Brotherhood Limited

The Disciples of Christ (membership: 1,900,000) and the Northern Baptists of the American Baptist Convention (membership: 1,600,000) feel especially close; in some areas of the U.S., Baptist and Disciples congregations worship together in a single church. Last week in Chicago, the two denominations held their annual conventions simultaneously for the first time --though in different parts of the city. Three joint meetings for "fellowship and inspiration" were included in the agenda.

A sense of unity was in the air at the first meeting. The Rev. Albert E. Gates Jr., a Baptist, led the congregation in some folksy rounds singing (Baptists: "We're glad to greet you." Disciples: "We're glad to meet you." All: "Hello, hello," etc.). The Rev. Hampton Adams, of the Disciples, keynoted: "Both of our conventions show that they are growing in grace when each asks the other for its witness . . . The Disciples witness to an uneasy conscience about the disunity of the Church . . ." To emphasize their feelings, the Disciples had taken "Brotherhood Unlimited" as their 1952 motto.

When Baptist and Disciples delegates got down to the brass tacks, however, it was clear that official union of the two denominations is still far away. Warned Yale's Professor Kenneth S. Latourette, retiring Baptist president: "We are realizing some [risks] in our parallel meetings with the Disciples of Christ, so like ourselves in many ways and yet so different that efforts at a closer association would only entail unhappiness for us both." Although both groups are congregational, i.e., each church runs its own affairs, church leaders found some strong doctrinal differences in the way of unity. Example: the Disciples have historically believed that baptism is necessary for salvation, the Baptists have not. Said Layman Jack Sutton, speaking at a Disciples' banquet: "If we could heave out the pastors, the Disciples and the Baptists would have no trouble in getting together."

The resolutions of the two conventions were, at that, strikingly similar. Both went on the record for nonsegregated churches, a stronger ecumenical movement in world Protestantism, more liberal immigration laws for the U.S. Both groups denounced gambling, UMT, corruption in the U.S. Government, federal aid to parochial schools, the Administration's plan for an ambassador to the Vatican.

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