Evening star., 1950-05-18
By Cospor Names
SfeT Stcff Correspondenf

CINCINNATI, May 18.-The
Presbyterian Church in the U. S
A. gained 71.713 members last year
to bring its total membership to
a record 2.401.849, DIR. William
Barrow Pugh, stated clerk Of the
denomination, announced today.
This increase in membership is
the largest since 1921. DR.. Pugh
said. He pointed out there has
been a gain of 125,000 members
within the past two years. greatest
in its history.
The announcement was made
as $50 commissioners represent
ing 265 presbyteries Of the church
opened the 1e2d general assembly
today in Taft Auditorium. The
assembly, governing body Of the
denomination, will continue
through next Wednesday.
New Devotion Urged.
DR.. Clifford E. Barbour, Knox
vile, Tenn, retiring moderator,
told the gathering in his sermon
today opening the assembly that
the world needs a sense of urgency
and a new devotion to Christ in
order to fight the evil now prev
alent.
I'VE need the driving sense of
urgency that motivated the apos-
ties" he declared. I'VE don't have
that sense of urgency-certainly
not in any similar degree. Per-
haps we have been too touched
with the same motives that acti-
vate the amiable pagans Of our
day.
I'VE, too, have come to believe
that If international diplomacy
has failed to solve our world
problems, international organiza-
ton will do it.
IF a laissez-faire capitalism has
not produced economic justice, Or
ganized state control will achieve
it. If minority groups have been
abused, then new regulations will
insure their rights.
Says "New Life" Needed.
1--WE in the church ought to
recognize that what we need is not
new plans and programs in our
social order, but new life. Civ
ilized man must become a spiritual
man. He must be guided by spiri-
tual ends in his living and mott
vated by spiritual power toward
the achievement of those ends"
DR.. Barbour asserted the church
was better equipped today than
ever before to fight evil. Citing
the high church membership ma
tionally, the new congregations
and new churches being erected,
he declared religion is matter
of public interest in a way un-
dreamed of a generation ago.
Every year increasingly more space
is given in newspapers and maga-
zines to matters of purely religious
significance, and more time on
the air to religious services"
The church today is ready to
battle evil because it's youth train
ing program is better than ever.
its men and women more inter-
ested, its officers and ministers
more active, he said.
ID. C. Pastor Speaks.
A successor to DR.. Barbour, who
held the moderatorship for the
traditional one-year term, was to
be chosen this afternoon. Favored
candidates are the Rev. DR.. Hugh
Ivan Evans. pastor of Westminster
Church, Dayton. Ohio, and the
Rev. DR.. Peter K. Emmons, pas
tor of Westminster Church,
Scranton, Pa.
The Rev. George M. Docherty of
Washington, pastor of New York
Avenue Presbyterian Church, told
a pre-assembly meeting yester-
day three things must be con-
sidered for evangelism today: The
point of view of the man in the
street; the techniques used to
bridge the gap between the
church and the ordinary man,
and message that will chal-
lenge him.
Man today is an ethical