The Federal Council and the Interchurch World Movement A Statement agreed upon by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America and the Executive Committee of the Interchurch World Movement of North America. INTERCHURCH WORLD MOVEMENT OF NORTH AMERICA 45 West 18th Street New York City Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Columbia University Libraries https://archive.org/details/federalcouncilOOinte The Federal Council and the Interchurch World Movement. 1. The chief danger to Christian unity at the present moment is the confusion which results from the lack of coordination be- tween different and unrelated movements and agencies in its interest. Among these agen- cies the Federal Council is the one body con- stituted by the action of the denominations themselves, and holds a place of central re- sponsibility. It is important, therefore, that its relation to the Interchurch World Move- ment should be clearly defined and its distinc- tive sphere of activities be safeguarded. 2. The Federal Council is a permanent organization, ecclesiastically constituted by its constituent bodies who have delegated to it specific, clearly defined purposes to promote the spirit of fellowship, service and co-opera- tion among them. The purposes are set forth in its constitution and by-laws as follows: “To express the fellowship and catho- lic unity of the Christian Church. To bring the Christian bodies of America into united service for Christ and the world. To encourage devotional fel- lowship and mutual counsel concerning the spiritual life and religious activities of the churches. To secure a larger com- bined influence for the churches of Christ in all matters affecting the moral and social conditions of the people, so as to promote the application of the law of Christ in every relation of human life. To assist in the organization of local branches of the Federal Council to pro- mote its aims in their communities.” The Federal Council’s relationship with the denominations is securely established and its work has extended to many important affairs of the churches. Its promotion of the past ten years has been the chief factor in making possible such a movement as the Interchurch World Movement and it should be an important factor in conserving the work of that movement. It furnishes the back- ground of such movements. The Interchurch World Movement is a co- operative movement, which is organized for the purpose of making a thorough survey of home and foreign missionary work, of edu- cational, of Sunday school, and other phases of Christian activity with the purpose of se- curing resources of men and money for the accomplishment of the whole missionary task of the church. It is a volunteer or semi- volunteer movement, rather than an organiza- tion in the same sense as the Federal Coun- cil. The Federal Council represents distinc- tively the denominations. Its main objective is federation. The Interchurch World Movement, in so far as it may be regarded as representa- tive, is representative of boards, movements and agencies which have to do with the particular phases of work undertaken by it. In the main its objective is missionary work, when the word “missionary” is used in its largest implications. 3. If the program of the Interchurch World Movement is carried out, as indicated by its general plans, it should strengthen the Federal Council, and the entire cooper- ative movement for which the Federal Coun- cil, in a peculiar way, stands. The Federal Council can greatly help the Interchurch World Movement. 4. The constitution and organization of the two bodies are so different that each should maintain its entire independence of the other, organically. Some arrangement should be made, how- ever, whereby all duplication and interfer- ence should be avoided and whereby each shall contribute to the strength of the other. Otherwise, both would be impaired, and the whole cause would suffer. While the Interchurch World Movement is distinct from the ecclesiastical organizations and does not include them, its work should stimulate the ecclesiastical bodies, especially in the directibn of federation. It is recognized that the relation of the Interchurch World Movement to the eccle- siastical organizations of the churches must be determined by the church bodies them- selves and that their advice will of course affect any relation of the Federal Council in representing the churches. 5. The Interchui'ch World Movement will necessarily have special relationships with certain commissions of the Federal Coun- cil, such as the Commission on Interchurch Federations and the Commission on the Church and Social Service and others. Such relationships as these should be carefully considered and determined upon. There should be conference between such commissions and similar departments of the Interchurch World Movement to prepare a working plan on the basis of the principles set forth in this statement. 6. There are certain areas of work cov- ered by the Federal Council and certain rep- resentative capacities and relations which should not be disturbed by the Interchurch World Movement and these should be con- sidered and determined. 7. In its financial campaign the Inter- church World Movement should take into account its effect on the financial suppo'rt of the Federal Council and arrangement should be made vrhereby the Federal Council shall be protected. 8, That any question of interpretation of the two documents presented by the Federal Council and the Interchurch World Move- ment be referred to the two secretaries, Dr. Macfarland and Dr. Taylor, and that suffi- cient copies be sent to each secretary for the staff members of each organization. RELATION OF THE FEDERAL COUN- CIL THROUGH ITS COMMISSION UPON INTERCHURCH FEDERA- TIONS TO THE INTERCHURCH WORLD MOVEMENT In view of the fact that the Federal Coun- cil of Churches has been officially directed to give attention to the development of local and state interchurch councils or federations, and in view of the fact that the Interchurch World Movement must of necessity carry on practically all its field work through group- ings of the same character, the relationship of the two at this particular point becomes one of fundamental importance. The follow- ing is the understanding of this relationship as developed in a conference in which Rev. Charles S. Macfarland, General Secretary of the Federal Council, S. Earl Taylor, Gen- eral Secretary of the Interchurch World Movement and Fred B. Smith, Chairman of the Commission on Interchurch Federations of the Federal Council and also Chairman of the Convention Committee of the Interchurch World Movement, participated: First: Both the Federal Council and the Interchurch World Movement are seek- ing earnestly and sincerely the develop- ment of permanent interchurch councils or federations in the states, local com- munities and cities of the whole coun- try and in view of this common desire, an unusual intimacy is to be maintained upon this point. Second: The Interchurch World Move- ment, whenever it approaches any given state, town or city, will seek to discover what cooperative movements already ex- ist among the churches in these places and where they are of a worthy, compre- hensive type, will in every case seek to cooperate -with them. One of the fol- lowing methods being pursued as the special issues may seem to warrant: 1. The Interchurch World Move- ment in that state, city or locality to be carried out by the existing federa- tion. 2. The existing federation will ap- point a special committee to carry out the plans and purposes of the Inter- church World Movement. 3. The existing federation to exer- cise its good office in calling together an adequate group of representatives of all the churches and all the Chris- tian agencies for the purpose of organ- izing a special Interchurch World Movement Committee. Note: These principles have been observed in the platform and pam- phlet utterances of the Interchurch World Movement. Third: The Federal Council of Churches, through its Commission on Interchurch Federations, and indeed, through all of its commissions, on its part, will seek to protect the large in- terest of the Interchurch World Move- ment from being placed in the hands of inadequate -federations and through them subjected to executive leadership which would be impossible upon the larger program. This in recognition of the existence of some so-called federa- tions which have really never func- tioned and are in the hands of incom- petent leaders. Fourth: Both the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America and the Interchurch World Movement, will seek during the process of the work to eliminate sentiment, or special anxiety concerning prerogatives, and to work unitedly for the best interest of the kingdom of God and the larger pro- gram of permanent cooperative effort in Protestant Christianity; each being ready to modify plans at any time when this larger ideal seems to demand such revision. No. 452. I. 5. Feb. ’20.