Evening star., 1953-06-04
= -. : = d d. Il
.Methodisfs Ask
Firm Policy on
Social Issues
Urge Church to Act
In Crime, Race and
Similar Problems
sy the Assoelossd Press

Washington Methodists has pro-
posed to fellow churchmen they
"ought to be facing up to these
issues and doing something
about" the problems of race re-
latfons. communism. marriage
and divorce, crime and morals.
The church ought to be
speaking out on them and" for
mulating programs and policies
designed to interpret them from
a Christian viewpoint and to
guide our people in their atti-
tudes." " said the group.
The declaration was embodied
In a report being submitted fol
approval tomorrow at the an
nual Baltimore conference of
the Methodist Church by its
Social Projects Commission.
The conference, annual gov
erning and legislative session of
about 425 ministers and lay del
egates from 324 churches OF
charges in the District of Co
lumbia- Maryland area, convene
today for four days of meetings
10 Ministers MemOrialized.
The conference today memo.
rialiZed 10 ministers who have
died since its last annual session
last June.
The Rev. Clarence E. Wise
pastor Of Lewis Memorial
Church. Washington, delivered
the memorial address after the
four-day conference opened with
a communion service.
The 10 ministers included the
Rev. James Shera Montgomery
who retired in 1888 after a pasto-
rate at the Metropolitan Meth
odist Church in Washington and
served for a time as chaplain OF
the United States Senate.
Would Combat IdeOlogies.
Another conference commit.
tee, the Committee on Worlo
Peace, has proposed the church
bring its influence to bear
against atheism, communism
faSciSm and all ideologies
dangerous to the common good
The social projects commits.
sion based its report on a theory
the field of social problems il
one of the most vital in the
church's work and declared: "All
Of us know the moral climate oi
our country is very low"
Speaking Of communism, II
asked: ''Is there anything or
which there is more muddled
thinking at this time?"
The commission declared "the
Christian way of life is in direct
conflict with that of the Marx
iSt."
Attack Segregation.
The churchmen took their own
church to task for it's racial seq
regation, saying:
1.-THE Christian church cannot
speak to the secular world or
the evils Of racial segregation
and discrimination so long as IL
remains among the chief sinners
The presence Of these evils
within the church places the
church in the uneviable position
Of providing ammunition for
communism's theological guns. y
The commission suggested
ministers who are members OF
the conference should exchange
pulpits with ministers of the
Washington Conference Meth
odist Churches. The Washing
ton conference is the Negro
division Of the church with
roughly the same geographical
limits as the Baltimore confer
ence-WaShington, the II Mary
land counties west of Chesa-
peake Bay, and small slices OF
adjoining West Virginia and
Pennsylvania.
Ask Civil Nuptial Rites.
Church activities such as lead
erShip schools should be inter-
racial. 1t suggested.
In q section on marriage and
divorce, the commission said the
conference might want to go or
record for revision of Maryland s
marriage laws to provide a civi!
ceremony performed by q judge
or a magistrate. Under present
law, all marriages in the state
must be performed by a clergy
man.
The member churches should
work with county and city well
fare boards. with foster home
agencies. and with authorities
handling the adoption of chill
dren in an effort to combat
juvenile delinquency and other
ills from the breaking up OF
homes. The best preventive, the
commission said, is Christian
worship in the home and a
Christian family life.
Bishop G. Bromley Oman
resident bishop Of Washington,
will organize the conference as
its presiding officer by designat-
ing various aides and commit
tees.
Ministerial changes, always
the climax Of the conference
will come at the final session
Sunday afternoon. Most Of the
425 ministers who are members
OF the conference are expected to
march in q professional for the
Sunday morning worship service
at which Bishop Oman will
preach.