1. That the American Church in Paris and its representative, Rev. Stanley Ross Fisher, be cordially commended to the confidence and aid of the Congregationalists of the United States.

2. That the question of sharing in plans inaugurated by the Federal Council for aiding the Protestant Churches of France be referred with power to the Commission.

3. That the general plan of the retirement age for executives of the Council and Mission Boards be approved. (P. 150.)

4. That the National Council of Congregational Churches recognize the service of the American Bible Society as indispensable to its missions, home and foreign.

5. That the request of the American Bible Society to be placed among the official benevolences of the Congregational churches on the apportionment basis be referred with power to the Commission on Missions.

Resolution presented by Prof. Williston Walker of Connecticut was adopted as follows:

Resolved: That the National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States has received with satisfaction the invitation of the Ad Interim Committee of the InterChurch Conference on Organic Unity that the Congregational Churches be represented in the Council of Churches speedily to be convened by said Ad Interim Committee, and accepts the invitation on the terms that the conclusions of the proposed Council shall have no validity as affecting the Congregational Churches till approved and recommended by this Council; furthermore, that the Nominating Committee is directed to report the names of delegates to the proposed Council of Churches, to be elected by this body.

The Commission on Missions announced a hearing at 5.00 P. M. on the question of the relation of the Council to the Inter-Church World Movement.

Report from the Laymen's Breakfast was presented by Mr. Frank Kimball of Illinois, and upon recommendation the following resolutions were adopted:

Be it Resolved: That this assembly of Congregational laymen meeting with the National Council send through the Council office a letter to every church asking it to give im

mediate attention to the matter of the increase of its pastor's salary and to report through the State Superintendent or State Secretary of its State the exact status of the salary question in that church.

Be it Resolved: That we further recommend the creation and election by the National Council at this time of a commission of nine laymen to be known as the Commission on the Status of the Ministry, who shall take in hand the matter of securing from the churches such increase of salary for their ministers as shall meet the present emergency, urging that such increase shall not be less than 25 per cent in excess of pre-war salaries.

The question of salaries paid to pastors is one that should receive immediate attention of our churches. The cost of living has increased very greatly, while the salaries paid to ministers have for the most part remained stationary. This is to the discredit of our churches and the laymen whose business it is to direct in this matter. Justice and the welfare of the churches demand that such increase of salary shall now be made. At this time very many of our ministers are receiving less than is paid to unskilled labor.

Therefore, be it further Resolved: That such Commission shall consider the framing of a definite program, the purpose of which shall be to prepare conditions for and to bring into the ministry of our Congregational churches in increased number strong, able, forceful young men, who shall make it possible for the churches to meet and satisfy the great demands of the time. Any program so framed by the Commission shall be by them submitted to the Commission on Missions for its consideration and approval and for direction by it as to those things which may be done before the next biennial meeting of the Council.

On recommendation of the Nominating Committee Commission on Evangelism was elected (P. 6).

The minutes were read and approved.

On recommendation of the Business Committee the following resolutions were adopted:

In view of the one hundred years of philanthropic service to all the peoples of Turkey and the large investment of life

and property made by the people of America through the Christian Church, in view of the present crisis threatening not only the continuance of this humanitarian service but the very existence of the people for whom it was established, and in view of the fact that the United States is the only one of the great powers which is in a position to render this service;

Be is therefore Resolved: That it is the earnest conviction of the National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States assembled in Grand Rapids that action should immediately be taken by the United States to protect the people of Armenia, such as is contemplated in the Williams Resolution now before the Senate.

Be it further Resolved: That copies of this resolution be forwarded to the President of the United States, the Committee on Foreign Relations and the leaders of the Majority and Minority parties in the United States Senate.

Recommendations of the Business Committee were adopted as follows:

1. In view of the availability and value of the program of the Boy Scouts of America for the development of character and training for citizenship in boys, and in view of the special service which it may render to the Church in the religious training of its boyhood, the National Council of the Congregational Churches commends this program to the churches of our order as offering a means of supplementing the work of other educational agencies in training our boys for service; and it further recommends that the Education Society be requested to give guidance to our churches in their effort to utilize the Boy Scout program.

2. That the National Council of Congregational Churches approves of the plan of the American Bible Society in setting apart the last Sunday in November as universal "Bible Sunday" for the purpose of promoting a deeper personal interest in the Word of God; and that all the churches be requested to take part as far as may be practicable in the observance of "Bible Sunday" at or near the Thanksgiving season.

3. That the Council recommends that pastors present the challenge of the Christian ministry to their churches on the Sunday preceding the Day of Prayer for Colleges, and that

the officers of the Education Society be charged to bring this to the attention of the ministers.

4. That in view of the already effective service of some women ministers in our own as well as in other denominations, a committee be appointed to secure information; first, as to the number of women now in the ministry, their standing and efficiency; and second, as to the need of women minisAnd that, in view of the increasing use of lay preaching by our English brethren, this matter of lay preaching be committed to this same committee; and that to this committee be referred all matters dealing with church assistants and germane subjects; this committee to report at the next Council.

Report of the Committee on Greetings was presented. Greetings from the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church in session at Detroit, Michigan, and replies to the same sent by the Committee were read.

A special business session of the Council was called for 4 P. M. to consider the Report of the Commission on Organization.

Report of the Commission on Comity, Federation and Unity was presented by Rev. Raymond Calkins (P. 255) and the following resolution was adopted:

Resolved: That the National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States receives with genuine interest the report of the action of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and that a Commission of Fifteen be appointed to confer with a commission of the Episcopal General Convention and to report at the next meeting of the National Council.

Report of the Committee on the International Council was presented by President W. D. Mackenzie (P. 283) and the following recommendations of the Committee were adopted:

1. That the Nominating Committee of the Council be instructed to submit at this meeting the names of 150 delegates to the International Council and that the Committee on the International Council be empowered to fill vacancies in the list chosen.

2. That the Committee on International Council with the concurrence of the Committee in Great Britain be authorized to invite every Congregational Church in the world to send representatives to the Council, such representatives to be properly certified by the appointing churches, to be enrolled as corresponding Members and listed in the printed report.

On motion of Rev. W. H. Day, Rev. W. G. Milarr of Bond Street Church, Toronto, Canada, was made a corresponding member of the Council.

At the special business session of the Council at 4.00 P. M. the following recommendations of the Commission on Organization were adopted:

1. That the Council approve the Constitution for a Local Church as presented in Appendix A as a suggestive form. (P. 190.)

2. That the Council approve the Constitution for the International Council as presented in Appendix C as a suggestive form. (P. 210.)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25.

Devotional service at 9.00 A. M. was conducted by Rev. O. E. Maurer of Connecticut.

The Council was called to order at 9.30 by the Moderator. Supplementary report of the Commission on Missions was presented and given right of way over all other business until completed.

The following recommendations of the Commission on Missions were adopted:

1. That a program be presented to the Council calling for the raising of $50,000,000 as a minimum on a five-year program.

2. That the details of the program and all amendments as suggested in the Commission's report be referred to the Tercentenary Program Commission1 of twenty-five members named by the Commission on Missions, the same to be the nucleus of a Commission which shall have in charge the formulation and execution of a plan for a great forward move1 To be known hereafter as Commission on Congregational World Movement. (See P. 11).-Editor.