National Affairs: RELIGION IN ACTION

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Little Rock's Clergy Leads the Way

DURING the darkest moments of mob rule at Little Rock, the Right Rev. Robert Raymond Brown, Episcopal Bishop of Arkansas, picked up his phone and put in a long-distance call to Washington. Bishop Brown was calling Assistant Secretary of State Walter Robertson, once a member of his parish in Richmond, to offer his good offices in any sort of effort to be helpful in what he called "the school situation." Assistant Secretary Robertson called Attorney General Herbert Brownell, who called the President, who sat down almost immediately and wrote the Bishop a letter. "I deeply believe," said the President, "that there is much that Little Rock's ministers, as the spiritual and moral leaders of the community, can do ... I hope that you and the ministers of Little Rock will be able not only to lead all the citizens of the city to disregard the incitements of agitators but will join in support of the law and the preservation of our country . . ."

Early last week Bishop Brown called an evening meeting of several leading clergymen at his home. Little Rock's ministers, like ministers elsewhere in the U.S., had been successful in building up their church memberships to new highs (103,224,954 nationwide). But no one knew whether this new strength could be translated into Christian action when it might be most needed and most uncomfortable. Crisis-torn Little Rock, thought Bishop Brown, might well be the turning point. Said he: "The church feels itself in a paradoxical position. It stands in judgment on whatever is amiss in the temper of the society which surrounds it, and then, having exercised the ministry of judgment, it must exercise the ministry of reconciliation."

Huddle in the Sanctuary. Bishop Brown, 47, born in Garden City, Kans.. educated at Texas Military Institute, ordained in 1937 at San Benito, Texas, veteran of years of church service at Waco, Texas and at the famous St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond (where Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee worshiped during the Civil War), devoted breakfast time next day to a talk with Governor Orval Faubus. He got what he thought was a promise of support for constructive mediation. Afterwards the bishop got a letter from Faubus replete with subtly inflammatory Faubus phrases (e.g., "to place the blame it would be necessary to reach far beyond the borders of this state"). The bishop did get unequivocal support from the Little Rock board of education. Later that day Bishop Brown mailed out more than 100 personal cards inviting the city's Protestant, Catholic and Jewish clergymen to meet with him in Trinity

Episcopal Cathedral; Negro ministers were not invited, so as not to heighten tensions and deepen divisions, but were kept informed.