The Living Theological Heritage of the United Church of Christ

THE LIVING THEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Barbara Brown Zikmund Series Editor

VOLUME SIX Growing Toward Unity Edited by Elsabeth Slaughter Hilke, with a Postscript by Thomas E. Dipko

The Pilgrim Press Cleveland, Ohio Contents

The Living Theological Heritage of the United Church of Christ xiii

Growing Toward Unity 1

Part I. The Ecumenical Journey of the Congregational Churches 9 From Protecting Autonomy to Seeking Church Union 1. An Ecumenical Vision: “The Burial Hill Declaration” (1865) 21 2. Bound Together in Unity: “The Oberlin Declaration on the Unity of the Church” (1871) 25 Early Efforts to Create a United Church 3. Applied Christianity: “A Proposal for Church Union” (1904) 28 Washington Gladden 4. Clarifying Convictions: “Act of Union” and “Explanatory Statement” (1907 and 1910) 35 William Hayes Ward et al.

Coping with the Historic Episcopate 5. A Global Issue: “The Lambeth Quadrilateral” (1888) 43 6. The New Jersey Platform: “The Platform of Union” (1896) 46 William Hayes Ward et al. 7. Pessimism Overwhelmed by Hope: “The Barrier to Union,” “For a Conference of All Bodies,” and “The Congregational Attitude” (1910) 48 8. Local Unity: “The Lenox Proposal” (1915) 54 9. Congregational Convictions: “A Statement of the Views... on the Church, the Eucharist, and the Ministry” (1921) 58 Newman Smyth and Williston Walker 10. The Useless Concordat: “Additional Statement” and “The Springﬁeld Declaration on Unity” (1923) 68 Commission on Comity, Federation and Unity; William E. Barton vi • CONTENTS

The Global Ecumenical Inﬂuence 11. India: “Real Union in South India” (1908) 73 J. P. Jones 12. Edinburgh World Mission Conference: “The Communion of Saints” (1910) 81 The Congregationalist and Christian World 13. United Churches of Christ in America: “The Plan of Union” (1921) 85 14. Canada: “Church Union in Canada: An Editorial Interpretation” (1923) 90 15. Lausanne:“...Candid Impressions of the Conference” and “The Call to Unity” (1927) 96 Margaret Slattery; Lausanne Faith and Order Conference

Learning from New Voices 16. Progressive Germans: “The Evangelical Protestant Church” (1945) 106 Harold W. Barkhau 17. Germans from Russia: “Our German-Speaking Churches” and “Centennial Report from Lincoln, Nebraska” (1938 and 1988) 111 George J. Eisenach; Herbert E. Wenz, Oleta Ernst, andDonaldErnst

The Congregational-Christian Union 18. Union Envisioned: The “Craigville Recommendations” (1897) 123 19. Union Encouraged: “Union with the Christians” and “Catechism on Union with the Christians” (1928 and 1929) 126 Charles Emerson Burton; The Congregationalist

Part II. The Christian Passion for Church Union 137 From Rebellion to Reunion 20. Rebellion: “The Last Will and Testament of the Springﬁeld Presbytery” (1804) 146 21. The Power of the Press: “The Herald of Gospel Liberty” (1809) 149 22. Wider Vision: “Letters” (1809) 151 William Guiry; Elias Smith

A Maturing Commitment to Union 23. Convictions Stated: “Position on Christian Union” (1874) 156 24. Local Negotiations: “Christian Union” (Ohio) (1886) 158 CONTENTS • vii

25. Theological Reﬂections: “Ten Practical Sides of Union Work” (1897) 162 Martyn Summerbell 26. Hymn: “Union Would Save” (1905) 167 O. B. Whitaker

Blacks in the Christian Movement 27. Afro-Christian Worship: Revised Ritual of the Christian Church (1901) 169 A. A. Bright 28. Afro-Christian Education: “The Education of the Colored People in the South” (1909) 179 H. E. Long

Courtship with the Disciples 29. A Working Arrangement? “Settling the History Muddle Between the Christians and the Disciples” (1908) 183 W. D. Samuel and William J. Wright 30. Courtship Analyzed: “Letters” and “What Really Can Be Done?” (1918–19) 192 Herald of Gospel Liberty; J. F. Burnett 31. Almost United: “A Telegram” (1921) 207 F. G. Cofﬁn and J. F. Burnett 32. The Immersion Stumbling Block: “Baptists and Disciples and Baptism” (1926) 209 Alva Martin Kerr

Learning from the Wider Church 33. National Union: “The Obligation of the Christian Church to the Federal Council” (1920) 216 Frank G. Cofﬁn 34. The Anglican Challenge: “The Lambeth Conference on Church Union” (1920) 223 Alva Martin Kerr 35. International Forces: “The Message of the Lausanne Conference on Church Unity” (1927) 227 The Congregational-Christian Union 36. An Invitation: “The Haverhill Resolution” (1894) 233 37. Getting beyond History: “Christian Union a Primary Need” and “The Purposes of the Christian Unity Period” (1927) 238 W. A. Harper; Frank G. Cofﬁn viii • CONTENTS

38. Unity Near: “Christian-Congregational Meeting” and “The Congregational-Christian Proposal” (1928) 243 39. Union Accomplished: “Plan of Union,” “The Preamble and Basis,” and “Union Consummated” (1929 and 1931); Comparison between Basis and Six Principles (by the Editor) 249

Part III. The Ecumenical Development of the Reformed Church in the United States 261 The Language Question 40. German or English? “Shall We Separate?” and “Anglicising Our Congregations” (1894 and 1902) 275 Reformed Church Messenger; W. D. Happel Hospitality for New Immigrants 41. The Hungarian Reformed Church: “The Origin, History, Religion and Present Religious Needs of the Hungarian or Magyar People” and “The Hungarian Church Difﬁculties from an American Standpoint” (1892 and 1908) 284 Gustav Juranyi; Samuel McLanahan

Resisting Popular Culture 42. Mercersburg Theology: “Denominationalism and Sectarianism” (1893) 293 Philip Schaff

The Dutch Reformed Church 43. Early Union Attempts: “The Union Movement,” “Conference on Union,” and “The Union of the Two Reformed Churches” (1874, 1888, and 1889) 299 Messenger; Thomas G. Apple 44. The Theological Rationale: “Address” (1888) 312 J. Spangler Kieffer 45. Union Thwarted Again: “Failure of Federal Union” and “The Christian Intelligencer on the Failure...” (1892 and 1893) 318 Church Union: Vision and Reality 46. A Christocentric Theology: “The Growing Spirit of Christian Unity” and “Church Union” (1888 and 1890) 324 J. Spangler Kieffer; Thomas G. Apple CONTENTS • ix

47. Union with Presbyterians: “Joint Report of Union” and “Report ...ontheCloser Union with the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.” (1911 and 1912) 329 Joint Committee; George W. Richards

Part of a Global Ecumenical Movement 48. In Japan: “Church Union in Japan” (1888) 349 49. In India: “Church Union in India” (1890) 352 50. Among Reformed Churches: “Plan of Federation” (1894) 355 51. In the United States: “The Inter-Church Conference on Federation...”and“Plan of Federation” (1905) 359 GeorgeW.Richardsetal.;Reformed Church Messenger 52. At Edinburgh: “World Missionary Conference II” (1910) 370 AllenR.Bartholomew

The Formation of the Evangelical and Reformed Church 53. Finally Union: “I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church, The Communion of Saints...”and“Prayer” (1934) 376 F. William Leich; Jacob C. Leonard

Part IV. The Maturing “Unionist” Vision of the Evangelical Synod 385 German Origins 54. A Local Unionist Congregation: “The German Congregation in Cincinnati, Ohio” (1834) 396 J. G. Buettner 55. A Testimony of Faith: “The Bekenntnisparagraph” (1848) 399 Assimilation 56. Getting Evangelicals Together: “The Evangelical Problem” (1921) 401 Carl E. Schneider

The Global Ecumenical Context 57. The Federal Council of Churches: “Conference on Organic Union” (1918) 413 William H. Roberts and Hubert C. Herring 58. Faith and Order: “A Pilgrimage Towards Unity” (1920) 419 C. H. Brent 59. Life and Work: “A Message to All Christians” (1925) 423 x • CONTENTS

Church Union 60. Service First: “A Chronology of the Evangelical Synod” (1990) 429 RobertT.Fauth 61. A Federation of German Churches: “A Letter” (1916) 433 John Baltzer 62. Wider Conversations: “Commission on Relations with Other Church Bodies” (1928) 436 J. H. Horstmann 63. Theological Issues: “Committee on Creedal Statement and Relation to Other Communions” (1928) 439 64. The Case for Union: “The Evangelical Synod and Church Union” (1928) 446 Carl E. Schneider

The Formation of the Evangelical and Reformed Church 65. Why the Reformed Church? “In Rebuttal” (1919) 460 Reinhold Niebuhr 66. Which Partner Is Best? “Letter,” “Will It Be Luther or Calvin?” “Why Go, Why Not Stay?” and “Church Union” (1928) 464 Reinhold Niebuhr; H. Kamphausen; Peter the Hermit; andH.L.Streich 67. Union Defended: “ ‘The Plan of Union’ Summarized” (1929) 476 Helmut Richard Niebuhr 68. Partnership Afﬁrmed: “The Plan of Union” and an Editorial on the “Plan of Union” (1932) 480 Reformed Church and Evangelical Synod; H. Kamphausen 69. Union Celebrated: “Report of the President,” “Awake, O Church United,” and “The Bread Which We Break...”(1934) 490 Paul Press; Ambrose M. Schmidt; and Lee M. Erdman

Part V. The United Church of Christ 503

Setting the Stage 70. An Invitation: “Letters” (1937) 519 Truman B. Douglass 71. Autonomy as Weakness? “Congregationalists and Other Congregationalists” and “Congregationalism and Catholicity” (1938) 524 The Christian Century CONTENTS • xi

Union Negotiations 72. An Introduction: “The Evangelical and Reformed Church” (1942) 537 GeorgeW.Richards 73. Compare and Contrast: “A Brief Study of the Differences...” (1942) 547 Douglas Horton 74. The Choice: “Shall General Synod Vote for Union with the Congregational Christian Churches? (Yes/No)” (1947) 556 Frederick W. Schroeder and Erwin H. Bueneman 75. The Grassroots Debate: “An Open Letter on the Merger,” “Prayers Concerning the Merger,” and “Pilgrim, St. Louis, Presents the Merger” (1948) 565 Ruth Isabel Seabury; Frederick Groetsoma; and Advance 76. Youth: “The Faith That Will Unite Us” and “The Basis of Union of the Pilgrim Fellowship...andtheYouth Fellowship...” (1946 and 1947) 571 Gerson S. Engelmann; Joint Committee 77. Union Afﬁrmed: “The Basis of Union—Without the Interpretations” (1947) 578 78. A Primer of Union: “Questions and Answers Regarding the Proposed Union...”(1947) 603

Agitation Against Union 79. The Opposition Organizes: “The Evanston Meeting” (1947) 615 80. Classic Congregrationalism Defended: “Why the Basis of Union Is Not a Valid Document” (1949) 620 MalcolmK.Burton 81. A Dangerous Ecumenical Moment: “On the Denominational Divide” (1950) 629 Marion J. Bradshaw 82. Mediators “Central Convictions...DaringDeeds” (1955) 633 Henry David Gray 83. Ecclesiastical Lobbying: “They Are Planning to Take Your Church...”(1956) 645 The League to Uphold Congregational Principles, and TheCommitteefortheContinuationofCongregational Christian Churches in the United States xii • CONTENTS

Addressing Concerns 84. Union Explained: “The Interpretations of the Basis of Union” (1948) 659 85. Not to Worry! “The Status of the Local Congregational Christian Church as Proposed in the Basis of Union” (ca. 1949) 663 Frederick L. Fagley Church Union around the World 86. Faith and Order: “The Edinburgh Conference” and “Afﬁrmation of Union” (1937) 670 Willard L. Sperry; Second World Conference on Faith and Order 87. A World Council: “World Council Constituted,” “A Toi La Gloire,” and “Ecumenicity in a Village” (1948–1949) 679 David D. Baker; Barbara Deitz; and Charles H. Gilbert 88. Ecclesiology for the World: “The Church, the Churches and the World Council of Churches (Toronto Statement)” (1950) 693 89. A National Council: “Act of Constituting the National Council of the Churches of Christ...”and“Inaugural Message...” (1950) 702 90. Another Plan: “A Plan for a United Church in the United States” (1953) 712 Greenwich Conference on Church Union Years in Court 91. Legal Arguments: “Decisions of the Courts in Regard to the Proposed Union...”(1953) 717 The United Church of Christ 92. The Uniting General Synod: “Addresses” (1957) 731 James E. Wagner; Fred Hoskins 93. The Celebration: “Hymns and Prayers” (1957) 739 William C. Nelson and Gerald H. Hinkle; Douglas Horton; Gerhard W. Grauer; and Samuel Press 94. Union in Christ: “Message to the Churches from the Uniting General Synod” and “Blessed Event” (1957) 749 GeneralSynodoftheUCC;Cleveland Plain Dealer

Postscript by Thomas Dipko 755 Index 763 Scriptural Index 784