the record in these churches, there has been nevertheless a very significant upward trend in the addition to membership. The most significant thing about the campaign is that the churches have been brought together in a co-operative campaign of spiritual work wherein the churches encourage one another in rational, evangelistic endeavor. We cannot but believe that as the years go by this kind of co-operation will become more and more general and regular.

Directly following Easter a ballot listing proposed items for the next year's program was sent to all pastors, asking them to express their preference of items to be included in the program from September, 1919, to Easter, 1920. About one. thousand ballots were returned, which gave the following vote in favor of:

With this vote as a basis of preference, the Committee has outlined the following program for this year's work:

September-December

PROGRAM FOR 1919-1920

1. Church and Sunday School rallies with "every-home visitation" by pastor and lay workers to discover new families and enlist new members in the Sunday School. "Go-to-church" Sunday, September 27. 2. A national absentee campaign to find Congregationalists who have removed without letter and persuade them to become affiliated with the church near their new home.

January-Easter

1. The evangelistic movement to be initiated early in the year, utilizing if possible Watch Night and the interdenominational Week of Prayer.

2. State and association ministers' retreats.

3. A campaign of publicity for the local church.

4. The formation of prayer circles to use a "Fellowship of Prayer.” 5. Enlistment and training of a small group of tactful, consecrated members to assist the pastor in securing decisions for Christ. 6. Enrollment of Children in the Pastor's Training Class to meet weekly during Lent.

7. Devotional services in every church conducted by the pastor during Holy Week with union Good Friday services wherever possible.

8. The Easter Ingathering (April 4).

Co-operating with and following the lead of the Commission on Evangelism, the Committee engaged as Executive Secretary, Rev. F. L. Fagley, D.D., who came to the office on April 1, ready to devote himself to a thoroughgoing study of the work of the church in reaching men and prepared to serve the denomination in finding and promoting the most effective evangelistic methods.

The campaign has been financed from personal contributions direct and through the Commission, by offerings from the churches, chiefly Holy Week offering, and by appropriations from the Home Missionary Society and its constituent state bodies. The Society has considered this aid to them all as comparable with that granted to individual churches. This, however, was done with no thought of committing the denomination to this as a policy.

The Tercentenary Evangelistic Committee is greatly gratified at the evident usefulness of its effort; and, most of all, at the indication that the denomination is prepared to move forward strongly along the line of this fundamental work of the church.

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON ORGANIZATION

The charter of the Commission on Organization was defined in the report of the Executive Committee of the National Council of Congregational Churches adopted at the session of the Council held in Columbus, Ohio, in October, 1917, as follows:

"Our Congregational fellowship throughout its history has been primarily concerned about ideals and spiritual values. It has neither occasion nor purpose to change this attitude. But recent years have brought to us a clearer perception of the advantages of simplified and fitting organization through which to labor for ideal ends. Large progress has been made toward such organization in national and state matters. Much less progress has been made in the effective organization of local churches and district associations. There would be distinct advantage in designating a responsible agency to study the subject and to make suggestions looking toward more adequate ways of addressing ourselves to our total task. Certain questions which at the present time are assigned to the Executive Committee but for whose proper care it has neither time nor special competency should be transferred to such a Commission. Among them are the conservation of church properties and the establishment of a system of pastoral supply bureaus."

By vote of the same Council certain proposed constitutional amendments were referred to the Commission. The omnibus character of the function of the Commission found further expression in the comprehensive and very careful report of a committee appointed by the Mid-Winter representatives held in St. Louis in January, 1918, and presented to the Mid-Winter Missionary Conference at Chicago last January. That Committee considered not only many problems relating to the inner life and working of state organizations, but also to their structure and function, and specifically suggested that the latter be referred to this Commission for consideration.

The wide latitude thus defined suggests a divisional treatment of unrelated problems. They are presented under four general heads:

I.

II.

Congregational Organization.

Conservation of Church Property.

III. Problem of Pastoral Supply.

IV. The Relation of Congregational Organization to the Problems of the New Era.

CONGREGATIONAL ORGANIZATION.

1. Local Church. The charter above quoted gave expression to the special need of effective organization of local churches and district associations. In the organization of the local church there is wide diversity of usage from little or no organization to well co-ordinated departments of church activities under defined leadership with the pastor as the executive head. Many churches have adopted Roy's, Thompson's, Ross', or Barton's manual as their guide of action without other constitution or by-laws than therein provided. Many churches have maintained a wholesome life and highly fruitful service with little organization. Marked personal leadership may atone for the lack of well defined organization, but the advantages of an organism embracing all the activities of the church both in its own internal life and in relation to its missionary, social and civic obligations are too obvious for discussion. Manifestly any proposed organism cannot be adapted to all conditions. The village and rural populations call for modified forms of organization, from the simpler to the more elaborate. Your Commission has studied with some care the Constitution for a Congregational Church sent out two years ago from the National Council office. It is substantially approved as a distinct advance upon the loosely constructed organism of many of our churches. Your Commission are in accord with the purpose of the framers of this Constitution and believe that our churches should be so organized as not only to cover the whole area of Christian service within their own bounds, but also to be properly related to the organized activities of the district associations, the state conferences and the National Council. To meet the objection of too elaborate detail and in the interest

of simplicity in the constitution we submit a modified form in Appendix A, with details of method in the By-Laws. It will thus be found practicable for any church to adapt this simpler constitutional form to its local need.

2. State Conference. The organization and function of a State Conference call for careful consideration. Pursuant to the action of the National Council of 1886 in defining Ministerial Standing, that of 1907 in recommending uniform nomenclature, incorporation and larger associational functions, and again that of the Council of 1913 in establishing representative direction of the benevolent societies of the denomination, there has resulted an increasing uniformity both in the organization and exercised functions of our state bodies. There remains, however, considerable divergence of method in our constituted organization and activity. In the organization of the state bodies there is practical unanimity in defining the membership as comprising a delegate or delegates from each church connected with a district association and such ministers as have standing in a district association within the bounds of the state. Additional representation is frequently provided by defining state superintendents, members of standing committees, trustees and others as ex-officio members. This form of constituted membership prevails uniformly in the West. Some state conferences, recognizing the church as the unit of Congregational fellowship, designate their membership as a pastor or pastors of the churches and one or more delegates from each church. In practical working the difference is negligible. The placing and guarding of ministerial standing in a district association of churches and ministers, now largely prevalent, gives the minister a permanent dignity and official character and furnishes the most practicable medium of transferring his relation on change of residence. Your Commission re-emphasizes the action heretofore taken by the National Council, and distinctly expresses its preference for a uniform usage of placing ministerial standing in a district association of churches and ministers and of having district associations and state conferences constitute their membership of delegates elect from the churches. and of ministers in good standing. Preponderance of minis