FAITH AND ORDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23225, 24 June 1937, Page 20

FAITH AND ORDER

A REUNION MOVEMENT — f CONFERENCE OF CHURCHES The second conference on “ Faith and Order.” which will open in Edinburgh on August 3, represents one of the most important movements in the religious world of to-day. In an article in the “ Life and Work ” of the Church of Scotland, the R€v, E. J, Hagan says' that 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 Charles Brent, Bishop of the Philippines” and 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 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, but 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, and might express itself in reunion, corporate and visible.

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 vyas 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. 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 bishops from the Balkans, Anglican bishops and theologians, Free Churchmen from England and America, Lutherans from Germany and Scandinavia (among them the renowned Archbishop Soderblom, of Upsala, and Dr Deissmann from Berlin.), Presbyterians such as Dr Merle d’Aubigne and Dr Wilfrid Monod, 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 historic episcopate, those who were attached to the. Presbyterian system of graded churcli'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.” '