"Having come so far on the road to unity, no-one can say what the next few years may mean to the Christian churches in the matter of fellowship and the healing of our divisions." Dr Sidney M. Berry said in St. George's Cathedral last night.
He was preaching at the first annual service of the regional branch of the World Council of Churches in Western Australia. Before him were the Anglican Archbishop of Perth (Dr R. W. H. Moline), the Moderator of the Presbyterian Assembly (the Right Rev. Neil MacLeod), the President of the Methodist Conference (the Rev. Norman Hicks), Pastor J. K. Robinson (Church of Christ), Col. Stranks (Salvation Army), the Dean of Perth (the Very Rev. G. T. Berwick), Dr G. H. Wright, the Rev. Joseph Green, and clergy and ministers from many parts of the State.
Dr Berry recalled the scene at the Amsterdam conference when the non-Roman and non-Russian churches from all quarters of the globe met. "It was a unique occasion," he said, "and will be noted by future historians as one of the significant events of our times. In a period when the nations are moving perilously into different camps, the churches made the first movement on a world scale to achieve something like a 'united fellowship."
The dominant feeling of everyone was that God was calling His church to set out on an adventure which had never been tried before," Dr. Berry said."
Only if it is recognised that we can cooperate in response to the Divine Will can we go forward. Anyone can tell the impossible things, but the watchword of the council must be 'With God all things are possible,' and we must not be deterred by failures," Dr Berry said.