Evening star., 1955-06-11
By CASPER NAMES


Eehsious News Editor of The Star
Comfortable and roomy are
the two adjectives that best de-
scribe sprawling Grace Covenant
Presbyterian Church at Rich
mond.
The old structure needed these
qualities this week to handle the
annual general assembly of the
Presbyterian Church, U. S. But
the nearly 500 delegates and
probably even more visitors
found the building ample as they
moved around.
Most striking was the large,
air-conditioned auditorium. It
took care of the delegates and
the visitors without crowding.
There was always a sense of COM
fort n the spacious room.
A hospitality gesture appreci-
ated by delegates, visitors and
others was the serving, free, of
coffee and doughnuts through
out all sessions. A steady stream
of patrons made the downstairs
room set aside for this purpose.
popular. And those wanting ice
cream, cokes, candy and ciga-
rettes could obtain them from
machines.
Lunch and dinner were served
m the dining hall downstairs, an
other spacious room. Long lines
formed after each session but
the ladies of the church had set
up the cafeteria style arrange
ment so well there was compare
lively little waiting.
These and other accommoda-
hons helped build a friendly
spirit for the meeting.
Speeches Kept Short
The high level of debate i'm
pressed onlookers. Possibly the
outstanding element was the
brevity of the speeches. Most
speakers knew exactly what they
wanted to say. and they lost
little time in getting to the point.
Only on a few occasions was the
moderator forced to press the
buzzer indicating the speaker
was nearing his time limit.
"Spy for the North"
The Rev. C. Stewart McKen-
Eie, popular minister of Western
Presbyterian Church, was kidded
about his visit to the Presbyte-
rian Church, U. S. assembly.
Mr.. Mckenzie and his church
belong to the Presbyterian
Church. U. S. A., the Northern
group. But the genial clergy
man, usually found in the midst
OF numerous Washington area
Southern Presbyterian ministers
answered the playful ribbing by
loudly whispering. I'm a spv
for the North"
Headaches for a Bishop
The problems Methodist bish-
ops and district superintendents
have in making the annual min
isterial appointments was high
lighted in a humorous way last
week by Methodist Bishop G.
Bromley Oman of WASHINGTON
Bishop Oman read two letters
to the Baltimore Annual Confer
ence meeting at Western Mary
land College. One appealed toI
the bishop to change the pastor
OF q church: the other to send
the pastor back. They are both
worth quoting in full. AS the
radio programs say, "All is ex-
actly as it happened. Only the
names are changed to protect the
innocent"
First letter:
This is request for change
In pastor. Our pastor Mr.. Smith
was born a few hundreds years
too late. He should have come
over in the Mayfiower and might
have been all right. Wesley came
over to Georgia but went back a.
failure. He did not fit in America.
and Mr.. Smith doesn't either.
Like Wesley, Mr.. Smith has a
deep sense of the law. The holi-
ness and awesomeness of God
overWhelms him, but he has not
learned that the main attribute
OF God is love. He acts as though
he was sent here to be q police
man to find out wrong and to be
q prosecuting attorney.
HE played the policeman the
very first Sunday he started here.