The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches was held in Durham, N. H., in June. Rev. Ferdinand Q. Blanchard of Cleveland was elected Moderator for the ensuing biennium; Rev. Alfred Grant Walton of Brooklyn, president of the Home Mission Boards, and Rev. Russell Henry Stafford of Boston, president of the Foreign Board. The 1942 session was noteworthy as being the first to include active participation by ecumenical delegates from several other denominations, enjoying all rights in the meeting except that of voting. The central act of worship of the Council was an ecumenical service participated in by ministers of six denominations using eight languages in the Lord's Prayer.
Most of the time of the Council was occupied in seven study seminars holding parallel sessions. No strictly theological issues arose, although progress was reported in the work of the Theological Commission which will later submit to the churches a re-statement of Congregational belief. A general re-statement of the social ideas of the churches was presented by a committee and received without action as a basis of study.
The most controversial topic arising was that of the attitude of the denomination toward war. Rather severe divergencies of judgment resulted in separate voting upon two resolutions, one declaring for 'support of the present war effort of our country at whatever sacrifice of life and treasure,' the other declaring the 'futility of war as a method to achieve goals which should be sought.' Of 544 delegates voting, 409 favored the first statement and 135, the second.
Resolutions were passed strongly approving the work of army chaplains and of the denomination Commission for War Victims and Services, which had enlarged its staff by the appointment of a relief agent in Europe. The organization of an Arts Guild to foster improvement in church architecture and the liturgical arts was consummated.
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