E&R Church. Committee on Correlation & Promotion.

The Committee on Correlation and Promotion was authorized by the first General Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1934. During the 1934-1936 biennium the membership included representatives of the Boards. Membership was expanded during the 1936-1938 biennium to include members of the Executive Committee, executive secretaries of the Boards and institutions, representatives of the Women's and Men's organizations and the commissions of the church. The major work of the Committee on Correlation and Promotion is to coordinate all efforts to promote the work of the Church within and outside its membership. It usually met twice a year, most of the work being carried out by sub-committees. The Committee was responsible for developing and initiating the annual Kingdom Service, later the Kingdom Roll Call, programs which focused on stewardship and giving in local churches, regional synods, and the national Church to carry out the work of the Boards and agencies. In addition, the Committee also sponsored a Conference of Executive Secretaries beginning September 19, 1949. This conference brought together the executive secretaries of the boards, commissions, auxiliary agencies, committees and officers of General Synod to correlate the promotional activities of the Church, coordinate mailings, meetings and conferences. The Committee on Literature published a newsletter which was sent to all church families describing the work of the church. Other informational pamphlets and Sunday worship bulletins were also issued. The Committee on Visual Presentation was responsible for production of visual aids, stereopticon slides, films, posters, and traveling exhibits. Beginning December 1, 1943 this committee became the Bureau of Visual Aids with an office in Tiffin, Ohio. Dr. Herbert H. Casselmann served as the first director from December 1, 1943 until December 1, 1946 when, for health reasons, he worked part-time until June 1, 1947 when Dr. Theodore Mayer was appointed. Again, for health reasons, Dr. Mayer resigned and Dr. Oscar Rumpf was appointed and began work October 1, 1947. Dr. Rumpf assumed the duties as director of the Bureau of Audio-Visual Aids while continuing his work as Director of Adult Work of the Board of Christian Education and Publication. The Bureau of Visual Aids was later merged with the Educational Film and Slide Library of the Board of Christian Education and Publication. The main purposes of the Bureau were production of films and slides, with lectures, on the programs of the Church; to keep in repair all such materials, and act at the distributing agent for all audio-visual materials of the Boards and agencies of the Church. The Bureau works closely with the Protestant Film Commission, a cooperative venture of eighteen mainline Protestant denominations and thirteen inter-denominational agencies. The Bureau was also a member of the Joint Religious Radio Committee with Methodist, Presbyterian USA, Congregational Christian and the United Church of Canada. This organization became the Protestant Radio Commission, October 14, 1948 and sponsored a number of religious radio programs. The Bureau's administrative offices and a laboratory were established in Philadelphia and a distribution center in St. Louis. The Committee on Field Work endeavors, along with the Kingdom Service Committees of the regional synods, to promote the work of the church through regional workers' conferences, through the annual Kingdom Roll Call, and through stewardship materials. The General Synod of 1941 approved the recommendation to establish a staff position to direct the promotion and correlation efforts of the church. Rev. John N. LeVan was appointed and began his duties February 1, 1941 thus establishing the Department of United Promotion. This department works under the supervision of the Committee on Correlation and Promotion and continues to bring together key persons of the boards, agencies, and institutions of the church to coordinate efforts. The Director of United Promotion became the major figure in coordinating all the efforts of the denomination in promoting its programs both for the regional synods and local churches as well as ecumenically. For the first report by the Director see the Proceedings of the General Synod, 1942, pages 56-61.