THE CHRISTIAN WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26637, 6 December 1947, Page 2

THE CHRISTIAN WORLD

NEWS OF THE CHURCHES By A. L. Haddon The second World Conference of Christian Youth, held at Oslo in July, brought together youth of 70 countries—victor and vanquished, rich and poor, subject and sovereign. In such a group, meeting so soon after a bitter world conflict, the spirit of Christian brotherhood was sure to meet a severe test. It did, and met it successfully. On the day the conference began, news came that fighting had broken out between Indonesia and the Netherlands. There were delegates from both these countries, in fact they had travelled part of the way together. The eyes of the conference were on these two delegations. Would the theme of the conference—Jesus Christ is Lord—prove to be true in such a situation? There were tense moments. Misunderstandings had to be cleared away. But the two delegations met together, prayed together, and together issued a statement to the profound satisfaction of all. That was not the only instance of the kind. Czechs and Germans, British and Indians, French and Czechs also had significant conferences with results that demonstrated the power of Christian understanding as a supranational bond. t Latest reports from Geneva state that 188 church bodies in 38 countries have applied for membership in the World Council of Churches. These, and others that may be admitted in the near future, will be . represented at thd formal constitution of the World Council at Amsterdam next August. Three leaders in the work of the New Zealand National Council of Churches have indicated their intention of being at the Amsterdam meeting. They are Archbishop West-Watson, past chairman, the Rev. J. Baird, chairman of the executive, and the Rev. A. A. Brash, general secretary What was the World’s Sunday School Association is to be known in future as the World Council of Christian Education. It will work in close collaboration with the World Council of Churches in providing a unified programme for the young people in the churches of the world. A department of visital aids has been set up under the chairmanship of Mr J. Arthur Rank, noted British motion picture producer An appeal to the American people for broader relief measures in view of “ widespread frustration and despair overseas . . • even if this should involve the re-establishment of public controls on particular items,” has. been made by the Federal Council of Churches in the United States. The statement describes the “ continuing desperate need for relief overesas as being “ of far longer duration and more appalling magnitude than we had anticipated.” Hence the call for sacrifice to meet the emergency “even at the cost of a reduction in the general standard of living.” A detailed programme of action urges the United States Government to inform the public of the impending bankruptcy in many nations, and to ask people, now enjoying the highest level of income in history, to reduce their food consumption by ten per cent. ine Federal Council appealed to churches to present to their members the grave spiritual implications of 016 present situation and to afford them opportunities to respond to the urgent plight of people in other lands. The Baptist Union of Italy, which embraces 52 churches and 22 outstations, will reopen its seminary in Rome this year.