Under Way

The brand-new, 2,000,000-member United Church of Christ came officially into being in Philadelphia last week. The infant church, composed of the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church, elected as its first president Dr. Ben Mohr Herbster, 56, pastor of the 925-member Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church of Norwood, Ohio, for the past 30 years.

Long active in the negotiations that led to the merged United Church, and onetime president of the Cincinnati Council of Churches as well as exchange preacher with the British Council of Churches, Dr. Herbster is optimistic about the future of church union. Said he last week: "If the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church, with all the differences of background, polity and traditions could come together and demonstrate such a spirited unity as is evident here, there are few if any Christian .denominations that cannot take such a step."

The new General Synod in its first meeting maintained its ecumenical momentum by issuing an invitation for union to the Disciples of Christ, which would make a denomination of some 4,000,000 members in 14,000 congregations. Back at once came a favorable reply suggesting that merger conferences begin in September. The delegates also voted to "respond affirmatively" to the proposal of Presbyterian Stated Clerk Eugene Carson Blake for a merger of Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Methodists and the United Church of Christ (TIME cover, May 26). Said pleased President Herbster: "We promised in the beginning to be not only a united church but a uniting church."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.