Cije jfust gear of tfje fUpmtn’s ifUsstonarp jHohtmmt By SAMUEL B. CAPEN Chairman of the Executive Committee On November 15, 1906, there was organized in the City of New York the Laymen’s Missionary Movement. In behalf of the Executive Committee of the Movement, I give herewith in brief the record of the work up to the end of the year 1907. We wish you to know personally of the suc¬ cess of our plans thus far; to tell you something of our future hopes, and to ask for your earnest efforts and prayers in the months that are just before us, which are so vital to our con¬ tinued progress. No one could have possibly foreseen the rapidity of the growth of this Movement. We have every reason for encour¬ agement and for continued gratitude to God. We can state— First. That our plan has been heartily approved by the representatives of the foreign missionary boards of the United States and Canada at their annual conference last January. Second. That almost one hundred men in different parts of the country, leaders in their respective denominations, have be¬ come members of the General Committee. Third. That six public dinners were held last Spring, followed by addresses, in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Toronto and Boston. These meetings were attended by about i,zoo men, many of them leaders in foreign mission¬ ary work in these cities. The Secretary of one of the Canadian missionary societies has said that “potentially this is the most important religious movement of the century.” 1 Fourth. The Laymen’s Centennial Commission of fifty men has been made up. Some of the men, like Mr. S. W. Woodward, Mr. Wm. T. Ellis and Mr. John B. Sleman, Jr., have returned and are inspiring people at home with the testi¬ mony of what they have seen. Fifth. At an Inter-synodical Foreign Missionary Conven¬ tion for men connected with the Presbyterian Church, North, held at Omaha last February, it was voted to recommend that their churches raise on an average five dollars per member for foreign missions, which would be more than quadrupling their present gifts. Sixth. The men in the Southern Presbyterian Church already are organized, with committees in each presbytery, and they are rapidly securing one good, strong layman to represent this Movement in every congregation. With H. C. Ostrom as Field Secretary, they are planning to increase their foreign mis¬ sionary offerings from $275,000 a year ago to one million dollars this year. They are trying, so far as possible, to reach all their 250,000 members with a personal subscription on a weekly basis, which they believe will give them the million dollars. At their General Assembly, which met at Birmingham, Ala., May 22d, they accepted their field estimated to contain 25,000,000 people, and the Assembly declared “ It to be in our judgment the duty of our church to bring its foreign missionary offerings up to this mark (one million dollars) at once.” Seventh. The Southern Baptist Church has also organized its laymen. They are seeking to find a secretary and are plan¬ ning to increase their foreign missionary offerings this year from $400,000 to $750,000. They already have State organiza¬ tions of the Laymen’s Movement in quite a number of the Southern States. Eighth. The Southern Methodist Church has also organ¬ ized its Laymen’s Missionary Movement and is planning an aggressive missionary campaign throughout that denomination. 2 Ninth. The Board of Missions of the Episcopal Church has passed a resolution commending the Movement. Tenth. There is a growing interest in foreign missions among the laymen in the Baptist Church in the North. Some of then- leaders have been abroad this year, and have returned with a new interest. The exact form of work to be undertaken has, however, not yet been determined upon. Eleventh. The American Board, at its annual meeting in Cleveland, October 9th to 1 1 th, voted heartily and unanimously to co-operate with the Laymen’s Missionary Movement, and has pledged itself to endeavor to reach the seventy-five million people in the fields for which it is especially responsible, as rapidly as possible. It has voted also to endeavor to double its gifts, with the purpose of ultimately giving a much larger sum. Twelfth. Interdenominational Co-operating Committees are already organized, or are being organized, in many of the large centres of the United States and Canada. Thirteenth. By invitation of various British missionary societies, a deputation of six laymen was sent to London last May. This deputation was received officially at the Bible House in London on the 27th of May by about seventy-five men, representing the various British missionary societies. Mass meetings were held in London, Bristol, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Liverpool. In the latter city there were 1,800 present, and it was said to be the largest men’s missionary meeting ever held in that city. The same plan that is being followed in this country has been adopted by the men both in England and Scotland, and their thought is to have a hundred men as a committee represent¬ ing each country. Among the prominent men who co-operated in launching the Laymen’s Movement in Great Britain are the following : Lord Guthrie, Lord Kinnaird, Lord Overtoun, The Master of Polwarth, Sir Mackworth Young, Sir Edwin Russell, Sir Andrew Wingate, Colonel Williams, Sir John Ken- naway. Sir Albert Spicer, Sir Fowell Buxton, The Master Cutler of Sheffield, The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, The 3 Lord Mayor of Bristol, The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, and The Lord Mayor of Sheffield. Fourteenth. The men in Germany are inquiring about the Movement, and we are told that they are eager for a plan of this kind. Fifteenth. The most significant development of the Move¬ ment has been the action taken by the representative Christian men of entire cities, during October, November, and Decem¬ ber, 1907. In twelve cities visited during this period, large assemblies of carefully selected men have undertaken to increase the missionary offerings of the Churches of their respective cities, in an absolutely unprecedented manner. Some have decided that these offerings should be doubled this year, others that they should be trebled, and several cities have undertaken to quad¬ ruple their offerings. In some of these cities great progress has already been made toward securing the amounts aimed at. Men are showing unprecedented willingness to get behind the missionary enterprise, and undertake to give and raise greatly increased amounts of money for it. In some cases the goal set up may not be reached in a single year, though in a number of cases it undoubtedly will be. This much is abundantly apparent, many strong men of the Church want to see the evangelization of the world seriously attempted, and they are willing, in increas¬ ing numbers, to work hard to get this object accomplished. The twelve cities in which these definite policies have been adopted are: Topeka, St. Joseph, Brantford, Ont., Hamilton, Ont., London, Ont., Toronto, St. Louis, Nashville, Knoxville, Atlanta, Charlotte and Norfolk. Ouite as notable as the increase in financial co-operation by business men has been the great spiritual uplift that has come to many of these men. It is certain that men are being aroused by this missionary challenge, and are being led to give them¬ selves as never before to the whole work of God in the world. While the primary objective of the Movement is the evangeliza¬ tion of the non-Chrisdan world, it is already releasing vast spiritual forces for dealing more adequately with the problems confronting the Church at home. Jacob A. Riis gives stri kin g 4 expression to the working of a great spiritual law when he says: “Every dollar contributed to foreign missions releases ten dollars’ worth of energy for dealing with the tasks at our own doors.” Sixteenth. The Scottish National Committee have secured Mr. Kenneth Maclennan, of Edinburgh, as General Secretary of the Movement in Scotland. The English National Com¬ mittee are earnestly seeking for a suitable General Secretary, the funds for his support having been already subscribed. Seventeenth. On December 5 th, there was organized in the City of Chicago by the Congregadonalists of the interior States, a committee to co-operate with the Laymen’s Missionary Movement. There is to be a central committee at Chicago, with three co-operating members from each State. It is pro¬ posed to secure the names of all male members over eighteen years of age in the Congregational churches in these States, and to reach them with special literature. It is hoped thus to touch many thousands of men. Groups of laymen are to be organized in each State to visit churches and present the objects of this special Movement. Eighteenth. We have just published a series of strong missionary pamphlets for men, which from their high character will be of universal interest. IMPORTANT LAYMEN’S MEETINGS First. The Congregational laymen are planning to have meetings similar to the one recently held in Chicago, in New England, in New York and in two or three places upon the Pacific Coast. Second. The Northern Presbyterian Church is planning a men’s foreign missionary conference at Philadelphia, to be held February 11th to 13 th, at which they hope to have at least a thousand men present. Third. The Southern Methodist Church is planning a convention of a thousand men to meet in Chattanooga next April. 5 Fourth. The Baptist laymen of Canada are arranging for the early organization of a laymen’s movement there. Fifth. Plans are being made with the expectation of hold¬ ing missionary meetings for men in many of the large cities of the United States and Canada this winter. Sixth. Dr. Torrey, Dr. Chapman and others have it in mind to put foreign missions into their evangelistic campaigns, giving perhaps one entire day to foreign missionary needs. METHODS OF WORK First. In co-operation with the Laymen’s Missionary Movement it is urged that in all the great cities there should be organized at once, interdenominational co-operating committees to promote an aggressive and adequate missionary policy in all the churches in their district. Second. This interdenominational co-operating committee should plan to secure a group of key-men in each local church, who shall be pledged to care for foreign missionary interests, working always in harmony with pastors and church committees. Third. Let these key-men, in parlor and dining-room con¬ ferences, endeavor to reach all the men in their own local churches. We want what has been well called “applied personality.” Fourth. In doing this personal work, an endeavor should be made to secure as many men as possible to subscribe to the Declaration Card of the Laymen’s Missionary Movement: ^eliebing it to be the but? of the Church of Christ to preach the ©oSpcl to eberp creature, it is mp purpose to prap, to gibe, to jrftubp anb to moth, aS Cob ‘map gibe me opportunitp, that the Church of this generation map obep this commanb. * v Fifth. A further endeavor should be made to secure from all the men in all our churches definite pledges of money, worthy of the present-day opportunities and of the Master whom we serve. 6 Sixth. We believe that it will be possible to reach and utilize existing church clubs, many of which are organized simply for social purposes. What the men need to-day is something that calls for service. SPECIAL CALLS FOR PRAYER First. How to grapple with the great problems of co¬ operation, leadership and methods. After arousing such expecta¬ tions at home and among missionaries abroad, we need the Divine guidance as never before. Second. It would be of great value, if it is possible, to find some comprehensive plan of finance for the whole foreign missionary enterprise. It is difficult to find such a plan, and we need special guidance here. Third. May we not ask for continued prayer for the various meetings of the winter ? jFourth. The Missionary Movements of the centuries were born in prayer-meetings, and this has been most emphatically true of our Laymen’s Movement. We must continue in this spirit of prayer if we are to succeed in our purpose. We men need not only to study missions and plans of systematic and universal benevolence, but most of all to develop the prayer life. Let us then together pray that we and all men may have a larger vision of the wonderful opportunities open to us everywhere ; that to all men may be revealed the meaning of stewardship ; that we may have more personal loyalty to Jesus Christ, and that his order to “Go and disciple the nations ” may become more real to us ; that we may all be more ready to assume definitely our own share of the sacred obligation that rests upon us; that we may be more ready to plan, to give and to sacrifice for Christ’s sake. Boston, January I, 1908. 7 Missionary Literature for Men The Laymen’s Missionary Movement, By Samuel B. Capen 5c each; 40c per doz.; $2.50 per 100; $15.00 per 1000. Our Share of the World, By J. Campbell White 5c each; 40c per doz.; $2.60 per 100, express pre¬ paid; $15.00 per 1000, carriage paid by purchaser. The First Tear of the Laymen’s Missionary Movement, By Samuel B. Capen 5c each, 25c per doz.; $1.50 per 100, postpaid. Declaration Cards, 50c per 100 Present Conditions in China, By Hon. John W. Foster 10c per copy; $5.00 per 100; $18.00 per 1000. Car¬ riage paid by purchaser. Order from the Student Volunteer Movement, 3 West 29th Street, N. Y. The Evangelization of the World In this Gener¬ ation, By John R. Mott Book, 245 pp.; paper binding; 35c per copy; $20.00 per 100; $150.00 per 1000. Carriage paid by pur¬ chaser. Order from the Student Volunteer Move¬ ment, 3 West 29th Street, N. Y. Note —The following may be secured, by special arrangement, from the Student Volunteer Movement, 3 West 29th Street, N. Y. Uniform Price, 5c each; 40c per doz.; $2.50 per 100, for 100 or more, express prepaid: $15.00 per 1000, for 1000 or more, express paid by purchaser. The Non-Christian Religions Inadequate, By Robert E. Speer The Place of Missions in the Thought of God, By Robert E. Speer The Wonderful Challenge to this Generation, By Robert E. Speer The Call of the Non-Christian World, By John R. Mott The World’s Evangelization, By John R. Mott The Supreme Business of the Church, By Dr. George Robson The Opportunity of the Hour, or Christian Stewardship, By George Sherwood Eddy Moneys Its Nature and Power, By Dr. A. F. Schauffler Prayer for Missions, By Professor Warneck The Claims of the Hour, By Dr. Maltbie D. Babcock Sample copies of all the above, $1.00. Order from the Stndent Volunteer Movement. Cash must accompany all orders. We also strongly recommend The Missionary and His Critics, By Dr. James L. Barton Price, $1.00; paper, 35c. Order from Fleming H. Revell, 158 Fifth Avenue, New York. Laymen’s Missionary Movement 1 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK