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Pray they did, that they might give the churches common voice on moral issues, perhaps some day weld them into one mighty U. S. Protestant Church. And even before they could get around to setting up the Federal Council formally, the Conference members found a project to test their strength. Pious folk all over the world were shocked at the cruel oppression of blackamoors in the Belgian Congo. The Inter-Church Conference set out to get the U. S., whose delegates had helped draw the Berlin Act recognizing the Congo Independent State, to take action. The U. S. Senate agreed to. Leopold II of the Belgians soon began to clean up his Congo.
By no means all the activities of the Federal Council of Churches have been so clear-cut. Both within and without the churches, critics have declared that the Council is opportunistic, sometimes timid, sometimes too bold. A backhanded approval of Birth Control (TIME, March 30, 1931) caused the Presbyterian Church, South, to bolt the Federal Council. The Federal Council deplored war before the War, has consistently denounced Big Navies ever since.
Nevertheless, under such presidents as Dr. North, Dr. Samuel Parkes Cadman and Bishop Francis John McConnell, the Federal Council has demonstrated that the Protestant Churches in the U. S. can get together to argue and act on common problems. Its trend through the years has been more & more liberal—always one jump ahead of the mass of church thought. In a way the Federal Council resembles the League of Nations. Its existence is more interesting than its achievements. Yet in a quarter century it also has achievements to its credit. Among them:
¶ Mergers: Free Baptist-Northern Baptist; Presbyterian-Welsh Calvinistic Methodist ; Evangelical Association-United Evangelical; Congregational -Christian; Reformed-Evangelical Synod. Three separate groups formed the United Lutheran Church. In Canada the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches fused in the United Church of Canada.
¶ A battle with Steel, clarioned in the famed Steel Report of 1923, which prodded the late, great, pious Bible-reading Judge Gary into abolishing the 12-hour day.
¶ City, State and world church councils which did not exist 25 years ago. Commissions for international, inter-racial and inter-church good will. Radiobroadcasts of interdenominational Sunday services, morning devotions, evensong and religious news.
¶ Supervision of religion in CCCamps. setting up an agency to handle China Famine Relief, running churches in the Canal Zone.