Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-15
BY Cospor Names
Sfor Stoff Correspondent

Siof Sto" correspondent
EVANSTON. ILL.,, Aug. IA
The long-anticipated second as
sembly of the World Council of
Churches will open tomorrow on
the spacious Northwestern Uni
versity campus.
Thousands of delegates, OBJ
servers and visitors will attend
the. 17-day meeting, hailed by
many as "the most significant
Protestant religious gathering,
ever held in the western hemi-
sphere"
President Eisenhower will adj
dress the assembly Thursday
evening.
This is the second convocation
of the Council. which was or
ganized in 1913 at Amsterdam.
Holland. The church federation
today numbers 161 Protestant
and Eastern Orthodox denom-
nations from 48 countries. Thirty
American church bodies, includ-
ing all except a few of the major
Protestant denominations, are
members Of the Council.
100000 to jam Stadium.
The assembly will have 900
delegates, 900 official visitors. $50
consultants and 100 youth dele
gates. The deliberations will be
held in French, German and
English, with simulta eous
translation provided through
earphones as at United Nations
sessions. But since most of the
major speakers use English fiu-
emily, it is expected they will
speak In that language.
Climax Of the opening events
will be huge Festival of
Faith" worship tonight at Soldier
Field, Chicago. More than lOO,-
600 persons are expected to Jam
the stadium for the service.
which will begin with q process
sion Of $500 Council representa-
tives wearing their church re-
gala. The service will empha-
size through pageantry, music
and drama the relationship OF
the human spirit to God. A
cast Of 5000 persons will take
part.
Tomorrow morning, delegates
to the assembly will attend the
opening worship at the First
Methodist Church, Evanston.
The six presidents of the Council
will take part in the service.
Methodist Bishop G.. Bromley
OMAN of Washington, one of
the presidents. will deliver the
sermon. A prayer written by
the Right Rev. Angus Dun,
Episcopal Bishop of Washington,
will be offered.
The assembly proper will open
at 2 pm. today at Northwestern
University with DR.. Marc Boeg-
ner of France, one of the Ccun-
Gil presidents. presiding.
Assembly's Main Theme.
The main theme of the as
sembly, "Christ-the Hope of the
World" will be presented at
this time by Bishop Leslie New
bigin Of India, Prof. Edmund
Schlink of Germany, and Prof.
Robert Calhoun of Yale Divinity
School, New Haven. Conn.
The theme may or may not
prove to be major controversial
issue. There has been some pre-
assembly debate concerning how
views regarding the second ad-
vent of Christ would affect the
course of the meeting. Those Sc
lecting the theme asserted the
assembly should center it's dis
cussion "along the lines OF the
affirmation that Jesus Christ is
the only hope of both the church
and the world" The delegates
task is to issue statement indi-
eating that the basis of Christian
hope today lies in this direction.
There are six SUBJ themes:
Faith and order: our unity in
Christ and our disunity as
churches; Evangelism: the
mission of the church to those
outside her life; Social ques-
tons: the responsible society in
a world perspective; Interna-
tional affairs: Christians in the
struggle for world community;
"Intergroup relations: the church
amid racial and ethnic tensions, -
and THE laity; the Christian in
his vocation"
DIR. Wedel to Speak.
The first week will be devoted
to detailed discussion of the
main theme by the assembly as a