FAITH AND ORDER

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 123, 26 May 1937, Page 9

FAITH AND ORDER

REUNION MOVE CONFERENCE OF CHURCHES ; : The second conference on "Faith and Order," ,/hich will open in Edinburgh "on August 3, represents one ■of the nfiost important movements in the1 religious world of today, according to an article in the "Life and Work" cf the Church of Scotland by,the Rev. E. J. H£gan; 0.8. E., B.A. When the great "World Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh in 1910 came to an end, one of the American delegates returned to his home thrilled with the vision of a great purpose and dedicated in his own mind to its attainment. This was Dr. CJharles Brent/- Bishop of the Philippines arid later of Western New York. Convinced, that, much of the success of this conference was due to' the thorough work of the preparatory commissions, and profoundly moved by the spirit of unity displayed in its meetings, he 'had' decided ''that the time was ripe for the calling of another Conference, prepared by the same thorough methods and marked by the same spirit of unity, bqt occupied with an even more difficult, task. This further conference was to deal not with the co-operation; of, the churches in the practical work of foreign missions, but with those differences in doctrine and ecclesiastical order by which the churches were divided. Surely, he hoped, the same spirit of unity would again be .manifested, andJ might * express itself in reunion, corporate andvisible;';., ■ .' ■ '.':.' Led by Bishop Brent, the Protestant Episcopal Church in, America in 1911 took up the project with great enthusiasm and issued an invitation to-all the churches of Christendom to join in calling such a conference to consider those fundamental questions of Faith and Order by which the churches are divided, with a .view to promoting the great end of Christian. reunion. While these negotiations were still proceeding in 1914 the Great War broke out, and the project was necessarily suspended. In 1920, however, a representative gathering was held in Geneva, and work was resumed. In spite of vast difficulties, the time was propitious for such an enterprise. Shocked by the tragedy of the Great War, shamed by their impotence to prevent or mitigate it, and convinced that their impotence was largely due to their divisions, the churches were everywhere drawing together. The Scandinavian and Orthodox Churches were both engaged in discussing conditions of mutual recognition and intercommunion with the Anglican Church. The Church of Scotland and the United Free Church were already on the eve of an incorporating union. Negotiations were going forward in Canada and among the Methodist Churches in England which were to be brought to a successful issue. In the-mission fields Of India and Africa union conversations had begun. THE LAUSANNE CONFERENCE. The work of arrangement went forward, and in 1927 the First World Conference on "Faith and Order" was held at Lausanne. Its president was Bishop Brent. Already, his health had been shaken -by the excessive burden of duty which he long had carried, and in 1928 he passed away and was buried in Lausanne, the place where his great vision.had been fulfilled.; v This conference was the most true oecumenical gathering which. had ever met. In it all the main churches of Christendom were represented except the Roman. There 'were Orthodox Patriarchs, and, bishop's 'fronr* the ■ Balkans, Anglican bishops arid theologians; Free Churchmen :frbni England and America, Luth-. erans from Germany' and Scandinavia (among thenv the' renowned- Archbishop'Soderblom, of Upsala, and Dr. Deissmann from Berlin), Presbyterians such as Dr. Merle d'Aubigne and Dr. Wilfrid' Moriod, of Paris, and among representative Scotsmen the late Lord Sands, Dr. Norman Maclean, and Dr. Adam Philip. = The younger churches of India, China, and Japan sent trusted^leaders.-In-such a heterogeneous: assembly; it was evident that fundamental differences; existed and would be manifested in discussion. On questions of order, i.e., ministry and organisation, the conference was gravely divided. Three ' main 'groups emerged: those who were insistent on the episcopate, those who were attached to .the preabyterian system of gaaded church courts, and those who laid most emphasis on the autonomy of the individual. congregation. From the discussions it became plain that no united church could possibly be formed which did not include what is of permanent truth and value in these three systems—episcopal, presbyterian, and congregational. The "Faith and Order" movement, however, could not remain at the point where the Lausanne Conference left it. While general agreement had been reached on the content of the Christian message, grave divergences .had appeared on its doctrinal interpretation, and fundamental conflicts on questions of church order had not been solved. A continuation commission was established to continue the discussions begun at Lausanne. The reports of the commissions have appeared and bear titles "The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ," "The Church of Christ and the Word of God," "The Church of Christ: Ministry and Sacraments," and "The' Church's Unity in Life and Worship." ■ . '