HISTORY.

This youngest of the Reformed Churches in this country is the outcome of a desire to bring together into one organization and into close relationship with the Reformed Church of Hungary, the numerous congregations that had been formed as a result of the immigration into this country. A considerable number of these congregations had become identified with the Reformed Church in the United States, or with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, although some were included in various other denominations-Congregational, Baptist, etc. As a difficulty arose in regard to securing for these different churches ministers who were acquainted with the Hungarian language, and who understood the general type of the people, an appeal was made to the Church in Hungary for assistance. Accordingly a representative of that church, Count Joseph Degenfeld, curatorgeneral of the Reformed Church in Hungary, visited the different Reformed and Presbyterian congregations. Becoming convinced that these American Hungarian congregations should be connected with the mother church in Hungary, he put the question definitely to all, whether they were willing to join that mother church. On his return from the United States, and as a result of his report on the situation in the United States, the General Convention of the Reformed Church in Hungary decided to give what assistance it could to those congregations which voted to submit themselves to its care and supervision. This assistance was to take the form of sending properly trained ministers and of granting such financial aid as might be needed.

On October 7, 1904, the Hungarian Reformed Church in America was organized in the city of New York by six congregations and six ministers, and other congregations have since united with it. While under the general care and supervision of the Reformed Church in Hungary, this is a distinctively American body, receiving its ministers and financial aid from Hungary in the same way that the congregations of the German Reformed Church received aid from Holland until they became strong enough to provide for themselves.

In doctrine, discipline, and polity the Hungarian Church is in general accord with the other Reformed

Churches.

WORK.

There is no organized home or foreign missionary work or any regular educational system. A parochial school with 150 pupils was maintained in 1916 at a cost of $600. There are 6 young people's societies

From this table it is seen that the denomination has materially increased in strength in every particular. The number of organizations reported for 1916 was 46 as against 16 in 1906, and the membership 9,851 as against 5,253, a gain of 87.5 per cent. Church edifices had increased in number from 12 to 38, and the value of church property from $123,500 to $434,600, an increase of 251.9 per cent. Debt on church property reported by 9 organizations in 1906 was $70,950, while in 1916 there was a debt of $189,624 reported by 31 organizations. Churches reporting parsonages increased from 6 to 19 and the value of parsonages from $26,500 to $112,750. Sunday schools increased from 4 to 34 and their scholars from 179 to

2,312, a gain of 1,191.6 per cent. Contributions for general purposes were not reported.

Church expenditures amounting to $133,511, reported by 44 organizations, cover running expenses, outlay for repairs and improvements, benevolences, and such other items as passed through the church treasury.

Of the 46 organizations, 43, with 8,673 members, reported the use of Magyar only in the conduct of church services, and 3, with 1,178 members, reported Magyar and Slavic. In 1906 there were 15 organizations, with 5,153 members, reported as using Magyar only, and 1, with 100 members, using Magyar and Slavic.

The number of ministers on the rolls of the denomination was 30, all of whom were in pastoral work, and 27 reported annual salaries averaging $1,290.

HISTORY.

At the sixth conference of the Evangelical Alliance in New York in October, 1873, a communion service was held in the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, in which Dr. Payne Smith, Dean of Canterbury, and Bishop George David Cummins, of Kentucky, participated. This was at the time of the intense discussion in the Protestant Episcopal Church concerning ritual, and Dean Smith and Bishop Cummins were subjected to some very severe and unfriendly criticisms for participating in this union communion service. Bishop Cummins had for some time felt disturbed at the apparently ritualistic tendencies of his church, and the loss—as he thought-of true catholicity, and so keenly did he feel these criticisms as new evidence of these tendencies that, on November 10, he withdrew. A number of others shared his opinions, and on a call from him, 7 clergymen and 20 laymen met in New York City on December 2, and organized the Reformed Episcopal Church. Bishop Cummins was chosen as presiding bishop, and the Rev. Dr. Charles Edward Cheney was elected a bishop and was subsequently consecrated in Chicago.

The name Reformed Episcopal was chosen because of the belief of the founders of the new movement

that the same principles were adopted which were the basis of the Anglican Church at the Reformationwhich is known in law as the "Reformed Church of England" and also of the Protestant Episcopal Church when fully organized after the American Revolution.

The Reformed Episcopal Church has identified itself with the various movements for church unity, is a constituent member of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, and is in close relation with the Liturgical Free Churches of England.

DOCTRINE.

In doctrine the Reformed Episcopal Church declares its belief in the Scriptures as the Word of God, and the sole rule of faith and practice; and accepts the Apostles' Creed, the divine institution of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and the doctrines of grace, substantially as set forth in the Thirty-nine Articles of the Protestant Episcopal Church. It rejects the doctrine that the Lord's table is an altar on which the oblation of the body and blood of Christ is offered anew to the Father; that the presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper is a presence in the elements of bread and wine; and that regeneration is inseparably connected with baptism.

POLITY.

The polity accords with that of the Protestant Episcopal Church, except that it looks upon episcopacy as

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an ancient and desirable form of church government rather than as of divine right. It rejects, as erroneous doctrine and contrary to God's Word, the position that the Church of Christ consists of only one order of ecclesiastical polity; and that Christian ministers are priests in any other sense than that in which all other believers are "a royal priesthood."

The Reformed Episcopal Church recognizes the Christian character of members of other branches of Christ's Church and receives them on letters dimissory. It does not demand the reordination of clergymen, duly ordained in other communions, who enter its ranks. It holds, however, that, through its bishops, who alone have the right to confirm and ordain, it has preserved intact the historic succession of the ministry. Unlike the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church, the bishops do not constitute a separate house in the General Council. They preside over synods or jurisdictions which correspond to dioceses and jurisdictions of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

For worship the church accepts the Book of Common Prayer as revised by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in 1785, but holds that no liturgy should be imperative or repressive of freedom in prayer, and reserves full liberty to alter, abridge, enlarge, and amend the same, as may seem best, "provided that the substance of the faith be kept entire."

WORK.

The Board of Home Missions cares for the weak parishes in the organization, conducts work among Negroes in the South, and provides a part of the salaries of missionary bishops. The report for 1916 shows 17 missionaries employed; 35 churches aided; 、 and contributions for the support of the work, amounting to $3,137.

The Board of Foreign Missions carries on work in India, in 8 stations, with 6 missionaries and 20 native helpers. There are 17 primary schools; 2 hospitals, in which about 45,000 persons received treatment during the year; and 1 orphanage, with 53 inmates. The property in India is valued at $20,000, and there is an endowment of $72,000. The amount contributed for the foreign work in 1916 was $16,453.

The educational work in the United States is confined to a theological seminary in Philadelphia, with 9 students. The seminary has also a preparatory department. The property is valued at $60,000, and there is an endowment of $140,349. The contributions for educational work during the year were $6,854.

There are 90 Christian Endeavor societies, with 2,250 members.

Church expenditures amounting to $180,880, reported by 75 organizations, cover running expenses, outlay for repairs and improvements, benevolences, and such other items as passed through the church treasury.

The number of members under 13 years of age, as reported by 43 organizations in 1916, was 131, constituting 1.8 per cent of the 7,474 members reported by these organizations. Based upon the same proportion, the total number of members under 13 years of age for the entire denomination would be 194.1

English was the only language reported in the conduct of church services in this denomination.

The number of ministers on the rolls of the church was given as 88. Of these, 46 sent in schedules, and 28 reported annual salaries averaging $1,415. The following table gives the principal facts in regard to the ministers from whom schedules were received:

1 A minus sign (—) denotes decrease.

Per cent not shown where base is less than 100.

From this table it is seen that in number of organizations, church edifices, parsonages, and Sunday schools, there was somewhat of a falling off between 1906 and 1916. The membership, however, advanced from 9,682 to 11,050, showing a gain of 14.1 per cent, and the value of church property increased by $232,400, or 15.8 per cent. There was also an increase of $18,050, or 36.9 per cent, in the value of parsonages. Contributions for general benevolent purposes fell from $27,020 to $26,444. The loss was in contributions for domestic work, those for foreign work having risen from $8,159 to $16,453, or 101.7 per cent.

California..

Florida.. Illinois.. Maryland. Massachusetts. Michigan. New Jersey. New York. Ohio.. Pennsylvania. South Carolina.. Tennessee... Virginia.

Average salary for pastors reporting full salary.

46

28

5

13

$1,415