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Show I i; jj I I NEWS F TISEil CHURCHES She Put Her Trust In God And Sailed For America 1 S (From the Religious News Service end the wires of the A sociaied Press end the United Press International ) he young convert faced her father and the minister at the Glasgow dock. They had come by midnight train from Bradford to take her back T w' fs home. Membership Loss Another drop of nearly 2,000 in the communicant membership of the Presbyterian Church of England was it veal ed in a report on 1908 activities presented to the 1909 General Assembly in Wallasey, England. The report showed that communicant member ship last year was 63,091, down 1,975 from 1967 which, in turn, was more than 1,000 less titan the 1906 total. Membership peak in this decade was in 1963. The Rev. A. L. Macarthur, general secretary, told the Assembly. A cursory examination of these figures . . . can suggest that our effectiveness as a separate denomination and as a missionary force in England is under question. 69,-85- 2 Favor Merger Drama over the outcome of the current proposals for union of the Church of England and the Methodist Church reached high pitch as a joint session of the Anglican Convocations completed a series of vital ballots which revealed an over all majority in favor of the plan. Bishops and clergy of the convocations approved a motion which held that there is evidence of sufficient agreement in doctrine and practice for the two churches to enter Stage One of union. 'Deeper Dialogue ' The Episcopal Church and the Lutheran Council' in the USA (LCUSA) have jointly announced a series of discussions to explore the problems that exist between our two communions as a step toward deeper dialogue." First of the semi-annusessions will be held in The theme will be, The Meaning Detroit, Oct. and Authority of Scripture in the Life of the Church. After four or five meetings, there will be a review and consideration of future plans, according to Dr. Paul D. Opsahl, assistant executive of LCUSA, and Dr. Peter Day, ecumenical officer of the Episcopal Churchs Executive CounciL 14-1- Ask Affiliation For what is believed to be the first time in the history of the nation's largest Protestant denomination, a predominantly white congregation of the Southern Baptist Convention has voted to ha'-- dual alignment (or joint membership) with the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. The predominantly Negro National Baptist Convention, with some 6.5 million members, is the nations third largest Protestant denomination. The Southern Baptist Convention has more than 11 million members predominantly white. Your said her father, Edith, mother is very ill. She was stricken as soon as you left home and was still unconscious when we left. The doctor says there is no hope of recovery unless I car ing you back. "It cant be so! Evangelist Billy Graham said in New York City that any student who engages in violent campus protest, carries a gun or intimidates ought to be kicked out of college. Addressing the St. George Association, an organization of New York Protestant policemen, Mr. Graham declared that students have a right to dissent but not to commit violence. He said that it would take Cornell University 25 years to recover from an He urged sterner response armed student take-ove- r to campus disorder, saying the nation is being ripped by "revolution, anarchy and rebellion. Ecumenical Approach Lutheran Churches around the world were urged in Asmara, Ethiopia to denominational mission work and to give high priority to ecumenical approaches. The recommendation was made at the 21st annual meeting of the Commission on World Missions of the Lutheman World Federation (LWF), Internationalization and great mission cooperation have been under discussion for several years. has enjoyed many years service in the Church. she exclaimed. But the minister said, Yes, it is so. Surely you do not want to kill your mother. What a terrible thought, to feel responsible for her mothers life! Then she said, If I do go home, Father, can I live my religion the way I want to? We want you to be as you used to be, he replied. She well knew she could never be as she used to be, for the Holy Ghost had testified to her soul that tiiis new religion was true. She offered up a silent prayer to the Lord for help in this crisis. Then, turning to the young conference president, she asked with implicit faith, Will my mother die if I do not go home? And he anNo, swered, mother your will not die. The conference president was Elder David O. McKay, and such was the faith of Edita Ellerby. With mixed feelings she embarked for America, and as the boat pulled out to sea she saw her father still standing at the pier. But did her mother die? No, she did not die, but lived many years to welcome Edith, her husband and four children back to England on an extended stay. Though no other member of the Ellerby family ever joined the Mormon Church, they were reconciled to her joining, and after becoming acquainted with her husband and seeing how happy they were, her mother told Edith, I would not have had It otherwise. e College Protests Mrs. Edilh Langlois -- Do you mean it, Mother? Yes, I mean it Bom in Bradford, England, Feb. 21, 1874, Edith Ellerby was the third of six children of Alfred Ellerby and Annie Hainsworth. They were highly respected members of the community and active in the Congregational Church. A musical family, they participated in various activities connected with their church. Edith was one of the soloists in the choir and also sang in other churches. The Ellerby children were taught to read the scriptures and Edith was very impressed with the way in which the Savior was baptized, that He was immersed, and wonde-ewhy they were only sprinkled. When she inquired of her parents and Sunday School teachers, they would reply, It is not necessary to be immersed. Sprinkling is just as good. But this did not satisfy her and she told her mother, I do not feel baptized. At one time an evangelist was staying at their home, preaching at revival meetings, and she engaged him in u discussion concerning the mode of baptism. Finally, wearied of her concern, the evangelist said to her mother, Why not let her be baptized then? But Edith The Baptists immerse. By LEONE JACOBS Temple Feb. 8, 1899 at 1:30 p.m., just one year to the very hour from the time she sailed for America from Glasgow. a Baptist then and a Baptist. One day she came home and found a table. It small tract on the living-roowas titled, Is Baptism Essential To Salvation? She asked her mother who left it and she answered, Two men. said, Oh no, I do not want Id be to be Have you read it? No, I never looked at it, her mother replied. Had she known what would transpire, she would surely have destroyed it, for it was through this tract that Edith found the missionaries and heard the Gospel message that satisfied her souL Her parents were so against the Church that they told her if she joined she must leave their home. At tiiis time, also, she was engaged to a young man in the comm: nity and though he did attend some Church meetings with her, he did not share her enthusiasm, and besides he said he would lose his position if he should join the Church. She could see she was making everyone unhappy, so after being baptized, she made arrangements to sail to America with some returning missionaries and other converts. In Salt Lake City she lived for several weeks at the home of President Joseph F. Smith and his wife, and later with Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Woolley, being treated as a daughter in both homes. President McKay had written to his folks in Huntsville that a young English girl was coming to Salt Lake City and asked them to be k'nd to her. This they did, and invited her to visit them. In time, she went to Huntsville, and the day following her arrival, the McKay girls invited her to attend a baseball game where she met one of their brothers best friends, David R. Langlois. They were married in the Salt I,ake 'WEEK Married life included varied experiences and activities in the Church. Mr. Langlois was a school teacher and principal, then homesteaded a farm in Ocequa, Idaho, where he operated a mercantile business. He later moved to Oakley, Idaho where he organized a bank. At this time the stake president asked Mr. Langlois to be saving money for a mission. Later wlien Mr. Langlois reported he was financially ready to go, the president said, What would you do with the money if you did not go on a mission? Thinking he was joking, Mr. Langlois answered, Well, Ive always wanted to take my wife back to see her folks in England. Then the stake president said, That is what you are to do. He called them both on a short-termission and with their four children they set out for England. President Joseph F. Smith set them apart Mr. Langlois was able to preach the Gospel to many people in England and spoke in several churches, even in the church to which his wifes people belonged. When they retumtd they settled in Burley, Idaho, where Mr. Langlois was made bishop and then served for 21 years as stake president of Burley Stake. Mrs. Langlois was a counselor in stake MIA, a Sunday School sake board member, ward MIA president, then stake MIA president. Tour more children were born to them, making a total of eight. After the children were married. Pres, and Mrs. Langlois moved to Salt Lake City in the South 18th Ward of Ensign Stake. Here Mrs. Langlois served as theology class leader then visiting teacher class leader. Pres. Langlois died March 1, 1955 and after his death Mrs. Langlois was a receptionist in the Salt I.ake Temple until her 90th birthday. At the present age of 95, she still serves as a Relief Society visiting teacher. She reside! in her apartment at 28 N. State St., and attends Sunday School, sacrament meetings and Relief Society meetings. ENDING-MA- 811969 'CHURCH 1 1 |