UNITED CHURCH.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20091, 21 November 1930, Page 10

UNITED CHURCH.

VISION OF THE FUTURE.

ACHIEVEMENT OF LAMBETH CONFERENCE. A Church with divergent views within it but yet united in fellowship, was the description of the Church of England of the future given by Bißhop WestWatson at the Radiant Hall last n%ht when addressing those who had gathered to welcome him back from England and the Lambeth Conference. This was the ideal towards which they were striving, he said, and he thought that the conference of 1930 had shown that it was perceptibly nearer realisation. Difficult Subjects. "The Conference had to deal with very diflieult subjects—the doctrine of God and marriage were two of them but the Church showed that it was not afraid to face tho new knowledge boldly," said his Lordship. "The Conference proved that there were still precedents to be "made. Besides welcoming all truth in the name of God UQ Conference emphasised what was the meaning and mission of the Ang.ican Church. . Vision Still Tarries.

"In 1920 we saw a great vision of a united Church whose members would help and love one another as much by the things in which they differed as bv those which they had in common. In general that vision still tarries. Is such a Church possible? Possibly as yet no Church fulfils that ideal, but the Church of England is a prophecy of what such a Church might be because, within it, we have men with strong Anglo-Catholic principles on the one hand, and strong Evangelical beliefs on the other, with a community of spirit existing between them. Complementary Viewpoints. "Our Church has been spoken of as 'the bridge Church,' and the expression is significant, because it suggests that the aim is not to reduce everything to a flat uniformity, but to show that what appear to be antagonistic viewpoints are realiv complementary. '' Some dav we will have a united Church, but'it is strongly improbable that it will ever be reduced to a fiat level; it will be a Church with divergent points of views, but which is yet bound together in one great fellowship. That is what we are working towards to-day. The Church is carrying out a remarkable experiment which we want to succeed; we want to show that there can bo a difference of viewpoint within a Church whose members live in fellowship and which can be effective m action. Daughter Churches. " 'AVitness' was the text of the Conference. It is long since the Church of England ceased to be a Church only of the English people. Other nations have entered it and daughter Churches have been formed. I went Home questioning whether the Conference would be worth while, but I returned having no doubt about it. The Church will realise that tho Conference of 1030 had a vision of some of the great problems which confront us."