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fact that this whole movement is essentially the Interchurch World Movement, which has already been rejected by our Southern Church, under a different name. The National Council is merely the child and the successor of the now defunct China Continuation Committee, which after years of experiment many found to be unsatisfactory. That there is close connection is shown by the clear statement of leaders, both of the China Continuation Committee and of the National Council. The report of Commis sion V (Chap. 3, p. 29) of the National Confer ence reads: "When the China Continuation Committee was organized after the Conference of 1913, it was an experiment * * ? ?. It will be one of the chief duties of the Conference of 1922 to plan for a National Christian Council which shall be able to take over the work of the China Continuation Committee and develop it," etc. The connection of these bodies ? the China Continuation Committee and the Na tional Christian Council ? with the Interchurch World Movement is shown by the printed statements of their report. The minutes of the China Continuation Committee Conference of December 16-29, 1919, declare that the China Continuation Committee is the Interchurch World Movement's "representative in China." The China Continuation Committee also ac knowledges that it is largely financed by the Interchurch World Movement. Its report says, "The Committtee acknowledges the help received from the Interchurch World Move ment of North America in connection with the China for Christ Movement. Without this timely help the movement could hardly have been launched." The connection between the movements is thus made plain. Now if the Interchurch World Movement is undesirable for the church at home, how can it be desirable for the church abroad? If it has been wisely rejected there, why force it on the Chinese Church here? Therefore for this reason, also, the Mission felt constrained to disapprove the movement. VI. In spite of disclaimers to the contrary, the facts show that the National Council, when once firmly established, will really be a super Government over all the churches and missions in China, and will possess a tremendous power which it is needless and unwise to put into the hands of any set of men, however good. The body claims to be merely advisory, but it must have executive power, otherwise it will be an empty shadow, an expensive, useless fifth wheel to the missionary wagon. And indeed the promoters of the Council, apparently un conscious of their inconsistency, plead for this power. They say plainly that they must "be able to act;" that they should have authority requisite to make their "findings" effective. Provision is also made to make the Council, when once elected, as nearly independent as possible, by transferring to it the functions of the Missions and thus minimizing the super visory authority, on the one hand, and by loosening the control of the Home Boards, on the other. And let no one imagine that this power will nqt be centralized but will be exercised by all the one hundred members of the Council ; for it has been truly said that the Council is too large to operate effectively; its members are widely scattered and on account of loss of time and expense involved the Council can convene only once a year. So that the actual manage ment. of affairs will be in the hands of a few men, a small committee, who will permanently wield this tremendous power, and once ap pointed be practically independent. Appeal from their decisions will be almost impossible. That these statements are true the reports of the Conference Commissions clearly show. The reports recommend that the administration of mission work should be taken from the Miss ions "as early as possible," and largely dele gated to executive committees; and "that Ex ecutive Committees be relatively small," and shall "be empowered to act," authoritatively within well defined limits. (See report of Com mission V, page 27.) This is proposed by way of education and preparation for still further centralization of directing authority in the hands of a small committee of the National Council. That it is proposed that the governing com mittee of the Council should be in large meas ure free from the control of the Boards at home is seen from the further recommendation made that "ifi so far as possible the support ing Boards give to their Missions freedom of control in administrative matters." It is thus clearly provided that administrative control on the field should be turned over by the Boards to the Missions, and it is at the same time pro vided that this control should be transferred from the Missions to the small committee of the National Council. (Report of Commission V, section 6, page 27.) Regarding the nature of the Council's func tions, which is supposed to represent and ulti mately control ? both churches and missions, it is plainly said, "it should be advisory in char acter * * ? but should be able to act," etc. (Page 29.) What is this but asking for power to carry out its own recommendations and de cisions? The plea for power is repeated on page 31, section 3: "The National Christian Council (that is, its relatively small commit tee) should be able to act on behalf of the bodies represented." The paragraph goes on to state that many activities are being under taken, and "therefore the Council should be able to direct these activities." Again, it is clearly stated that the Council should be clothed with executive authority, and with power to act: "It would seem that the Coun cil elected by, and responsible to, the Confer ence, should be entrusted with executive func tions." Only one limitation to such power is suggested, and that is an entirely vague one, viz. provided that the exercise of such execu tive power "does not violate the principles agreed upon by the Conference electing the Council." In case of dispute, who is to be the judge as to whether the "relatively small com mittee" of the Council has overstepped its au thority? If decisions of this small committee (which is not in close touch with most Mis sions, and which will be largely out of sympa thy with the conservative element in the mis sionary body and the Chinese Church) prove to be unjust and oppressive, what relief or ap peal will there be to those who suffer injury? There would be little relief from the National Council because the offending committee would be a part of that Council. The only appeal on the mission field possible would be to the next General Conference, which now only convenes once in ten years. For these reasons: (1) The great expense of the undertaking; (2) the fact that our Church already has abundant agencies to con duct its work which God is greatly blessing; and that there already exists a cordial spirit of fraternal harmony and cooperation which will be best conserved by not forcing a merely ex ternal, mechanical oneness of organization on the Chinese Church and on the Missions: (3) that one inevitable result of the whole move ment will be the spead of unsound doctrine, because union carries with it the virtual re jection of standards of doctrine; and because the forcing together of conservative and radi cal men in one institution will be productive of strife and bring harm to the Cause ; (4) be cause this movement is really the lntercliurch World Movement in another form, which our church has already rejected as unworthy of support ; (5) because of the opposition of many influential Chinese pastors and elders; (6) be cause the National Council, while claiming to be only advisory will really have enormous administrative power, and actually asks for that power; for these and other reasons which might be given, but which it is not necessary to take time to recount, our North Kiangsu Mission felt that in justice to the Chinese Church and to our beloved Mother Church at home, this movement for a National Council ought not to be approved. We therefore re spectfully present these facts for your careful consideration, believing that you will see the reasonableness of the position of the Mission. The Mission asks that you do not give your support to this movement for a National Coun cil with all that it involves; and that in view of the crying need for funds to carry on the Church's work already in hand, you do not make any financial contribution to it. Respectfully submitted, (Signed) Henry M. Woods, Hugh W. White, S. I. Woodbridge, Jas. B. Woods, Delegates of the North Kiangsu Mission to the National Christian Conference. DO YOU EVER PRAY? By Rev. "William Ray Dobyns, D. D. In the closing hours of our conference on Foreign Missions at Montreat last August 1 spoke on "Intercession," and I raised then, and I raise now, the serious question, ' ' Is pray er a lost art?" Some months ago I commenced gathering a group of daily intercessors in behalf of our Church's greatest work, namely, that of evan gelizing thirty-three millions, to whom no one else is preaching. These people live where Christ is unknown, in Africa, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea and Mexico. If we do not give the Gospel to these they will never get it! Fine men and women are waiting to go, and at each meeting of the Executive Committee appointments are made of persons longing to be sent, only to be told, "We cannot send you now." They ask, "When will we likely go?" The Committee can only answer, "we cannot tell." We are acting under the injunction of the General Assembly of 1922: "The Execu tive Committee is enjoined to exercise the ut most caution in assuming additional obliga tions, either by sending out additional workers or otherwise enlarging the work, that are not, in the Committee's best judgment, fully cov ered by additional income, over and above the previous donations of those offering special contributions for such special objects." In this stand-still, some of us believe we should call on God, and earnestly implore Him to move the home Church to give, of her abundance, the necessary means for sending these waiting scores to the fields, where the un reached millions are dying without Christ. It has been appalling to see how few per sons, comparatively, have taken any interest in this conceit of prayer. Over a hundred are now registered "Among the Intercessors" at their own request, as in covenant to thus pray. When, at Montreat, to a crowd practically fill ing the auditorium, this serious situation was presented, and "prayers" urged to enroll, only seven persons ever responded! Is prayer a