Federal Council of Churches

The Federal Council of Churches, officially the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, was an ecumenical association of Christian denominations in the United States in the early twentieth century. It represented the Anglican, Baptist, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Oriental Orthodox, Polish National Catholic, Presbyterian, and Reformed traditions of Christianity. It merged with other ecumenical bodies in 1950 to form the present day National Council of Churches. History The Federal Council of Churches was founded at a convention that met at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia in May 1908. Originally the Council consisted of thirty-two denominations. By 1923, it maintained central offices at 105 East 22nd Street, New York City. It also had offices at the Woodward Building, Washington, D.C., and at 19 South La Salle Street, Chicago. Social and political advocacy The Federal Council of Churches was active in the Temperance and Prohibition of alcohol movements. Additionally, the council was an organization that believed very deeply in democracy. In its statement on the nature and tasks of Christian Cooperation, the Council declared: