor
without too many outside in
fluences challenging them. Ont
leader said, "denominationalisn
was based on staying at home anc
not mixing with other people
This world of intercommunicatior
and interrelationship is a differ.
ent world and it is making the
old-fashioned sect out Of date
Lines Crossed
This aspect is reflected in the
growing impatience of lay people
with the theological questions
that separate professionalism. As
another leader noted, lay people
do not have the theological train
ing Of the clergy and are less like
ly to think Of the issues separating
the denominations and are more
inclined to think Of those uniting
them. This indifference to de-
nominational lines was pointed
up by a survey in 1947 of men,
bers received by letters Of transfer
in Pittsburgh churches. It was
found that more than half of the
5,668 persons received by transfer
into churches had crossed demon.
national lines. Perhaps the per-
centage elsewhere is not as great
but the tendency is everywhere
evident.
The increasing role laymen are
taking in church administrative
affairs Is another facet influencing
interdenominational thinking. In
1916 a layman. former Supreme
Court Justice Owen Roberts, was
elected for the first time as head
of the Episcopal House of Depu-
ties. A year later, Wilbur La Rot
of Washington, lawyer, also
broke Presbyterian precedent by
being chosen moderator of the
General Assembly. These are ex.
amples Of a ground swell indicat.
ing the part laymen, who, BY
environment, are more susceptible
to thinking in fellowship with
persons of other religious per-
suasions, are taking in matters
formerly intrusted largely to min
listers. i.
lSecularism Unites
A fear of secularism and what
1t is doing to religious thinking il
playing a major part in the move
toward union. Church leaders
recognize the materialistic philos-
ophy prevalent today as a SHARP
threat to the existence Of all and
any churches. Protestant church
leaders are convinced they cannot
fight secularism on a many-de.
nominational basis. The fight
must be carried on through q
common front If victory is to be
won.
The recent controversy concern
ing church and state resulting
from the dispute over Federal ed
ucation aid to parochial schools
has accelerated the move towarc
Protestant church union. The dis.
trust of the Roman Catholic
church position on this ISSUE
varies from regarding it as a
minor one to one Of major pro-
|portions.
This writer has attended nu-
merous Protestant national meet
ings in many parts Of the country
during the past two years. Many
denominations have points OF
| s1arn diSa arrcement with other