Evening star., 1955-11-27
Boom Economy Changes
Church Welfare Task

registered nurses, $4,000 medical
doctors, l4,400 social workers and
$4,000 professional people Of other
claSsifications.
Operating expenses for the agen-
cies and institutions surpassed 81
billion, while capital assets totaled
$685. billion in buildings, land.
equipment, endowments and In
vestments
A multiplicity OF services are pro-
vided-700 homes for the aged, 800
hospitals. IT'S institutions Offering
hospital care to special groups. $50
neighborhood houses and settle
ments. ATS residences, hospiceS and
temporary shelters.
Church bodies also provide ma
ternity homes, rehabilitation serv-
ices, camps. clinics and dispensaries,
convalescent homes and family well
fare agencies.
Frustrating Conference
How to fit Protestant social well
fare projects into the general pic
ture was the essential goal OF the
Cleveland conference. Being the
first meeting of social workers and
religious leaders In this setting,
there were few If any guideposts.
1t Is therefore not astounding that
some mistakes were made.
"This was one Of the most frus-
trating conferences I have ever at
tended" DR.. Frederick E. Reissig,
executive secretary of the Washing
ton Federation of Churches, said.
"It was frustrating because of the
disparity of experience the people
here have There were sometimes
few points of common contact.
ION the other hand. 1t is one Of
the most hopeful and promising be-
cause we are finally getting to-
gether as Protestants to look at
our responsibilities In meeting hui
man needs"
Twenty broad topics were con-
sidered In the functional and gen.
eral sections. They ranged from
child and family welfare to edu-
cation, action and social research
in the former and from church.
state relations in social welfare to
the role of the churches as social
conscience in meeting welfare re-
sponsibilities in the latter.
The result was distinct thin
ness and unevenness that weakened
considerably the conferences effec-
tiveness. Many topics were omitted
in the message and others appeared
so briefly and in such general terms
as to lose value. Fewer topics, more
carefully studied, seems to be the
answer for future meetings.
On the affirmative side, the
meeting gave the Protestant church
leaders and social welfare workers
an opportunity to discuss, their
common goals. It also provided the
initial machinery for q cooperative
Protestant approach to the entire
question, and gave a basis for
future conferences.
While it was generally agreed the
churches should work together in
terdenominationally where possible.
no clear-cut rule was arrived at.
Nor we're the National, State and
local levels more than suggested.
Details of cooperative action will
probably be worked out for future
meetings.
interest Acclaimed
DR.. Albert E, Croft, director Of
the department Of social work.
Wash ington Federation Of.
Churches. said the conference
showed Professionalism was deeply
involved and vitality interested in
social work. The position was taken
that the local church had three
supporting areas to its main prr-
pose: religious education. evangel-
ism, and social work.
There seemed to be general
agreement that more emphasis
should be put upon social work.
Also. it should be developed to pro-
fesSional standards whenever pos
sible and freed from the overlap
ping interests of religious education
and evangelism
Washington's social work de-
partment is one of the most vig-
orous and far-reaching agencies in
this field. Started in 1897, it re-
ceiyed its present pattern two years
ago. 1t has two basic tenets-"to
bring the churches into co-ordina-
tion and cooperation with COM
munity welfare activities, and to
support them and to assist on un-
met needs"
DR.. Croft pointed out "the
churches do not want to be in COM
petition with anything that other
agencies are doing well. :. There
are things the churches can do,
especially for borderline cases. They
suffer the most. Those being pro-
vided for are well taken care of.
The rich do not need help. But
the person in between the two ex-
tremes does"
Meanwhile the first National
Conference on the Churches and
Social Welfare has opened a path
in this field future meetings win
undoubtedly explore in depth.