OHIO'S RELIGIOUS
ORGANIZATIONS AND THE WAR.*
MARTHA L. EDWARDS, 'LAKE ERIE COLLEGE
What have the churches of Ohio had to do
with the war?
The answer to this question must of
necessity await investiga-
tion since the source material upon
which final judgments are
to be based cannot now be assembled.
There is, however, evi-
dence already at hand in the collections
of the Historical Com-
mission of Ohio which permits a
tentative sketch of what the
churches of the state have accomplished
during the first year of
the war, and it is from this incomplete
record that the present
study has been drawn. The sources which
have proved most
useful are the official reports,
bulletins, pamphlets, and peri-
odicals published by the various
religious organizations. Infor-
mation has also been gleaned from
sermons and addresses,
printed announcements, and programs of
church services, while
at certain doubtful points this
information has been corrobor-
ated by verbal or written assurances
from representative spokes-
men of the several faiths.
As a preliminary step it may be well to
determine at the
outset what is meant by "the
churches," and how many of these
churches there are in Ohio. The term
"church organization"
as used by the Census Bureau of the
United States applies to
"any organization for religious
worship which has a separate
membership, whether called a church
proper, congregation, meet-
ing, society," or by any other
designation. According to the
preliminary census report for 1916,
there were in that year over
200,000 such
organizations in the United States with a total
membership of more than 42,000,000,
approximately two-fifths
of the entire population of the United
States. These numerous
church organizations were grouped in 201 religious
denomina-
tions varying in size from a single
congregation to a church
whose membership amounted to more than
15,000,000. About
thirty-seven per cent of the total
church membership in the
*This article was read before the Ohio
Teachers' Association,
November 15, 1918.
(208)
Ohio's Religious Organizations and
the War. 209
United States was reported by the
Catholic church, about one-
half of one per cent by Eastern Orthodox
churches, less than
one per cent by Jewish congregations,
and the remaining sixty-
one per cent by Protestant and other
churches. The census
statement, however, calls attention to
the fact that these per-
centages overstate the relative strength
of Roman Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox churches which count
baptized children as
members and underestimate that of the
Jews who in orthodox
congregations count only male
incorporators and heads of fam-
ilies who have contributed financially
to their support.
The numerical strength of religious
denominations in the
state of Ohio at the present time can
not be accurately stated
until the tabulation of the religious
census of 1916 shall have
been completed. The most recent
statistics now available for
individual states, therefore, are those
of the religious census of
1906. In that year there were in Ohio
nearly 10,000 church
organizations whose combined membership
included about two-
fifths of the population of the state.
The membership of the
Catholic Church amounted to thirteen per
cent of the total popu-
lation, that of all Protestant churches
was twenty-six per cent,
while the membership of other
denominations embraced about
one per cent. The remaining sixty-one
per cent of the popu-
lation was not reported by any religious
denomination. In
actual numbers the largest membership
was in the Catholic
Church. The largest number of church
organizations was re-
ported by Methodist sects of which no
less than eight were
represented within the state. Next in
regard to number of
congregations came the United Brethren,
Presbyterians, Baptists,
Lutherans, Disciples, and Catholics.
Each of the Protestant
denominations above-mentioned included
several distinct re-
ligious groups. There were, for example,
seven different kinds
of Presbyterians, as many varieties of
Baptists, twelve sects of
Lutherans and nine branches of the
Mennonite faith. In all,
there were nearly one hundred religious
denominations actively
organized within the state.
The great diversity of religious
elements in this country
has been due in part to differences of
creed and discipline, in
part to racial grouping within the sect,
the latter distinction
Vol. XXVIII-14.
210 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
being indicated by the languages in
which church services are
conducted. In this respect the churches
of Ohio are typical of
the nation for in 1906 there were
twenty-four different languages
thus in use. Among the vernacular
languages used in congrega-
tions and parochial schools in this
state German was far in the
lead. Accurate statistics for Ohio are
not at present accessible
but in the United States as a whole the
religious census for
1906 reports seventy-seven denominations
using the German
language in congregations aggregating
more than three and a
half million members. While it is not
likely that there had
been any noticeable decline in the
numbers of German congrega-
tions during the intervening decade, the
census report of 1916
will undoubtedly record a considerable
increase in the number
employing one or another of the Slavic
languages which may
in some degree have acted as a
counterpoise to the weight of
German influence in religious
organizations.
For a century and more it has been
obvious that minute
differentiation of creed or of race was
a hindrance to the
efficiency of religious activities in
the United States. From time
to time therefore, attempts have been
made to consolidate sects
which were not fundamentally
antagonistic in creed. This
process, however, has not yet been
completed by any Protestant
denomination. Presbyterian assemblies
are still endeavoring to
harmonize minor differences among ten Presbyterian
organiza-
tions; Baptist sects are still distinct;
nor can Methodist churches
all agree. The most recent effort of
Lutheran churches in
this direction was brought to public
attention through the
presentation of an application to
Congress by a Senator from
Ohio for a charter of incorporation
intended to amalgamate
three of the twenty-one Lutheran sects
in the United States.
More significant than these sectarian
movements was the or-
ganization of the Federal Council of
Churches in 1908 by repre-
sentative leaders of thirty Protestant denominations. This
Federal Council differs from earlier
experiments in church union
in more than one respect. The most
striking feature of the plan
is its distinctively federal character.
Abandoning at the outset
the futile attempt to harmonize
conflicting creeds, the Federal
Council limited its province to the
recommendation of a course
Ohio's Religious Organizations and
the War. 211
of action. It has no authority to
enforce decisions, and the
autonomy of its constituent bodies in
regard to creed, form of
worship, or of church government is
expressly guaranteed, the
aim and purpose of the organization as
stated in its constitu-
tion being "to promote a spirit of
fellowship, service, and co-
operation" among denominations
which still remain distinct.
Similar to the Federal Council in
purpose and in plan are the
local church federations of which there
are at present seven in
Ohio. In the course of time no doubt
this number will be
increased and local federations will be
brought into closer co-
operation through a State Federation of
Churches upon the
model of that already effected in the
neighboring state of
Indiana.
Such, in brief, was the religious
situation in Ohio at the
outbreak of the war: ten thousand
separate congregations of one
hundred or more religious faiths,
differing in race, in language,
in discipline, and in creed; some
persistently clinging to the
ideals of an earlier age and striving to
perpetuate in the
twentieth century the isolation which
had once been needful
for the preservation of their faith,
while others had been uni-
fied through ecclesiastical
organizations which greatly enhanced
their corporate strength. Viewing the
situation from the one
aspect it would seem rash to infer the
existence of a common
religious spirit among such
heterogeneous elements. Penetrating
vision, however, reveals the fact that
out of the mutual conflict
of diverse creeds in the United States
there has gradually
emerged a common religious ideal which
all denominations have
tended to approximate, which has made
co-operation possible
and has given a distinctive character to
the work of American
churches during the war.
Religious emotion, already deeply
stirred by the solemn
appeal of the President's message,
responded at once to the
declaration of war. On the following
Easter Sunday the flag
took its place beside the cross in some
of the most conservative
churches of Ohio, there to remain until
Easter peace should
again prevail, and on Wednesday evening
of Easter week at an
hour set apart by the Governor of the
State, congregations as-
sembled for special services of prayer
and supplication. Mean-
212 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
while expressions of loyal support were
being conveyed to the
President by ministers, bishops and
rabbis from every section
of the country on behalf of the
religious organizations which
they represented and in the course of
time these assurances were
duly confirmed by official utterances
and by constructive plans
for supporting the government during the
continuance of war.
One form of war service which might
naturally be expected
of voluntary organizations in the United
States the churches
were peculiarly well fitted to perform.
Religious thought in
this country having ever been deeply
impregnated with moral
ideas, the moral issues involved in the
European conflict had
furnished a leading theme for sermons,
addresses and religious
discussions since 1914 and after the
nation was irrevocably com-
mitted to the cause of civilization and
humanity by the declar-
ation of war, the churches became fully
conscious of their high
obligation. Religion and patriotism were
still recognized as
quite distinct, yet owing to the nature
of the struggle, it was
inevitable that they should be allied in
a common cause. From
the first moment, therefore, the
churches directed their efforts
to enlisting public opinion in
whole-hearted support of the
moral issues involved in the war. Within
the churches the
appeal to patriotism was made through
prayers and sermons,
through hymns and music, through
insistent demands for per-
sonal service of every kind. Enthusiasm
for the cause to which
the flag within the church had been
dedicated stimulated thus by
religious devotion was raised to a
higher pitch. Here and there
it is true these innovations were viewed
with deep misgiving as
indicating too close an alliance between
church and state.
Others there were who openly protested
that flags and patriotic
addresses were manifestly out of place
in the buildings set
apart for religious worship. In many
instances it is evident that
these objections were thoroughly
sincere, being in fact survivals
of a point of view commonly held by
churches in the United
States and still adhered to by certain
denominations. In other
instances on the contrary, there seems
little room to doubt that
protest against the introduction of
patriotic features into church
services was used as camouflage to
screen pro-German senti-
ments within the congregation.
Ohio's Religious Organizations and
the War. 213
As the war went on protests of this kind
were less fre-
quently urged and even in congregations
where enthusiasm for
the cause of the allies remained luke
warm it was usually deemed
expedient to adopt the customs of
neighboring churches in
order that the imputation of being
un-American might thereby
be avoided. In addition to the changes
in church services,
various other methods of stimulating war
enthusiasm have been
effectively used by the churches.
Resolutions of congregations,
associations, synods, and assemblies,
pastoral letters read in the
churches, and authoritative utterances
in the religious periodical
press have exerted an incalculable
influence in turning the bal-
ance of wavering opinion.
A far more difficult aspect of this same
task called forth
equally prompt and persistent effort on
the part of the churches.
At the outbreak of the war all voluntary
organizations were
confronted with the problem of
maintaining loyalty within
their own ranks, and churches as well as
clubs and associations
were frequently in danger of being
misrepresented by individual
expressions which in no wise reflected
corporate opinion. In
many Protestant churches both liberal
and evangelical the
pacifist idea long persisted and if too
greatly stressed after this
country entered the war might easily
assume a negative aspect
of disloyalty. Ministers who adhered to
pacifist theories and
who cherished the hope of peaceful
settlement after the declar-
ation of war were apt therefore to give
an impression which a
majority of the congregation might
actively resent. An incident
which occurred in Cincinnati may serve
as an illustration of the
tendency for pacifist preaching to
disappear whenever the in-
compatibility between pacifism and
patriotism became sufficiently
clear. Becoming impatient with the
pacifist sermons of their
pastor the congregation of the Unitarian
church in that city
formally demanded his resignation. In
order to establish be-
yond all question the patriotic attitude
of the congregation, the
resolutions adopted at the
congregational meeting were given the
fullest publicity and the participation
of its members in war
activities was urgently recommended. In
congregations where
sentiment had not been unequivocally
defined and especially in
German churches, the removal of pastors
was sometimes
214 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
hastened by the action of the community.
Summary procedure
was the usual resort. In Coshocton, in
Henry County, and in
other parts of the state, German pastors
who had been tarred
and feathered by their neighbors were
afterwards formally
dismissed by the vote of the
congregations. Not infrequently,
however, these mob attacks were
misdirected. In Huron, Ohio,
for example, the resignation offered by
the pastor was not ac-
cepted, because after full investigation
the congregation became
convinced that the charges made against
him could not be sus-
tained.
Similar complications arose in
educational institutions under
sectarian control. Perhaps the most
conspicuous incident of
the kind occurring in Ohio, certainly
the one which was
given the widest publicity, was the
removal of the president of
Baldwin-Wallace College after a thorough
investigation con-
ducted by a special committee of
Methodist bishops. The de-
cisive action of this committee was
intended to serve a two-fold
purpose; on the one hand, it was a
warning to those in charge
of similar institutions, while on the
other, it might be construed
as a guarantee of patriotism on the part
of the Methodist
Church. In general, religious
organizations have been held re-
sponsible by public opinion for the
suppression of enemy propa-
ganda in educational institutions under
their control and only in
cases where ecclesiastical authorities
have been slow to act has
it been imperative for the federal
government to intervene. As
might naturally be expected evidences of
disaffection were most
frequently found in parochial schools
giving instruction in the
German language. Teachers in some of
these institutions there-
fore have remained under the close
surveillance of the federal
authorities throughout the war while
others have been forced to
relinquish their positions when
investigation by the Department
of Justice disclosed their attitude and
intent. From the data at
hand at the present moment it is
difficult to estimate the measure
of success attained by the various
denominations in eliminating
enemy propaganda from parochial
schools. Owing to the
diversity of racial elements in the
Catholic churches in Ohio the
task has borne heavily upon
administrative officials of that de-
nomination. Complete success, therefore,
should not be expected
Ohio's Religious Organizations and
the War. 215
until the comprehensive plans for the
Americanization of
parochial schools now being formulated
shall have been put into
effect.
Religious organizations were likewise
expected to prevent
the spread of enemy propaganda through
the medium of the
religious periodical press. Here again
the Methodist church took
prompt and decisive action. The editor
of the most influential
German Methodist publication in Ohio was
warned at the out-
set that articles showing a tendency to
favor the German cause
must cease to appear. After the outbreak
at Baldwin-Wallace
college had revealed the extent of
propagandist effort in German
Methodist churches, the situation was
again reviewed and it was
then decided that the two German
Methodist publications author-
ized by the Book Committee should be
consolidated under the
charge of an editor whose patriotism
could not be questioned and
that henceforth no other periodicals
should be published in the
German language. In the interest of
Americanization, the com-
plete elimination of German language
publications was to be
postponed until after the war. Lutheran,
Evangelical, and
Catholic periodicals whether published
in German or merely
expressing the views of German churches
were also called to the
bar of public opinion. The procedure was
the same as in the
case of teachers or preachers; whenever
ecclesiastical authorities
were slow to act the federal government
took the situation in
hand. A well known instance of federal
action was the with-
drawal of cheap mailing privileges from
the Catholic paper, the
Josephinum Weekly, published in Columbus, in April, 1918.
The gradual elimination of the German
language in church
services is another evidence that the
churches of Ohio are pledg-
ing allegiance to the cause of the
United States. While at times
this action has been brought about by
the coercion of public
opinion the formal resolutions adopted
by some of these German
congregations prove beyond doubt that
the desire to emphasize
Americanism above all else was the
dominant motive in these
particular instances. The religious sect
which has been most
persistent in its opposition to federal
and state authorities in
Ohio is the Mennonite church. Since the
Mennonite doctrines
do not admit the existence of any lawful
connection between
216 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
the government and those who hold the
Mennonite faith, mem-
bers of the stricter sects have
steadfastly refused to serve under
the military arm either combatant or
non-combatant and it was
not until the late summer of 1918 that
the Governor of Ohio
was able to announce that no more
conscientious objectors were
to be found in the state. Thereafter the
federal agents who had
brought about a change of view among the
Mennonite farmers
in Holmes county were free to turn their
attention to the activi-
ties of the Mennonites in Indiana where
deacons, ministers, and
bishops of the church were cited to
appear. In other churches,
doubt and disloyalty have tended to
disappear as the issues of
the war have been made plain. That so
radical a change of
view could have been brought about in
conservative German
congregations with comparatively little
disturbance is due in no
slight degree to the vigilance of
national and local religious or-
ganizations. Through unremitting efforts
to purge their own
ranks of enemy propaganda, the churches
of Ohio have rendered
invaluable assistance to local defense
leagues and have thus
materially lightened the labors of the
federal department of
justice.
The influence of the churches upon
public opinion during
the first year of the war moreover, has
extended far beyond
the limits of their own
congregations. In accordance with
the custom which has always prevailed in
the United States,
ministers, rabbis, bishops, and priests
have taken a leading part
in public meetings, in patriotic
demonstrations, and in the activi-
ties of local and national committees.
Through government
bulletins prepared especially for the
churches and through confi-
dential communications transmitted
through executives of their
own organizations they have been kept in
touch with the govern-
ment program. They have proved effective
Four-Minute speak-
ers at public gatherings and in some
places have delivered four-
minute addresses to their own
congregations. In anticipation
of the depressing effect which might be
produced by heavy
casualty lists, two especial tasks were
assigned to the churches in
the late summer of 1918. On the one hand they were asked
to assist in creating a public sentiment
toward cripples in order
that government plans for re-education
might receive hearty
Ohio's Religious Organizations and
the War. 217
support, and more especially were they
expected to afford both
spiritual and material comfort to
soldiers' families in distress.
Both of these functions, it is true,
would properly belong to the
churches in any case yet they acquired a
deeper significance from
the fact that the churches were
consciously serving the nation to
further a cause which had blended
patriotism, humanitarianism
and religion into one impelling emotion.
In general war activities, the churches
have also borne their
part.
Among those who were called to Washington at the
request of the Food Administrator during
the summer of 1917
when plans were first under discussion
was a group of ministers
from all sections of the United States
and representing many
shades of religious opinion. To them an
appeal was made by
the Food Administrator in person and to
them the aim of the
food campaign was clearly defined. In
the spring of 1918 when
the needs of the allies had become more
imperative a circular
letter from the Food Administrator was
addressed to the min-
isters and churches in the United
States, and at the same time
local food administrators were advised
to get into immediate
touch with all churches in their
respective districts. In pur-
suance of this suggestion, a mailing
list of several thousand
ministers was placed on file in the
central office of the Food
Administration in Ohio and through the
bulletins regularly sent
to these ministers the churches have
been called upon to sustain
the food administration throughout the
state. Religious organ-
izations have also had a share both
directly and indirectly in
Liberty Loan campaigns, in Red Cross
drives, and in raising
funds for the numerous social agencies
engaged in war relief.
Various methods have been employed.
Subscription lists have
been circulated, collections have been
solicited, and at times a
double purpose has been served by
investing funds donated to
religious organizations in Liberty Loans
or War Savings Stamps.
The practical work of women's religious
organizations and that
of the children has reached amazing
proportions. In helping
to carry through these various campaigns
and in rendering
material aid to war relief agencies, the
work of the churches has
not been unlike that of clubs, lodges,
or other voluntary associ-
ations. There can be no doubt however
that at times religious
218 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
zeal has given an added stimulus and
that by so much the total
of these contributions has been thereby
increased. How far
the several religious denominations in
the state of Ohio have
been successful in rallying the rank and
file of their member-
ship in support of the government is a
question which can not
be determined until further sources of
information become avail-
able, and even then the historian may
experience some difficulty
in evaluating the religious factor. The
attitude of their spokes-
men, however, has been unmistakable and
in view of the facts
the historian of today must frankly
acknowledge that religion
has been among the forces which have
added power to the will
of the Nation during the first year of
the war. In rural com-
munities especially the influence of the
churches has made itself
felt.
The phase of religious work which has
made the strongest
popular appeal is that of organizations
having a social as well as
a religious character. Contrary to the
oft repeated assertion that
the churches have been negligent of
their social functions, there
is abundant evidence to prove that
religious organizations in the
United States still retain their
traditional leadership in move-
ments for moral and social betterment.
The activities of the
Y. M. C. A., the Y. W. C. A., the
Knights of Columbus, the
Jewish Welfare Board, and the Salvation
Army have demon-
strated beyond question their ability to
deal with problems which
can not be successfully met by purely
social agencies. While
these organizations derive their impulse
from religious sources,
they have not aspired to supplant the
regularly ordained ministry
of their respective churches. Their work
is to be regarded rather
as the concrete expression of a modern
religious ideal which can
not be made effective without the
ministry and which without
the Christian ministry would never have
been evolved. The
churches, therefore, while heartily
supporting these organi-
zations, have also endeavored in various
ways to supplement
their work.
The first care of the churches
throughout the war has been
to provide for the moral welfare of the
men in service. Natur-
ally the points of most imminent danger
were the large com-
munities in the neighborhood of camps
and cantonments. The
Ohio's Religious Organizations and
the War. 219
work of the churches in these
communities falls under three
separate heads: first, the removal of
temptation by the sup-
pression of vice and the liquor traffic;
second, providing enter-
tainment and relaxation for soldiers on
leave; and last, though
by no means least, the purely religious
service which is their
essential function. In all three of
these directions the churches
of Ohio have been continuously active
since the beginning of
the war. To mention one conspicuous
instance, the local Feder-
ation of Churches in Cincinnati not only
took the initiative but
has remained throughout the guiding
power. Thus when it be-
came evident that vice conditions in
Cincinnati threatened to
undermine both the health and the morale
of soldiers stationed
at Fort Thomas, a local committee
including ministers and social
workers undertook a thorough survey of
vice conditions. The
result of their investigation was
promptly submitted to the War
Department while at the same time the
city authorities were
advised to remedy the existing
situation. As the restricted area
in Cincinnati was being evacuated by the
police, the Federation
of Churches established relief stations
in the neighborhood to
provide temporary assistance for women
who otherwise might
become a greater menace to the soldiers
upon the public streets.
Entertainment for soldiers on leave has
been furnished by church
clubs, by social centers, and in the
private homes of church
members, while for those detained in
camp special provision has
been made by groups of volunteer
entertainers. The re-
ligious aspect of the work done for the
men in the service has
intentionally been kept in the
background by many of the
churches out of respect for sectarian
prejudices which might
otherwise be offended, but as occasion
offered the men have
been welcomed in the churches, and the
clergy have made great
exertions to supply the religious needs
of the camps until regular
chaplains could be appointed. The hearty
co-operation of the
churches in every form of War Camp
Community service has
thus contributed in a considerable
degree to the success of these
endeavors.
Religious work at Camp Sherman was begun
under the
auspices of the Episcopal churches in
Ohio. When the first
five per cent quota of the draft reached
the camp, the men were
220
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
greeted by a volunteer chaplain
appointed by the Bishop in whose
diocese Chillicothe is located, and for
several weeks thereafter
the only place religious service could
be held was the little
portable church which he had erected
with the aid and consent
of the construction department upon
private property near the
camp. When plans for a community center
were developed
and the need for a more commodious
building became apparent,
the sum of $20,000 was
promptly raised by individual members
of Episcopal churches in the state.
Being the only building near
the camp exclusively devoted to
religious purposes, the church
has been freely offered to camp pastors
and chaplains, and for
a time regular weekly services were
conducted at different hours
by Episcopalians, Lutherans and Jews.
The subsequent develop-
ment of religious work at Camp Sherman
has followed the plans
outlined by the War Department in
consultation with representa-
tives of the various religious
organizations. A special member
of the Commission on Training Camp
Activities has kept a
general oversight of all religious
activities, the actual work
being done by camp pastors appointed and
maintained by their
own denominations. In order to avoid the
overcrowding and
duplication which threatened to result
if each denomination
were permitted to carry on its
independent work in every
camp, the War Department issued an order
in July, 1918,
requiring camp pastors to leave the direction
of religious
work in the hands of regularly appointed
army chap-
lains whenever a sufficient number of
the latter could be pro-
vided. In order to supply this need, an
act of Congress had
increased the number of chaplains, and a
training camp had
already been established to give
them physical and military
preparation for their work. In September
1918, no
less than
eighteen different denominations were
represented in the group
of chaplains then in camp. A full
discussion of the plan for
organizing a Chaplains' Corps which has
been worked out
through the the co-operation of the War
Department with re-
ligious organizations is beyond the
scope of a paper dealing with
churches of Ohio. Suffice it to note
that appointments are made
by the War Department upon
recommendation from religious
bodies in exact proportion to their
membership as reported in
Ohio's Religious Organizations and
the War. 221
the religious census for 1916.
Upon this basis the Catholic
church nominates more than one-third of
the chaplains in the
army and navy, eight Protestant churches
appoint two-fifths,
while a little more than one fifth of
the corps belong to other
religious bodies.
The war work of the churches in Ohio can
not be properly
estimated apart from that of national
organizations in which
they are included. Some of these
organizations in fact antedate
the adoption of the constitution and
their development through-
out has been along national lines, for
notwithstanding its diverse
elements, religion in the United States
must always be counted
among the forces that have tended to
break down barriers of
state and section. At the outbreak of
the war, therefore, the
churches made haste to readjust their
administrative machinery,
with the expectation of rendering some
form of service to the
nation. The action of the Presbyterian
church affords a typical
illustration of the normal procedure. At
the annual meeting of
the General Assembly in May, 1917, a
National Service Com-
mission was appointed with full
authority to place the resources
of the Presbyterian church, at the
command of the Government
of the United States. In accordance with
their instructions the
members of this commission sought an
interview with the Presi-
dent in the course of which he frankly
stated the conditions
the government must necessarily impose
upon religious agencies
engaging in war work. The offers made by
other denominations
were accepted by the President upon
exactly similar terms and
during the course of the year each has
concentrated its forces
by appointing a commission to supervise
its war work. Co-
operation among the numerous sectarian
organizations has been
made effective through the General
War-time Commission ap-
pointed by the Federal Council of
Churches and intended to
serve as a clearing house for the war
time commissions of all
denominations. This commission has so
far been successful in
minimizing the friction which might have
resulted from lack of
co-ordination. It has even succeeded in
cooperating effectively
with organizations which it does not
represent such as, for
example, the National Catholic War
Council and the Jewish
Welfare Board. It has taken the
initiative in forming joint-
222
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
committees which have provided regular
channels of communi-
cation between the government and local
churches in the re-
motest sections of the United States.
The resources for carrying on religious
work in connection
with the war have been contributed
through voluntary effort, the
amounts varying in proportion to the
numbers and wealth of the
several denominations. The Catholic War
Fund in the United
States has reached the impressive sum of
fifteen millions while a
goodly number of smaller denominations
have succeeded in pass-
ing the million mark. Each of these
funds is administered by a
special committee appointed by the
Wartime Commission of the
denomination and as a rule the ablest
men in the churches have
been asked to assume this task. It is a
matter of interest to
citizens of Ohio therefore that the
Episcopal fund has been put
in charge of a bishop from this state.
The aggregate sum of
religious contributions from Ohio will
probably never be com-
puted. Accurate accounts have not always
been kept and there
has been some overlapping and
duplication. Contributions for
religious work have been made at times
by individuals who were
not directly connected with any
religious organization; dona-
tions from Jews and Protestants have
gone to swell the Catholic
fund; and Catholics have aided in the
campaigns of other de-
nominations. Yet the actual figures
after all are of less import
to the historian than the co-operative
spirit which has pre-
vailed, and of this religious records
and periodicals afford
abounding proof.
Co-operation then has been the keynote
in the war work of
American religious organizations. Yet
though it has been ac-
centuated by war conditions, this form
of co-operation is by no
means a creation of today. On the
contrary, churches of various
creeds were already working effectively
with each other and
with civic and social agencies in their
respective communities
before the war began, while churches
adhering to the same faith
and order had long since perfected their
local, state, and national
associations. Through pastoral or
fraternal letters, through re-
ports, pamphlets, and religious
periodicals, the plans prepared
by representatives of each denomination
could be brought to
the immediate attention of the remotest
congregation. More-
Ohio's Religious Organizations and
the War. 223
over, the efficiency of religious
agencies had been enhanced by
the formation of interdenominational
societies for cooperative
effort in missionary enterprises and in
the direction of social
reform.
Some of these religious organizations in fact had
acquired an international importance
through the establishment
of foreign missions or as in the case of
the Catholic church
through their connection with a
world-wide ecclesiastical system.
The international significance of
American Jewry had been in-
tensified as American Jews assumed the
leadership in promoting
the interests of their co-religionists
in other lands. Thus the
machinery was already in existence for
carrying on religious and
social work upon a national or even upon
an international scale.
Not only was this true before the
beginning of the war, but
moreover, cooperation with the
government in humanitarian
and social endeavors had long been
recognized as one of the
essential functions of religious bodies
in the United States.
In the larger program of war work which
has been carried
on by religious organizations in the
United States the churches
of Ohio have had an important part. The
Protestant churches
of the state have worked hand in hand
with the federal govern-
ment through denominational war
commissions, through the
Federal Council of Churches, through the
Y. M. C. A. and the
Y. W. C. A. In like manner Catholic
churches in the four
dioceses of Ohio have participated
through the National Catholic
War Council and the Knights of Columbus.
The activities of
Jewish congregations in this state are
especially significant, be-
cause for the moment a Jewish synagogue
in Cincinnati is the
most active center of non-Zionist
Judaism in the United States.
Christian Scientists and the Salvation
Army have likewise kept
in touch with the government through
organizations of national
scope. The Friends in Ohio have aided
the civilian population
of France by furnishing workers and
funds for the Friends
Committee for Civilian Relief. Viewed in
this larger perspec-
tive, therefore, the war work of
religious organizations in Ohio
is of national, and even of
international importance.
The rapid extension of the spheres of
contact between
religious organizations on the one hand
and the federal govern-
ment on the other resulting from this
activity has already
224 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
aroused some apprehension in the minds
of those who have
observed it. Two danger points have been
detected. The first
is suggested by the warning conveyed to
the Federal Council of
Churches by one of its constituent
bodies, that the Council
should proceed with extreme caution in
matters touching upon
the relations between church and state.
Attention was called to
a more imminent danger by the Committee
of Public Informa-
tion when it became apparent that the
churches of the United
States were exposed to a most insidious
form of enemy propa-
ganda by the circulation of reports
creating the impression that
certain religious organizations were
accorded preferential treat-
ment by the government and that this was
done for the express
purpose of arousing sectarian strife in
the United States. Thus
far, however, the ogre of sectarian
jealousy has not showed its
head although there are some indications
to be found in the
religious press that profiteering in the
form of religious pros-
elytism has been found in the ranks of
some few denominations.
Certain it is that boastful statements
concerning the work of a
particular religious sect or equally
boastful comment upon the
number of converts brought into the fold
while armies are in
the field are not conducive to the
obliteration of sectarian preju-
dices and unless promptly
discountenanced by the saner elements
in these denominations may in time
threaten the harmonious
relations which now prevail.
Reverting to the original question we
may once more ask:
What have the churches of Ohio had to do
with the war? While
awaiting the collection of records which
will furnish conclusive
evidence, this much at least must be
said: the churches of Ohio
have stimulated public opinion to an
incalculable degree; they
have successfully counteracted enemy
propaganda within their
own ranks; they have helped to sustain
the morale of the men
in service and of the civilian
population upon which the army
depends; they have contributed to the
success of the various
campaigns; they have aided the
government in formulating and
in administering constructive plans of
social relief; in fine, the
churches of Ohio joined with those of
the nation in a league
for service in order that the religious
forces of the United States
might be mobilized for war.
OHIO'S RELIGIOUS
ORGANIZATIONS AND THE WAR.*
MARTHA L. EDWARDS, 'LAKE ERIE COLLEGE
What have the churches of Ohio had to do
with the war?
The answer to this question must of
necessity await investiga-
tion since the source material upon
which final judgments are
to be based cannot now be assembled.
There is, however, evi-
dence already at hand in the collections
of the Historical Com-
mission of Ohio which permits a
tentative sketch of what the
churches of the state have accomplished
during the first year of
the war, and it is from this incomplete
record that the present
study has been drawn. The sources which
have proved most
useful are the official reports,
bulletins, pamphlets, and peri-
odicals published by the various
religious organizations. Infor-
mation has also been gleaned from
sermons and addresses,
printed announcements, and programs of
church services, while
at certain doubtful points this
information has been corrobor-
ated by verbal or written assurances
from representative spokes-
men of the several faiths.
As a preliminary step it may be well to
determine at the
outset what is meant by "the
churches," and how many of these
churches there are in Ohio. The term
"church organization"
as used by the Census Bureau of the
United States applies to
"any organization for religious
worship which has a separate
membership, whether called a church
proper, congregation, meet-
ing, society," or by any other
designation. According to the
preliminary census report for 1916,
there were in that year over
200,000 such
organizations in the United States with a total
membership of more than 42,000,000,
approximately two-fifths
of the entire population of the United
States. These numerous
church organizations were grouped in 201 religious
denomina-
tions varying in size from a single
congregation to a church
whose membership amounted to more than
15,000,000. About
thirty-seven per cent of the total
church membership in the
*This article was read before the Ohio
Teachers' Association,
November 15, 1918.
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