A UNITED CHURCH OF ENGLAND

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22308, 24 January 1938, Page 11

A UNITED CHURCH OF ENGLAND

Plan To Combine Six Denominations WIDE SCOPE OF SCHEME Free From Control By State (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received January 22, 3 p.m.) LONDON, January 21. The most momentous religious development of modern times, directly affecting nearly 32,000,000 people, is foreshadowed by the completion of a joint plan for the fusion of the Church of England and the Methodic, Congregational, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Moravian denominations.

A draft has been drawn up by the Archbishop of York and 11 Angli-

can bishops, together with four leaders of the Free Churches. It provides the foundation for a united Church of England, a plan which is the outcome of years of study. At its inauguration the new Episcopal Church would be governed by the Anglican bishops who accept the new constitution and by a number of Free Church bishops chosen for consecration by their Churches.

The new Church would be free from control by the State in respect to faith, worship, morals, discipline, and government, while acknowledging the jurisdiction of the civil Courts in such matters as property endowment.

The report is commended to the attention of the clergy and laity of the Churches by both the Convocation of Canterbury and the Federal Council of the Evangelical Free Churches. GOVERNMENT AND BELIEF

BISHOPS FROM ALL CHURCHES EARLY DECISION NOT LIKELY (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) (Received January 23, 9 p.m.) RUGBY, January 22. The report on church union looks to the reunion of the Church of England and the Free Churches in a great united English church, in which the various denominations might come together without the loss of what is specially valuable in their distinctive traditions. The plan provides for spiritual freedom with some form of State recognition.

It is emphasised on both the Anglican and the Free Church side that the proposals are of the most tentative character, and are published for the consideration of Anglicans and Nonconformists in the hope of furthering the cause of unity, but with a full recognition that the time for negotiations has not yet come. Baptism and Holy Communion are accepted as an essential condition of church membership. The use of the Sign of the Cross in baptism, the wearing of a surplice, and kneeling to receive Communion are practices upon the universal adoption of which it is suggested that Anglicans might not insist.

Church Government Participation in church government would be confined to communicants over the age of 18. The united church accepts the Apostles' and the Nicene creeds, but the acceptable creeds and scriptures do .not exclude reasonable liberty of interpretation. The organs of government, in addition to a General Assembly, would be a Diocesan Synod and a Congregational Council. The sees of Canterbury and York would retain their status. Priests would assume the title of presbyters, and the congregation would have an effective voice in their selection. The present denominational forms of worship, apart from the agreed form of Holy Communion, would be acceptable. It is suggested that at first there might be more than one bishop in each diocese, each of the uniting churches being represented in the college of bishops. Freedom of Opinion A common pledge states: "All members must be able to receive Communion equally in all churches. Complete spiritual unity is obtainable only on a basis of freedom of

opinion on debatable matters, and respect <for even a large difference of opinion or practice." The new church pledges itself not knowingly to transgress upon the long-established tradition of any of the churches from which it is formed. The acceptance of the scheme will heal a breach which has lasted 300 years, since the original schism led to the formation of the Nonconformist churches.

The plan embodies all the agreements reached since the historic Lambeth reunion appeal 18 years ago. The Archbishop of York was chairman of the joint conference, with Dr. A. E. Garvie as leader of the Free Church deleg; ies. " In the preface to the announcement thev state: "We invite wide consideration of the plan, because we believe it is calculated to dispel prejudices and point the way to fuller agreement, and so at last to the union for which we pray." Dr. Garvie, in commenting on the joint church plan, said that the Free Church Council recommended that the plan should be considered, but the other churches would do nothing until the Anglican Church acted through the Lambeth Conference, which was due in 1940. The plan has been referred to the churches. No early decision is likely.