Newspaper Page Text
GKNEItAli ASSEMBLY.
(Continued from page 13)
of the Departmental Graded Lessons
at present almost universally in use
among us, the Assembly instructs the
Executive Committee of Publication
and Sabbath School Work to adhere
to the preparation, publication of the
lesson helps at present .?eing fur
nished the Church, and that the Pub
lication Committee be directed to
study thoroughly the whole question
of lesson systems and lesson helps,
and report its findings and any rec
ommendations which may seem wise
to the next General Assembly.
No. 9. In answer to the overture,
the Presbytery of Upper Missouri pro
testing against a tendency on the part
of our Publication and Sabbath School
Committee to place in the Sabbath
schools of the Church literature
which tends to drift away from the
Bible text itself, we would call their
attention to the answer of the reso
lution of the Advisory Editorial Com
mittee of the Executive Committee of
the Publication and Sabbath School
Work suggesting an ad interim com
mittee to study the whole question
and bring its findings to the next As
sembly, which promises to correct this
matter as soon as possible.
No. 10. In answer to the overture
of the Presbytery of West Hanover
against the continued use over their
protest of last year in the Earnest
Worker of advertisements of Easter
exercises by J. H. Kuhlman, which
they considered very objectionable.
We recommend that the character
of all advertisements appearing in the
Earnest Worker be carefully studied
by the editor, and that all of these
be placed under his immediate super
vision, and that he assume all respon
sibility as to their quality. We fur
ther strongly recommend that noth
ing be carried in the way or adver
tisements in any of our publications
that will compromise the historic po
sition of our Church or shall be in
opposition to the deliverances of the
General Assembly.
We also repeat the recommendation
of last year that our committee "ex
ercise scrupulous care as to the char
acter of pamphlets, tracts and books
which it advertises and commends to
our people."
No. 11. In reply to overture from
Presbytery of Brazos, asking changes
on the sessional blank on the Narra
tive of Christian Life and Work, we
suggest the following reply:
Much time, thought and prayer has
been given to this question by this
and other committees always arriving
at this conclusion, namely, that the
questions are as near clear and sim
ple as can be made. We would, there
fore, refer this overture back to the
Presbytery of Brazos, requesting them
to suggest such changes as they see
fit and send it to the next General
Assembly.
liecommendations.
1. We respectfully recommend that
each Synod push the Synodical or
ganization of its Sabbath School and
Young People's Work to the end that
a superintendent may be employed in
every Synod and this great depart
ment of our Church's activity receive
its full share of support.
2. That Sunday Conferences, Insti
tutes and Schools of Methods be
stressed in all of our Presbyteries,
and that our people be urged to co
operate with the workers In bringing
about a splendid efficiency in our Sao
bath School and Young People's
Work.
3. We would urge our committee
to closely guard and supervise all
courses of study, books and literature
used in Sabbath Scho'ol Institutes and
Conferences so that the "faith of our
fathers" be not disturbed by the In
troduction of so-called destructive
modernist views. We would further
instruct our committee not to handle
the Shorter Bible. Your committee
would recommend to the churches the
use of the literature and supplies fur
nished by our own Committee of Pub
lication, and to avoid the use of lit
erature of questionable orthodoxy fur
nished by houses of which we know
little.
4. In nominating again for three
years Mr. R. E. Magill as Executive
Secretary, your committee would take
knowledge of the fine services of Mr.
Magill and record with gratitude to
God the splendid success and progress
that has marked his career as Execu
tive Secretary. We would nominate
for three years as members of the
Executive Committee the following:
Rev. T. H. Rice, D. D., to succeed
himself; Mr. James W. Gordon, of
Richmond, Va., to succeed Mr. John
S. Munce, resigned; Mr. D. K. Kel
logg to succeed Mr. M. M. Gilliam,
deceased; Dr. A. M. Eraser, of Staun
ton, Va., and I)r. William McWliite,
of Raleigh, N. C., to succeed Mr. A.
S. Johnstone and Rev. H. J. Wil
liams, of Richmond, Va., whose terms
of office have expired.
5. The committee would record the
faithful and efficient work of Mr. Ma
gill, Dr. R. A. Lapsley and Dr. Gil
bert Glass, together with their splen
did corps of workers, which merits
the esteem and commendation of the
whole Assembly.
All of which is respectfully sub
mitted.
Albert Sidney Johnson,
REPORT OF THE AI> INTERIM
COMMITTEE ON AMENDMENTS
TO THE BOOK OF CHURCH
ORDER
The Ad Interim Committee on
Amendments to the Book of Church
Order, appointed by the Assembly of
1921, and acting under instructions
found on pages 70 and 71 of the Min
utes of the Assembly of 1921. respec
tively submits the following report:
1. Following the instructions of
the Assembly of 1921, "that this Ad
Interim Committee make a study of
paragraph 63 of the Book of Church
Order, with a view of stating in clear
and unambiguous terms what consti
tutes a quorum of a session," we rec
ommend that paragraph 63 of the
Book of Church Order be so amend
ed as to read:
"The session of a particular church
consists of the ruling elders and the
pastor or pastors, if any. A majority
of the session shall constitute a quo
rum. Provided that when a church is
without a pastor and has only two
elders, one elder shall be competent
to perform the duties of the session,
except the conduct of judicial discip
line; and where there is only one
elder, he shall have the same author
ity."
2. In answer to the overture from
the Synod of South Carolina, asking
that paragraph 64 - of the Book of
Church Order be so changed, or inter
preted, that a member of the session
may be chosen to preside at a meet
ing of the session in the absence of
the pastor, we recommend that para
graph 64 of the Book of Church Or
der be so amended as to read as fol
lows:
"The pastor is, by virtue of bis of
fice, the moderator of the session.
In his absence, however, the session
may elect one of its members to pre
side upon a particular occasion.
Should prudential reasons at any time
make it advisable for a minister oth'sr
than the pastor to preside, the pastor
may, with the concurrence of the ses
sion, invite a minister of the same
Presbytery to perform this service."
3. Carrying out this same idea, we
also recommend that paragraph 66 of
the Book of Church Order be ao
amended so as to read as follows:
"When a church is without a pas
tor the moderator of the session shall
be either a minister appointed for
that purpose by the Presbytery or
one invited by the session to preside
on a particular occasion. When it is
convenient to procure the attendance
of a minister, the session may elect
one of its own number to preside. In
judicial cases the moderator shall be
a minister, and a member of the Pres
bytery to which the church belongs."
4. In answer to the overture of
the session of the First Presbyterian
church of Chattanooga, asking that
our Constitution be so amended as to
allow a church to call a co-pastor
whose term of service shall be limit
ed to that of the pastor, we recom
mend that paragraph 128 of the Book
of Church Order be amended by add
ing at the close of the paragraph
these words:
"The pastoral relation of a co-pas
tor, if there be any, shall be dissolved
on the dissolution of the pastoral re
lation of the senior pastor."
5. Following the instructions of
the Assembly of 1921 to this Ad In
terim Committee to suggest such re
visions as may remove ambiguities
and make the Book of Church Order
clearer, we recommend that para
graph 103 of the Book of Church Or
der be so amended as to read as fol
lows:
"It is important that in all these
meetings a minister should preside.
The pastor is, by virtue of his office,
the chairman. When it is impractica
ble or inadvisable for him to preside,
the congregation may elect another
Presbyterian minister or a male mem
ber of that church as chairman. The
same procedure shall be followed in
a church without a pastor."
6. We recommend that the method
of organizing a new church be made
clearer by so amending paragraph 26
of the Book of Church Order as to
make it read as follows:
"A church can be organized only
on the authority of Presbytery. When
a number of persons have signified
their desire to be organized into a
church, the Presbytery may proceed
with the organization directly, or
through a commission, or through an
evangelist empowered by the Presby
tery. The first step shall be to re
ceive testimonials on behalf of such
applicants as are members of the
church, if there be any, and then to
admit, upon profession of faith in
Christ, such candidates as on exam
ination may be found qualified."
7. We recommend that overtures
from the Presbyteries of Durant, East
Hanover, Tygart's Valley and Lexing
ton, asking that our Constitution be
so revised as to require Presbyteries
to elect commissioners to the Gen
eral Assembly for a term of two years
with a view of making the General
Assembly a continuous body, be de
clined. and that the following answer
be made:
"Under our present law a Presby
tery may elect the same commission
ers to the General Assembly for two
successive years, or may elect its com
missioners for a term of two years, if
it bo desires."
In endeavoring to carry out the in
structions of the Assembly of 1921
in reference to pointing out ambigui
ties in the Book of Church Order,
your Ad Interim Committee listel a
large number of sentences and phrases
which are either ambiguous or lack
ing in clarity, but it seemed impossi
ble to correct all of these without,
making a careful revision of the en
tire Book of Church Order. We were
also impressed with some glaring
omissions. For example, the Book of
Church Order has very little to say
in regard to congregational meetings,
and as a result churches are very of
ten at a loss to know how to conduct
such meetings. But we did not feel
authorized to suggest these changes,
and have therefore largely confined
our work to the specific paragraphs
pointed out by the last General As
sembly in its instructions to us.
Respectively submitted,
Walter L. Lingle,
R. C. Reed.
Charles R. Hemphill.
I. S. McElroy.
A. G. Jones.
Rev. George H. Gilmer, D. D., was
added to this committee, and the re
port was recommitted to it, with in
structions to report a revision of the
whole Book of Church Order.
TELEGRAMS RECEIVED.
From the Southern llaptist Conven
tion.
Jacksonville, Fla., May 22, 1922.
Oeneral Assembly, Presbyterian
Church, Charleston, W. Va.:
The Southern Baptist Convention
cordially returns your greetings and
prays for the divine blessings upon
your deliberations in the interests of
the kingdom. First Corinthians 15:
58.
E. Y. Mullins, President.
Greeting from U. S. A. Church.
Des Moines, Iowa, May 22, 1922.
Rev. Thomas H. Law, Stated Clerk
General Assembly, Presbyterian
Church in U. S. A., Charleston. W.
Va.:
The one hundred and thirty-fourth
General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church U. S. A. sends cordial greet
ings. We rejoice with you in the
fruits of your labors and the great
achievements of the past year. In the
true spirit of co-operation we are
ready and anxious to. labor with you
in America and the world. May the
blessings of the great Head of the
Church be upon you.
Calvin C. Hays,
Moderator;
Lewis S. Mudge,
Stated Clerk;
R. Thompson,
Chairman of Committee.
From Presbyterian Church, U. 8. A.
Des Moines, Iowa, May 22, 1922.
Moderator R. C. Reed, Assembly Pres
byterian Church, U. S., Charleston,
W. Va.:
The General Assembly of the Pres
byterian Church, U. S. A., acknowl
edges the communication from the
General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church, U. S., regarding the adoption
of the Constitution for a united As
sembly of Presbyterian and Reformed
Churches to be operative and effec
tive when approved by the Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A.,
and at least one other Church in the
country holding the Presbyterian and
Reformed faith.
We reaffirm our willingness to take
any steps in the direction of the ac
tual union of Presbyterian and Re
formed Churches. In our judgment,
however, this proposed Constitution
secures no closer union than is al
ready made possible by the Constitu
tion of the General Council of the
Reformed Churches already adopted
by the majority of the Presbyterian
and Reformed Churches and now in
operation. We, therefore, believe that
for the present we should endearor
to promote that co-operation already
made possible through the Council of
the Reformed Churches and its
* amended Articles of Agreement until
such time as the Presbyterian Church
of the U. 8. is willing to proceed fur
ther and adopt measures which will
secure actual organic union.
C. C. Hays, Moderator;