The World Conference on Faith and Order, propounded by American Episcopalians, and temporarily frustrated by the war, was sympathetically considered by Free Churchmen. A preliminary meeting held at Geneva in Aug. 1920 attracted 1 20 delegates from 40 countries. A continuation committee of 55 members was appointed.
Modifications of the Independent Position. In the Baptist and Congregationalist denominations the decade 1910-20 was perhaps the most important in their history. Great movements in thought and action transformed both the polity and the position of these communions. The movement in thought may be summed up by saying that they had come gradually to realize that Independency, pure and simple, as it was understood and practised in earlier days, was no longer sufficient to meet the conditions of modern religious life. And the main movement of polity was in line with that of the world as a whole in sub- stituting the ideal of interdependence for that of independence.
This movement of thought found expression in two or three main directions. In the first place it was generally recognized by 1921 that the training, the appointment and the proper support of the minister was not the concern of the individual church only but of the whole denomination. This recognition led to the raising of sustentation funds of 250,000 in each case. The object of the funds was primarily to secure to every accredited minister a minimum stipend adequate for his support, but inevitably the scheme could not stop there. If the denomination accepted responsibility for the support of the minister, it followed logically that it must have some voice in his training and appoint- ment. Not much had yet been done up to 1921 towards a reform of the college system, though a beginning was made by the creation of a united collegiate board in each denomination and further advance was inevitable in this direction. But in the matter of ministerial appointments the scheme introduced radical changes into the old Independency. It combined pro- vision both for sustentation and settlement. Churches were still left free to call anyone they chose as their ministers, but grants from the sustentation fund were conditional on their choice being approved by the executive committee of the fund.
Another important provision of the Baptist scheme was that all appointments to the pastorate of aided churches should be for a definite term of five years, and then should automat- ically cease unless renewed by the express invitation of the church, with the consent of the executive committee.
With the introduction of these changes it speedily became clear that the responsibility of the denomination for the ministry could not end even here. If all pastorates were to end auto- matically after five years, there must be some central organiza- tion, like the synods of the Connexional Churches, to secure other pastorates for the ministers thus out of charge, and to maintain them during the time they were out of office. Accord- ingly the system of general superintendents was introduced. The country, was divided into 10 areas, with a general superin- tendent in charge of each, whose duty it was to visit the churches, to advise them in their perplexities, and, in concert with the other superintendents and the executive committee, to arrange for the resettlement of ministers at the expiration of the term of their pastorates. This part of the scheme, which introduced the most important change into the older Independency, was an unqualified success. While still leaving the churches full liberty in the management of their own affairs, it completely solved the problem of ministerial settlements which was one of the most serious questions in earlier days.
The Congregationalists had in 1921 not yet gone so far as the Baptists, who in their general secretary, Dr. J. H. Shakespeare, had an ecclesiastical statesman of rare gifts. They did not subject the aided pastorates to a five years' term, but they divided the country into nine similar provinces with a moderator in charge of each, whose functions and duties practically coincide with those of the Baptist superintendents. This scheme was only launched in Nov. 1919, but had already justified itself by 1921.
The World War. The Free Churches of Great Britain bore their full share in service during the World War. In earlier
days Presbyterians (through the Church of Scotland) and Wes- leyans alone had any army chaplains or army work. But when the men .of the Free Churches entered the British forces by myriads, provision had to be made to meet their spiritual needs. Under the leadership of Dr. Shakespeare a United Navy and Army Board was formed by the Baptists, Congregationalists, Primitive Methodists and United Methodists, to appoint chaplains to the members of these four denominations. No fewer than 320 chaplains served with the forces in the home camps and all theatres of war, many of whom were awarded high distinctions. After demobilization the board remained, and was in 1921 represented by five permanent chaplains.
With the great increase in the cost of living the lower stipends of ministers in all denominations became quite inadequate. Local effort was often unequal to the task of rectifying this, and denominational machinery had to come to the rescue. The fall in foreign exchanges due to the high price of silver in 1919-20 put a heavy burden on the missionary societies and led to much hardship in the foreign fields. Generally speaking the situation was met with courage and zeal. The Baptists, e.g. in six months in 1920 raised a new fund of 270,000, of which half was for the relief of the missionary society and half for increasing the minimum stipends of the home ministry. The Congregationalists were in 1921 promoting a fund of 500,000 for similar pur- poses, and especially for a superannuation scheme. Methodists and Presbyterians were similarly diligent. With the fall in the price of silver the foreign aspect was improved.
The war brought other difficulties. The revelations made in the survey published under the title of The Army and Religion, as to the relative ignorance in spiritual matters of men of all denominations, caused much heart-searching. In church circles, as in other departments of the nation's life, there were disap- pointment and disillusion. Neither war nor peace had brought the millennium. The churches were not filled. The theological colleges, depleted and generally closed during the years of war, were by no means filled again afterwards. For some years there had been no adequate output of ministers, and the outlook was not bright in 1921.
The Society of Friends, with its particular peace testimony, met the situation of war in its own way. While many of its young men suffered as conscientious objectors, others embraced dangerous non-combatant service such as mine-sweeping; many more were engaged in Red Cross work, and the Society as a whole did invaluable work in repairing waste places, assisting in the restoration of villages and lands, and in combating disease and famine in Allied and (since the war) in enemy countries alike.
One curious effect of the war was that Nonconformists became much more familiar with liturgical forms of service. The many united services of intercession and thanksgiving were responsible for this, and it was significant to note the number of new manuals issued, containing systems of common prayer and praise. Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Methodists alike were drawn into this movement. The elasticity of the Free Churches was well illustrated by the ministry of Dr. Orchard at the King's Weigh House chapel, London, where a full-blown liturgy was in use long before 1921 and a high sacramentarian practice followed. Dr. Orchard was also the leader in what is known as the Free Catholic movement.
Other Denominational Activities. Two great ecumenical con- ferences were held in 1911, both in America. The Baptists met at Philadelphia; one of the most striking features of the gathering was the presence of a group of ministers from Russia and S.E. Europe, where the Baptist cause was making phenomenal head- way. The war played havoc with this progress, but afterwards there were indications once more of reconstruction and growth. The same may be said of the Presbyterians of Hungary and Transylvania, who suffered additionally by the unsympathetic action of Rumanian officials. Methodists of all shades met at Toronto in 1911. The war prevented these international gatherings for some years, but Congregationalists held their Fourth International Council at Boston in 1920, and Presby- terians met in Pittsburg in Sept. 1921. Another noteworthy
