offer a
satisfactory solution to the overchurched situation. The "federated"
church idea is not in harmony with a connectional polity nor with the
principle of world democracy with centralization of administrative
responsibility for carrying out democratically adopted plans implied
in that polity. Local federation involves giving of full power of
selection of pastors and of determination of policies to the local
congregation. Whatever may be said about the occasional failures of
the connectional system in finding suitable pastors, or in other ways,
it is nevertheless true that this system has a vitality and efficiency
that are now being recognized by many of the leading religious
organizations. The polity of the "federated" church is congregational;
and extreme congregationalism and connectionalism do not mix readily
so far as polity is concerned. The growth of the one form involves the
decline of the other. This is why the Methodist Episcopal Church, for
example, has developed so little sympathy for the "federated" church
idea.

Far different from this is allocation of responsibility for community
leadership. This insures leadership to one denomination or the other.
Then the local congregations can work out their problems of adjustment
as local conditions indicate is best. Usually some form of affiliation
in worship and in sharing local expenses with continued separation of
support of missionary and other benevolent enterprises has proven the
most satisfactory method of local adjustment. By this method
connectional interests are preserved and fixing of responsibility in
each community assured.

With the vastly increased missionary resources made available by the
missionary "drives" of the leading denominations there is positive
danger of the problem of interdenominational adjustment being made
still more serious. If the Home Mission Boards, through unwise use of
mission funds for the purpose of assisting in competitive struggles,
should precipitate retaliation by other denominations, a misuse of
missionary funds would result that would not only dry up the sources
of missionary support but bring Protestantism into lasting disgrace.

In working out a program of interdenominational adjustment the
following plan has been tried with success on at least three
Methodist Episcopal Annual Conference districts:

1. A survey of the district and the preparation of a map showing the
location of all churches, residences of all