Presbyterians v. McConnell

The largest city of Marshall County, West Virginia, is Moundsville (pop. 12,000), on the Ohio River. One of the most important preachers of Moundsville is Dr. Donald M. Grant, of the First Presbyterian Church.

Last week Dr. Grant achieved far more fame than theretofore he had won in shepherding his Moundsville flock. His name appeared in big-city newspapers all over the U. S. Many an editor wanted to publish his face. But they had none of his photographs. Therefore they did the next best thing and published pictures of the man he assailed--Bishop Francis John McConnell. newly elected President of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, successor to the Rev. Dr. S. Parkes Cadman (TIME, Dec. 17).

Dr. Grant viewed Bishop McConnell with pious but vigorous alarm. In fact, he said, he would like "to set in motion an effort that will speedily rid the Council [Federal Council of Churches] of such a dangerous leader, or to insist upon our church absolutely withdrawing from the Council."

Thus Dr. Grant wrote in the Presbyterian, a weekly published in Philadelphia. And the Presbyterian's editor, approving, added: "The hearts of real Presbyterians had rather grown accustomed to be saddened by the utterances of Dr. S. Parkes Cadman, who until recently was President of the Federal Council of Churches. It was hoped that his successor would be a man whose utterances would at least be in harmony with the teachings of evangelical Christianity.

"But these hopes were dashed when it was learned that Bishop Francis J. McConnell of the Methodist Church had been chosen (unanimously) as President of the Council for the next four years, as this action seems to make certain that the matter, instead of going from bad to better is going from bad to worse--if that be possible."

The Federal Council of Churches consists of representatives of 28 Protestant denominations. It has a constituency of about 20,000,000 members. Bishop McConnell's fame as a religious leader rests largely upon his battles for better labor conditions in Pittsburgh mills and mines. His thoughts, utterances run in liberal channels. Recently he posed the ticklish question: "Is not this tendency to deify Jesus more heathen than Christian?" Bishop McConnell seemed to think it was. Dr. Grant, shocked, responded with another question : "If that is Bishop McConnell's position, then the thing that concerns me as a Presbyterian minister is, how can our Presbyterian Church consent to remain in the Federal Council while such a man remains President thereof?"

Dr. Grant's question remained last week unanswered.