K The Advance of a Decade Laymen’s Missionary Movement 1 Madison Avenue, New York SUBMITTED TO THE NATIONAL MISSIONARY CONGRESS WASHINGTON, D. C. BY WILLIAM B. MILLAR, General Secretary April 26, igi6 l THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE The strongholds of righteousness are to-day assailed by the forces of Mammon massed in greater strength than ever be¬ fore. Human genius in the material realm has reached an apparent climax of achievement; will there be released ade¬ quate spiritual forces to meet the need of this crucial hour ? The sad spectacle of the visible struggle in Europe has not dulled the eye of discerning men to the greater unseen con¬ flict now being waged. From a chastened world rises the cry, “Can the forts hold? Can the struggle be carried even into the enemies’ country? When will the day of victory come?” Heartening answer is found in many of the manifestly provi¬ dential leadings of the past decade that have wrought mightily for the up-building of the Kingdom. Hopeful signs that the forces of Christianity are recogniz¬ ing their increased responsibility are not lacking, and among these is the missionary awakening of the laymen of the Church. I. HISTORICAL SURVEY “Man’s extremity has ever been God’s opportunity,” and this has been pre-eminently true in the beginning and develop¬ ment of the Laymen’s Missionary Movement. A decade ago the masculine element in church activity was little empha¬ sized. There was a lack of up-to-date business methods in church and missionary finance. The evangelization of the world in a single generation was not taken seriously by a large proportion of the men of the church. Money for this 4 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE world enterprise was generally secured through an annual collection taken after a missionary sermon and this offering was, subject to all the vicissitudes of bad weather, non-attend¬ ance or lack of compelling power in the presentation of the case. Certain it is that the unbusinesslike methods obtaining in the church were fastened upon it with bands difficult to break, and as a result the progress of the Kingdom was retarded. Giving as an act of worship had to a degree been lost. It had become spasmodic rather than systematic. In many churches the frequent appeals for money from the pulpit were not only losing their force but were also driving men from church attendance. Less than one-third of the membership was carrying the financial burden of the church and an even smaller percent was giving to the missionary and benevolent causes. If any proof were needed that the church is a divine institution it would be found in the fact that progress was made in spite of these conditions and handicaps. Any merely human institution or commercial concern employing similar methods would have become bankrupt. Nevertheless forces were at work which presaged the dawn of a new and better day. The facts concerning the missionary enterprise were becoming better understood. The young life of the church was responding in larger measure to the call to missionary service and in the fulness of time God made clear the overpowering need for increasing numbers of con¬ secrated laymen to dedicate their lives to the carrying out of his plans for the world. The Birth of the Movement The above was in brief the situation that faced the laymen who gathered in the historic meeting for prayer in New York City on the anniversary of that other prayer meeting held under the shelter of the haystack at Williamstown by five THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE 5 students a century before, which had in the providence of God led to the development of the American foreign mis¬ sionary enterprise. On that day, November 15, 1906, after prayer and conference a series of resolutions was adopted and a committee of representative laymen appointed, “To consult with the secretaries of the various missionary boards with reference first, to the conduct of a campaign of educa¬ tion among laymen to interest them more largely in missions; second, to the devising of a comprehensive plan for the evan¬ gelizing of the world in this generation; third, to endeavor to send a commission of fifty or more laymen to the mission fields to report their findings to the church at home.” These proposals were presented to the annual conference of Missionary Boards in January, 1907. The Movement was heartily and unanimously endorsed by this conference, com¬ posed of representatives of all Protestant churches in North America. In the formal resolution of the conference these paragraphs occur: “We recognize this Movement as providential, having been born of prayer and of the Spirit. In its spontaneity and timeliness it gives evidence of the hand of God and we are profoundly convinced that this is but another step in advance toward the completion of his great purpose in the redemption of mankind. ... We recognize the imperative necessity for this new Movement in view of the tremendous demands of a world field, white for the harvest, which requires that the churches of Christendom should lay plans and put forth effort adapted to meet the new demands that are upon us.” Early Activities During the summer of 1907 at the invitation of leaders of missionary work in Great Britain a commission of six lay¬ men from the United States and Canada visited London, Edin¬ burgh, Liverpool and other cities in England and Scotland, 6 THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE presenting the methods and plans of the Laymen’s Missionary Movement. Committees were appointed both in England and Scotland to extend the work. Several of these committees secured secretaries to devote their whole time to the Move¬ ment. In 1907 sixty-six laymen were commissioned and they vis¬ ited various mission fields at their own expense to investigate religious conditions, needs and results. After their return many of them engaged actively in giving their testimony to the church and have been most successful in stimulating greatly increased interest in missionary work. The Movement in Canada During the season of 1908-09 a National Missionary Cam¬ paign was conducted by the Laymen’s Missionary Movement in Canada, conventions being held in twenty-four of the leading cities of the Dominion from Sydney to Victoria. At the end of this campaign there was held in Toronto a Canadian Mis¬ sionary Congress attended by over four thousand commis¬ sioners representing all Protestant churches. This congress adopted a national missionary policy, the first of its kind ever adopted by the representatives of all the churches of a nation. This policy was later ratified by all the church courts of the various communions in Canada. A Canadian Council was formed to supervise the work in that country, with N. W. Rowell, K. C., as chairman. Mr. Rowell continued in this position until his increasing re¬ sponsibility as leader of the Liberal party in Ontario made it necessary for him to resign the chairmanship, although he has remained an active member of the Council. The present chairman is John A. Paterson, K. C. In 1909 Mr. Herbert K. Caskey became the general secretary in Canada and since then has rendered most efficient service in extending the work throughout the Dominion. THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE 7 One of the outstanding results of the movement is the in¬ crease in missionary gifts in the city of Toronto. In 1907 these ■were $211,217. In the National Campaign the goal was fixed at $500,000 and year by year the offerings have steadily increased until a year ago they reached a total of $542,000, and the churches have now placed the goal at $750,000. The report of last year showed that the missionary gifts in the Dominion had risen from $1,492,660 in 1908-09 to $2,- 953,588 in 1913-14, a gain of nearly 100% in five years. Since the outbreak of the European war Canada has raised millions of dollars for the Canadian and British Red Cross and for relief of soldiers’ families. One of the men most prominently connected with this work said that the ease and enthusiasm with which it was handled was largely due to the training and education brought about by the Laymen’s Mis¬ sionary Movement. There was one small city in which the Movement had been unable to hold any meetings because of the indifference of both the laymen and clergy, and for prac¬ tically a full year that city did absolutely nothing for the Red Cross work. They have recently opened their doors to both the Laymen’s Movement and the Red Cross. The men of Canada, while passing through a testing time, have labored with great faith and courage. The work of the Movement, however, has been temporarily interfered with. Mr. Caskey’s resignation as secretary was accepted the first of January but it is confidently expected that when the war ceases, if not before, work will be pushed even more aggres¬ sively than in the past. In Other Countries The work has not been confined to Canada and the United States but has been carried forward in other countries as well. National or local efforts have been organized in Eng¬ land, Scotland, Australia, Ceylon, Germany, Holland, Swe- 8 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE den, Denmark, South Africa and New Zealand. Without question the war has limited the work in these countries and the North American Movement should be prepared to render every service possible at the opportune time. National Campaign of 1909-10 The first National Missionary Campaign in the United States was conducted during the season of 1909-10. The seventy conventions held were attended by an aggregate of 71,408 registered delegates and the campaign closed with a National Missionary Congress at Chicago May 3-6, 1910. At this gathering a national missionary policy was adopted which called for a large increase in the force of workers and a corresponding increase in missionary contributions, and registered the conviction that “according to their ability and opportunities the laymen of the churches are equally responsible with the ministers to pray and to plan, to give and to work for the coming of the Kingdom of God upon earth.’ ’ From the very beginning of the Movement it was clearly understood that the plan was not to send out missionaries or to administer missionary funds but to co-operate in the en¬ largement of the work carried on by the various churches through their own missionary organizations. Loyalty to the church and to its regularly appointed leaders has always characterized the work. A Call to Increased Service On April 20, 1910, upon the call of the Committee of Refer¬ ence and Counsel of the Foreign Missions Conference a large group of missionary leaders was called together to discuss what advance steps should be taken in the awakening of THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE 9 men. A series of resolutions was unanimously adopted from which the following is quoted:— “It is the sense of this body: “That the signal success of the Laymen’s Missionary Move¬ ment in arousing interest and enthusiasm among men, espe¬ cially in the great campaign just closing, demands that the Movement shall continue its work with increasing vigor. ‘ ‘ That the spirit of unity and co-operation displayed in the recent campaign is recognized as one of its most beneficial results. “That while each denomination will necessarily emphasize its own work, any tendency to do so in campaigns which are likely to cause any disintegration of the general Movement be deprecated. “That in planning for the immediate future, the unit of time provided for be three years instead of one, as in the recent campaign.” With such encouragement the Movement proceeded to pro¬ ject plans for enlarged work. During the years following the national campaign a more intensive program was adopted in the effort to extend to the Church the knowledge of the plans and methods which were being recommended. A large number of conferences and conventions and other meetings were held in which these plans were discussed and adapted to the needs of individual churches, thus helping to conserve the results of the national campaign which had aroused such a deep interest on the part of laymen through¬ out the country. The United Missionary Campaign The growing spirit of unity was strikingly evidenced by a conference of representatives of the Foreign Missions Con- 10 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE ference of North America and the Home Missions Council of the United States held in March, 1913, to consider a united effort for the furtherance of their work. After a day spent in conference and prayer, it was unanimously decided to conduct a United Missionary Campaign. A Central and an Executive Committee were appointed and plans completed. The Layman’s Missionary Movement was requested to take charge of the organization and direction of the interdenomi¬ national convention and conference features of this united effort which continued for the two seasons of 1913-14 and 1914-15, during which time 695 conferences were conducted. The bigness of the whole missionary task as contrasted with the work being undertaken by any one denomination was steadily kept in mind and the value of co-operative ac¬ tivity became increasingly evident as the work progressed. The campaign emphasized the essential unity of the mission¬ ary spirit and task and proved the ability of missionary organizations to work together in complete harmony. The Second National Campaign Beginning in October, 1915, a second National Missionary Campaign has been conducted with conventions held in sixty- nine cities throughout the nation. This campaign was planned before the outbreak of the European war. After war was declared there was serious consideration as to whether or not the campaign should be postponed. Some thought it would prove untimely and that in such an hour the attention of men could not be secured for a missionary gathering. But there were those who felt that there was need in this country at this time for ‘‘a moral equivalent for war ’ ’; that strong men would be ready to listen to and heed a summons to advance and that it was the time of times to consider the enlarged responsibilities and opportunities that would naturally come to the Church in America because of the war. THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE 11 The Executive Committee after much prayer decided to go forward with the plans. Their faith and courage have been more than justified by the extraordinary success of the cam¬ paign. In the first convention of this series in Chicago the paid registration reached the astonishing total of 4,556. All rec¬ ords were broken in this single feature and few thought it would be surpassed. But Los Angeles with a determination not to be denied set a new mark at 5,990. This is the largest paid registration in a men’s convention of any kind ever held. The simple fact that such large numbers of men were willing to register and be counted among the missionary forces of a community is a source of strength to the churches of any city. Ten years ago such a demonstration would have been impossible and indeed unthought of. The large registration has not been confined to a few of the cities. In the first national campaign it was thought that the high-tide of registration, attendance and interest had been reached. The plan was new and thus possessed the drawing power of novelty. The dinner feature also created interest and increased the number of delegates. The fact that the registrations were larger this year without the attractive power of novelty or the great dinner is convincing evidence of the deepening interest in missions among the men of the churches. In the 49 cities where conventions were held in both cam¬ paigns the paid registration this season has been 73,154 as compared with 51,074 six years ago, a gain of 43.2 per cent. The total paid registration in the seventy city conventions of 1909-10 was 71,408, and in the sixty-nine conventions of the present season 101,927, a gain of 42.7 per cent. . The attendance and the interest in nearly every one of the conventions this year have been unusual. Seriousness of thought has been a characteristic feature. The delegates have seemed to realize the tremendous importance of the situation and the burning needs of the world to-day. World problems 12 THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE have been frankly discussed and the solution sought in a prayerful spirit. Those attending have felt that a new call to world service had been sounded and that the conditions demand a hearty response on the part of every Christian lay¬ man. As the appeal has been urged for a larger devotion of life and application of effort to the solving of the many problems connected with the missionary enterprise at home and abroad, there have come a depth of purpose and a new surrender of life to the call of God. Unless all signs fail the results of the campaign will go far beyond the most sanguine expectations. Already these results are materializing and are bringing new inspiration to the workers. II. ORGANIZATION ANT) PERSONNEL The Movement has always sought to keep its machinery as simple as possible, using existing agencies as far as this could be done, thus conserving time and energy. The aim is to increase not the mechanics but the dynamics of the church. To secure efficient supervision a number of committees exist. A General Committee of one hundred men from different parts of the country, meets once a year and is charged with general oversight of the work. An Executive Committee with a working quorum in or near New York City, sustains close supervision of the work, orig¬ inates plans, and directs the field and other operations of the general Movement. The meetings of this committee are held monthly and are always occasions of inspiring Christian fel¬ lowship, full of the enthusiasm that shows deepest interest in the affairs of the Kingdom on the part of every member. Officers of the Movement Dr. Samuel B. Capen of Boston was the first chairman of the Movement; Mr. Mornay Williams and Lt.-Col. E. W. Hal- THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE 13 ford, vice-chairmen; Mr. E. E. Olcott, treasurer, and Mr. J. Campbell White, general secretary. Dr. Capen was chairman from the beginning of the Move¬ ment until his death in January, 1914. He was pre-eminently equipped for this task, requiring a peculiar endowment of wis¬ dom, tactfulness and consecration, and he gave of these largely and unsparingly. Dr. Capen’s rare and gracious personality and his rich and varied experience were revealed in counsel at the committee meetings and on the public platform on countless occasions. He was never too busy to answer gladly any call for service, counting no personal sacrifice too great and never missing a meeting of the committee while in the country. His voice is not stilled to his associates of the Movement, nor to the Christian men of North America and of the world. The worthy successor of Dr. Capen is Mr. James M. Speers of New York, president of McCutcheon & Company. Mr. Speers is actively identified with many lines of Christian activity. He is a member of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church, one of the vice-chairmen of the International Committee of Young Men’s Christian Associa¬ tions, and treasurer of the Student Volunteer Movement. He has brought to the Laymen’s Movement commanding qual¬ ities of spiritual leadership and an untiring zeal in the exten¬ sion of the Kingdom. Mr. Williams continued as first vice-chairman from the beginning of the Movement until June, 1915, rendering dur¬ ing all those years most faithful and earnest service, always ready at a moment’s notice to fulfill any task no matter how much of personal sacrifice was involved. He has been heard frequently upon the public platform on the vital topics con¬ nected with the work of laymen in the church. Upon his resignation Lt.-Col. Halford continued as the one vice-chair¬ man. The Movement owes him a lasting debt of gratitude for his devotion to the cause and untiring labors in behalf of the Movement, 14 THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE Mr. E. E. Olcott, president of the Hudson River Day Line, is still the efficient treasurer, giving much time and thought to the work. Space forbids individual mention of the other members of the Executive Committee who are rendering a service as hearty and unselfish as the officers. Most of them have been members of the committee for years, some of them since the beginning of the work. Much of the success of the Movement is to be found in the careful supervision of these loyal mem¬ bers of the committee who have given most careful thought to its plans and work. Mr. J. Campbell White resigned as a general secretary of the Movement in the summer of 1915 to become president of the College of Wooster. The Executive Committee and secre¬ tarial staff earnestly urged him to remain in the position which he had filled with such conspicuous ability and success but the call to Wooster prevailed. Mr. White’s great mis¬ sionary zeal, his prophetic insight, and his platform gifts com¬ bined with a very winsome personality won for him the af¬ fection of all those with whom he came in contact and they unite in earnestly wishing him highest success in his new work. The present secretarial staff at the interdenominational headquarters consists of William B. Millar, general secretary; Fred B. Fisher, associate general secretary; and W. E. Doughty, educational secretary. In order to cover the whole field, the country has been divided with headquarters at central cities. It is planned to have in each of these divisions a committee with a field secretary having the direction and closer supervision of the work in a prescribed territory. The division committees are appointed yearly by the Executive Committee. The annual budget and program of the divisions are passed upon by the Executive Committee, thus giving unity and uniformity to the entire Movement. THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE 15 The Division and State secretaries are at present located as follows: F. J. Michel, Chicago, Ill.; D. Clay Lilly, Nashville; E. L. McCreery, Pittsburgh; C. C. Merrill, Boston; H. P. Laflamme, New York; P. B. Bachelor, Detroit; P. B. Everitt, Philadel¬ phia. There is immediate demand for the formation of committees and the placing of secretaries in the divisions not yet covered. Denominational Movements At the present time the following denominations have or¬ ganized denominational movements in which there are nine secretaries. In three other denominations there are affiliated movements which have co-operated with the general Movement in convention and other work. The secretaries of the denominational movements as now organized are: J. T. Henderson, Southern Baptist Convention; W. P. Bare and C. H. Weller, Lutheran Church, General Synod; E. C. Cronk, Lutheran Church, United Synod; Clyde P. Armitage, Methodist Episcopal; E. H. Rawlings, Methodist Episcopal South; James Morton, Presbyterian Church in the U. S.; J. G. Dale, Associate Reformed Presbyterian; W. E. Lampe, Reformed Church in the U. S.; W. P. Krauss, Chairman, Evangelical Synod'of North America. Affiliated Movements: David McConaughy, the United Movement of the Presbyte¬ rian Church in the U. S. A.; John W. Wood, Forward Move¬ ment of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the U. S. A.; W. J. Clarke, Disciples of Christ. 16 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE All these agencies have sought to secure the adoption of the better plans and methods in their local churches. Several denominational conventions have been held. These have been largely attended and have had a marked effect upon denom¬ inational life and activity. /TIL THE MESSAGE OF THE MOVEMENT Emphasis Upon the Spiritual From the beginning the message of the Movement has been intensely practical and vital. Emphasis is first of all upon the spiritual. Believing that prayer is the mightiest power God has permitted humanity to wield, that this power rightly used will bring certain victory, even in the supreme struggle of to-day, the Movement has thrown itself with zeal into stimulating the prayer life throughout the whole church. It has sought to convince every layman that however untiring may be his zeal in service, however lavish his generosity in giving, he has not done his full duty, used his greatest influ¬ ence nor discovered his noblest privilege, until he has made definite, prevailing prayer the habit of his life. When, in the history of the Church, has spiritual prepared¬ ness been so greatly needed? At no time have the subtle, undermining influences of selfishness, indifference and world¬ liness so insidiously wrought their deadly work. To supply the great lack of deep spiritual life to-day there is supreme need of the realization of the constant presence and power of the Holy Spirit as manifested in Christ-centered, God- directed prayer. To the end that a deep conviction of this truth may possess the whole church, the Movement is sum¬ moning every power and using every means. THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE 17 Emphasis Upon the Sacrificial Again, the message is a call to service, a summons to under¬ take large things for God. The layman once content to let his service in the church consist of attending Sunday morning worship and passing the collection plate is being supplanted. A new and better day has dawned. It has been clearly seen by both ministers and laymen who have studied the situation that if a church is to succeed the men must be led to undertake tasks commensurate with their ability. Men love large enterprises. Big tasks appeal to them. As men have come to realize that the great central task of the church is the winning of the world to Christ, a task big enough to challenge the time and strength of the strongest men, they have been ready to enlist and to take their share in this great work. The awful need of the world, physical, in¬ tellectual and spiritual, has made its tremendous appeal to men and as they have thought of the needs in the remoter parts of the earth they have not become unmindful of the opportunities for service near at hand. As a result they have undertaken lines of personal service which a few years ago they would have thought impossible. The new financial plan has given to the men of the church opportunity for commanding service. The adaptation of the plan to the visitation of the membership for fellowship pur¬ poses, to surveys of community life and activities, to social service, to evangelism and to other lines of work has given a larger place of service to men. Emphasis Upon Missionary Education It was discovered that the ordinary layman was woefully ignorant of the facts as to the progress of the Church in the task of world evangelization. Dr. A. T. Pierson never said a truer word than when he declared: “Pacts are the fuel with which missionary fervor is fired and fed.’^ 18 THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE Few mature laymen had responded to the appeal to join mission study classes and men gave but little time to the reading of missionary periodicals. Few missionary books had been written especially for men, and none that were de¬ signed for men’s groups. Several four-chapter books for men’s discussion groups have been published. It was found that while it was diffi¬ cult to secure men in large numbers for the ordinary study class they would come together to discuss vital topics con¬ nected with the missionary situation. The men’s discussion group idea has been tried sufficiently to prove that it is a feasible plan. No topic to-day is of keener interest to men than the relation of Christianity to present world conditions. In all parts of the country men have been drawn together in these groups at the luncheon hour or for supper or in the evening to discuss missions. There is demand for a more vigorous promotion of this plan. Under the impetus of the Movement much interesting and instructive missionary literature has been prepared and pub¬ lished during the decade. Large numbers of pamphlets, denominational and interdenominational, have been issued, giving facts concerning the missionary enterprise and methods of church work. Fully five million pieces of literature have been printed and distributed by the Movement since its incep¬ tion, thus opening up a new era in missionary education among men. In 1909 the magazine Men and Missions was started. This has been the ‘Hrade journal” of the Movement since that time, and constant effort has been made to present the up-to- date and tried methods of church work. The magazine has a unique position and meets a recognized need. The Movement endeavors in every way possible to secure a wider reading of the denominational and interdenomina¬ tional missionary magazines in order that laymen may be kept in close touch with the developments of church life both at home and abroad. One of the hopeful signs of the day is THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE 19 the improvement that has taken place in publications of this character and the correspondingly deeper interest in them which men are taking. In addition to continuous missionary education through¬ out the year the Movement is recommending at least a month’s special intensive educational program immediately preceding the organized canvass. This includes sermons upon special subjects, missionary topics for the prayer meeting, special missionary instruction in the Sunday-school and young peo¬ ple’s meetings, together with the men’s discussion groups and programs in the women’s missionary gatherings. A thorough¬ going plan for missionary education is absolutely essential to the development and maintenance of a deep missionary inter¬ est and life. Conferences and conventions are the chief means which the Movement has employed for inspiring and informing men. There are two types of these gatherings—one is the two-day conference especially for the officers and leaders of the local churches in a community, where most of the time is given to the discussion of practical topics in connection with the efficiency of the local church in its work at home and abroad; the other is the larger convention covering three or four days. To these gatherings special effort is made to bring a more general delegation from the churches both in the convention city and the surrounding territory. Prac¬ tical methods are discussed and the great themes covering the world need and the responsibility and opportunity of the church at home are presented. The two national mis¬ sionary campaigns have been of this type. A great nation-wide series of conventions such as these com¬ pels the Church to take account of stock. In most of the convention cities it has been found that without an effort of this kind the churches are apt to neglect such a checking up, without which it is impossible for them to know the actual conditions and thus they are apt to fail in the laying of plans 20 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE to strengthen points of weakness and to avoid failure in any line. In each of the national campaigns new and higher standards have been set up, and it is necessary for the highest efficiency that the churches should discover at intervals whether progress is being made towards the attainment of these standards. Again, the holding of conventions is necessitated by the fact that as world conditions change and the missionary enterprise develops it is vitally important that the laymen of the nation be brought face to face with the changed situa¬ tion, that new inspiration may be obtained from the reports of progress, that faith may be renewed as to the possibility of making Christ known throughout the world, and that they may face with renewed courage the unfinished task of world evangelization. During the decade the Movement has held nearly 3000 of these conferences and conventions with an at¬ tendance of approximately one million men. Emphasis Upon Adequate Financial Methods Another practical phase of the message is to the business instincts of men. Mr. John H. Converse, of Philadelphia, some time before his death, made this statement: “When Christian business men give the same energy and intelligence to the work of missions that they now give to their own private business affairs then the proposition to evangelize the world in this generation will be no longer a dream.” To change the financial methods of the churches, containing a membership of over twenty millions of people, is no slight task. The old methods already referred to had such a firm hold that at first it seemed almost hopeless to think of sup¬ planting them. But when laymen began to study the condi¬ tions that were prevalent and realized how unbusinesslike churches had been in conducting their affairs and when they saw the absurdity of trying to finance a great world enter- THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE 21 prise by means of the methods then in vogne they responded heartily to the proposed simple yet practicable plan. This new plan in briefest outline is as follows: A live Missionary Committee in every church; an annual organized every-member canvass preceded by at least a month of in¬ tensive educational and spiritual preparation, to secure from every member of the church and congregation a pledge for a weekly offering for the church and missionary budgets, to¬ gether with the use of a duplex envelope or other collecting device, and a thorough follow-up system. This simple, busi¬ ness proposition appeals strongly to business men and it is with gratitude that we are able to report its wide adoption. In some of the denominations over one-third of the churches have put the plan into operation and it is being promoted by denominational agencies as the one method which seems to insure success. It has now been so thoroughly tried that success can be guaranteed on condition that the plan is ac¬ cepted in its entirety and carried out according to instruc¬ tions. IV. SOME RESULTS It should be clearly understood that in this report no claim is made that all the advance of the decade is due to the Laymen’s Missionary Movement. It has borne, however, a notable part in producing these inspiring results. In an ar¬ ticle entitled ‘‘Outstanding Foreign Missionary Events of 1914” Dr. George Heber Jones, in speaking of the Laymen’s Movement, says, “There is no doubt but that it has contrib¬ uted probably more largely than any other single factor to the missionary revival of recent years in our own land and in Canada,—a revival which has registered its results both in increased general missionary interest and in enlarged financial prosperity to the Boards.” 22 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE A Larger Vision It has been said that the first challenge of every great day is to the vision of men; and it is a source of encouragement that the vision of the men of the Church has been constantly enlarging during these passing years. With the enlarged vi¬ sion of world-need there has come a firmer determination to meet those needs and a deeper consecration of life to that purpose. Less than fifty years ago it was the popular belief that it would take centuries to evangelize the world. With widened vision men are declaring to-day in ever-increasing numbers that if the Church is true to her trust it will be possible to make Christ known to even the uttermost parts of the earth in the life of a single generation. This does not mean that men are underestimating the task, for they have come to understand more clearly than ever its magnitude, but it is the clearer vision of God which has come to them that has made the larger hope possible. Dedication of Life Another result is the dedication of life and service to the great task of the Church. Many who a few years ago were leading lives more or less self-centered, have dedicated their efforts to the extension of the Kingdom. In place of the old standards of stewardship, men are, in increasing numbers, coming to regard themselves as stewards to whom God has committed certain talents and for which He will require an accounting. This higher standard has led some who had planned to retire from business in order to spend the later years of their lives in comfort and ease, to remain in business in order to make money, not for themselves but for the exten¬ sion of Christian work throughout the world. Others who have secured a competency have felt called to give up business THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE 23 in order to give their lives more directly to the work of the church. Some of these men have become connected with the great Mission Boards and are giving themselves without re¬ serve to the work to which they have consecrated their lives. Many who have visited the mission fields have returned to set on fire the hearts of others with their testimony. In other words, men in increasing numbers are responding to the world appeal in terms of life. When every Christian man realizes that he is a world force, the ushering in of the Kingdom will be brought immeasurably nearer. To-day God is calling many to the counting house as well as the pulpit and they are gladly responding to the call. What new dignity and meaning this gives to human life! New Missionary Zeal With this enlarged vision and out-pouring of life there has naturally followed a new missionary zeal in our churches. Men are coming to realize that they are saved not alone for the sake of being saved but saved to serve, that the life of the church is a life of service not only in Jerusalem but in Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth as well; that the great central task of the Church is mis¬ sionary. No longer is there the feeling that if religion is exported there will be a shortage for home consumption. The old fallacy has been exploded that a dollar given to mission work simply means a dollar less for home expenses. Men have really come to believe the Bible when it says, ‘ ‘ There is that scattereth and yet increaseth, and there is that withholdeth more than is meet but it tendeth to poverty.” Missionaries returning after an absence of years have been quick to note this change and to comment upon it. Leading missionary secretaries have cited it as a proof of the en¬ larging vision of the Church and all of these have testified that their message receives a more prayerful hearing and a readier response. 24 THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE One of the most frequent testimonies heard from those who have attended conventions of the Laymen’s Movement is of a new conception of the need and power of prayer and the deepening of their spiritual lives. One of the most heart¬ ening results of the conventions has been the large numbers of men who have been led by the spirit of God to a reconsecra¬ tion of time and talent to Him. Apathy concerning affairs of the Kingdom has given place to deep enthusiasm in the lives of thousands. Frequently one hears of little groups of delegates getting away by themselves for prayer and for a service of consecration. When such a step is taken by strong, mature men it means much for the progress of the Church. If no other result were apparent this alone would justify the time and effort and money expended. The full fruition of the work can come only in future years. More Adequate Financial Resources Perhaps the one thing that had most to do with the call¬ ing of the Laymen’s Movement into existence was the lack of sufficient resources to finance adequately the foreign mis¬ sion work of the Church. In 1905, nineteen centuries after Christ had bidden his disciples to carry his Gospel to all the nations, the Protestant churches of the two great nations of Canada and the United States were giving for the carrying of the Gospel to the non-Christian world, a sadly insignificant sum compared with the tremendous need and opportunity. To meet the situation strong emphasis has been laid upon the necessity for larger giving, and the marked results of this emphasis are evident. The Mission Boards are appealing for larger gifts than ever before. A few years ago it would have been almost un¬ thinkable for individuals to put a million dollars into a single gift for the missionary and benevolent work of the Church. A whole denomination would scarcely have planned to raise THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE 25 five millions or more at one time for the extension of its mis¬ sionary and educational work. It was unheard-of for a single individual to assume the expenses of large portions of terri¬ tory in a mission field, providing the missionaries and the equipment for evangelizing those fields, But all this has taken place in the last few years of this decade. Under the plan of the organized canvass large increases have been made in the number of givers and in the giving of the rank and file of the church. The foreign missionary gifts of Canada and the United States as reported at the an¬ nual conference of the Foreign Missionary Boards last Jan¬ uary were $18,793,990. According to the published figures the receipts of the Boards for the work abroad in 1905, the year before the Laymen’s Movement came into being, was $8,120,725. This shows an average increase of one million dollars for each year for foreign missions alone. The in¬ crease during the last decade has been greater than in the previous nine decades. It is impossible to give the exact increases for home causes and local church expenses from all denominations as the fig¬ ures have not been collated; but last autumn statistics were secured from fourteen of the leading denominations in the United States showing the gain made in the decade between 1904 and 1914, the last year for which they were then avail¬ able. They show that while the communicant church mem¬ bership increased during that time 25.3 per cent the total con¬ tributions for all local church expenses increased 39.7 per cent, the contributions to missionary and benevolent work in the United States increased 62.8 per cent and the contribu¬ tions to Foreign Missionary work increased 87.5 per cent. The statistics give ground for encouragement and hope, and yet one is startled to note that the weekly average per mem¬ ber to local church expenses has increased during that time only $.016 while the average per member to missionary and benevolent work has increased only about $.01 per week. It is difficult to evade the feeling that the church is still 26 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE playing with its great task and that there is need for still greater effort to awaken adequate' interest among the laymen. The Every Member Canvass The financial methods recommended and promoted by the Movement have wrought such changes that no report would be complete without some statement of the successes achieved. A few typical illustrations will indicate the possibilities of success. The plan has transcended the mere financial phase. It has been one of the great spiritual forces at work during the past few years. Men who have been enlisted for the financial canvass have been led to undertake other visitations, such as for the purpose of fellowship and evangelism. Ac¬ tivities of this kind have revolutionized the life and work of many churches. Striking figures come from cities and churches where the work has been undertaken. One city reported 3,000 men en¬ gaged in a simultaneous Every Member Canvass. In a large church on a single Sunday afternoon 112 canvassers added 218 new contributors to the subscription lists and secured an increase in pledges to current expenses of $6,323 and to mis¬ sions and other benevolences of $4,962, a total gain of $11,285. During the canvass the men distributed over 600 copies of “The Meaning of Prayer” by Fosdick, to the families of the church. In a church of about two thousand members, scattered throughout the city, where the physical task of conducting an Every Member Canvass was exceedingly difficult and where failure had been prophesied, one hundred men par¬ ticipated in the first canvass for benevolences and efficiently and quickly finished the work. The number of givers to the regular benevolences was increased about 33% per cent and the amount secured went from $7,958 to $12,971, an increase of 63 per cent. Five months later a combined current ex- THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE 27 pense and benevolence canvass was carried through. Contri¬ butions to the benevolences were maintained at the previous high mark and those for current expenses increased 50 per cent. It had been thought that the canvasses would interfere with the other offerings and collections but at Eastertime the Sunday School missionary offering was increased from $1,200 to $2,550, and the plate collections for church and charitable purposes nearly doubled. A little later this canvass was fol¬ lowed by one for purely social and spiritual purposes with marked results and the following summer, with faith strength¬ ened by the former achievements, a campaign was carried through for special purposes which resulted in securing a fund of $108,500, although before the Every Member Canvass it was thought impossible by the most optimistic to secure more than $60,000. During the eighteen months covered by the report from which the above is taken God’s blessing rested upon the church in a marked way, as was witnessed by a con¬ tinuous revival and the addition of 750 to the membership, about half of them upon confession of faith. A report covering the work of sixty-nine churches in one section of a state shows the following gains as the result of canvasses in a single year: Increase in number of contributors to church support 5,160 Increase in number of contributors to missions. 5,341 Increase in missionary offerings.$31,195 Increase in local church offerings...$64,732 The following interesting facts were reported with regard to the churches in Buffalo, showing the gain in one year: 4 Lutheran churches from $990 to $3,008 22 Methodist churches from $7,502 to $17,023 12 Episcopal churches from $1,464 to $3 075 4 Presbyterian churches from $11,332 to $19,556 20 Baptist churches from $4,358 to $6,430 28 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE A secretary, in a recent letter, says, “From the trend re¬ garding the Every Member Canvass in this territory I should say that it is proving itself one of the strong factors in ex¬ tending the great spiritual awakening that is so much needed and that is so surely coming in America.” The plan has been found admirably adapted both to the small and the large church; to the church in the country and in the city as well. The following account of a canvass appeared in a Boston daily paper: “The pastor had determined not to allow any but men on the canvassing committee and had also deter¬ mined to have a committee of sufficient strength and size to do the work quickly and efficiently.” After describing the training of the canvassers and their dedication to the task at the Sunday morning services, and the canvass in the after¬ noon of the entire constituency, the article proceeds, “Not until seven-thirty did the last canvasser return, but his report brought the total amount up to two hundred and fifty dollars beyond the home expense budget. The missionary budget was also exceeded. The number of people pledging was increased 170 per cent. After the teams came in the enthusiasm still increased until at the end the conclusion was unanimous not only that the plan was a good one but also that there must be more co-operation among the same body of men for the up¬ building of the church along other lines. Unless all signs fail this Every Member Canvass will mark a turning point in the activities of the men of this church.” An exhaustive study of the subject is not possible here. So great are the results thus far attained that many volumes could be filled citing the experiences of churches all over the United States and Canada. Enough has been said to shov/ that these better plans will work in any church, or groups of churches or whole communions where there is a group of men who believe in the plan and are willing to give them¬ selves to this personal effort in behalf of the Kingdom of God. Is it to be wondered at that the tides of spiritual power rise to a greater height when there comes to the people a THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE 29 clearer vision of the world’s needs and a realizing sense that it is the business of the church to supply those needs? Em¬ phasis should of course be placed upon the fact that methods alone are not sufficient but only as dependence is placed upon the spirit of God is success assured. V. THE PURPOSE OF THE MOVEMENT The Laymen’s Missionary Movement is an independent voluntary movement of the men of the churches primarily for the following objects: To stimulate initiative and activity among the men of the Church. To inspire men to take their full share in the work of the Kingdom. To promote improved methods of missionary edu¬ cation and ffiaance. To impress upon men the vital importance of deep¬ ened spiritual life and Christian activity naturally following upon this. To stress right standards of the stewardship of life and money. To suggest plans for the speedy completion of the missionary task. Since the work of the Movement is one of education and in¬ spiration it must not become entangled with administrative details. It is not in any sense a collecting agency. Its pri¬ mary purpose is not to deal with the local church to secure the adoption of any particular plan or device. Usually there are other agencies which cover these particular func¬ tions. 30 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE The purposes of the Movement can be best realized, and with greater economy of time and of money, by a combined effort on the part of all the denominations. Earnest thought and prayer should be given to the working out of a plan that will thus mass all the forces in one great united effort to accomplish the task in hand and help in bringing speedy and full response to the Master’s last and great command. An Unselfish Effort The Movement which, as has been stated, was born in a prayer meeting, has been carried on during the decade in a spirit of prayer. It has been an unselfish effort from the beginning. A comparatively small group of men have, by their gifts, made the work possible. In doing this they have not lessened their regular missionary contributions but have looked upon the work of the Movement as seed, which, in its fruition, would lead to increased gifts to the great work of the church. The Movement pleads not for itself. It has sought to build up no machinery for its own sake, but has ever striven to increase the work of the missionary agencies. At the hundreds of conventions and conferences held by the Movement no appeal has been heard from the public platform for its own work or budget. While this is as it should be, it has its drawbacks for it is easy for men to lose sight of the fact that the work of the Movement needs financial aid if it is to go forward with ever-increasing power. At the present moment there is pressing need for the enlargement of the field force. In this campaign it has been noted that the weak spots were at the places where close supervision had been lacking. There is also need for men for special work, particularly dur¬ ing the crucial years just ahead. Provision should be made for the early adequate financing of the Movement in order that the work may not be handi¬ capped and that plans may be made for such enlargement as may be necessary to render the service that is demanded. THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE 31 In one of his last public utterances Dr. Capen said: ‘ ‘ ‘ To¬ gether’ is the last great word of the twentieth century.” “Together”—“together”—may this he our watchword as we go forward into the second decade of work. In whatever else we may be divided, we must show the world that we are united in the supreme purpose that men everywhere shall know the Christ and his power to save. We know that wherever He is held up He will draw men unto Himself. Let us then consecrate ourselves anew to this great work of holding Christ before the vision of men until their lives shall be fully occupied by Him. YI. THE FUTURE Manifestly it is impossible to present, at this time, a final and definite program for a series of years or even the coming year, in view of rapidly shifting conditions and needs. No man can clearly discern just what the results of the Euro¬ pean war will be. That there will come to the laymen of America a larger opportunity for world service is obvious. The Movement must therefore plan with large vision and prepare to meet worthily the demands that will be made upon it. In the following paragraphs are outlined in brief some of the lines of work that should he undertaken: 1. The success of the national campaign which is just closing imposes upon the Movement a deep obligation to con¬ serve the results and it stands ready to co-operate in every way possible with the denominational agencies in this vitally important work. 2. As this is the decennial year of the Movement, it is planned to hold a number of anniversary gatherings, espe¬ cially in the convention cities of the two national campaigns, thus again summoning the men of the Church to a new earnestness and devotion in these days of unique privilege. 32 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE 3. In the development of the plans thus far, sufficient at tention has not been given to the work in rural communities. To meet this need, plans are being made to hold conventions in county seats or other centrally located points with an effort to secure delegations from every church in the sur¬ rounding area, that the message may thus reach the churches of the open country. In view of the large number of rural churches and the strategic value of work among them this effort has in it the promise of large results. 4. Encouraged by the experiment of the ministers’ con¬ vention held in Rochester, New York, the Movement plans to hold at least one of these conventions in each of the or¬ ganized divisions of the country during the coming season. It is recognized that the minister is the most potential leader in the missionary work of the church and it is thought that by holding conventions of this kind plans may be unified and inspiration given for a larger service. 5. A number of cities not reached this year have made urgent request that conventions be arranged for them in the near future and the Movement will respond favorably to as many as possible of these invitations. 6. Recognizing the importance of securing the adoption of right standards of stewardship of life and money, effort will be made to stress these subjects in special conferences, draw¬ ing-room meetings and similar gatherings. 7. Some of the denominations have indicated their desire to hold denominational conventions to meet specific needs. The interdenominational Movement wishes to co-operate in the strongest way possible in the holding of such conventions. 8. In the development of the missionary enterprise it is evident that there is need for a great advance in the direct evangelistic work as well as of a large increase in property and equipment. The Movement will gladly render such aid as lies within its power in promoting interest in these vital needs. 9. There should be undertaken a more comprehensive edu- THE ADVANCE OF A DECADE 33 cational propaganda, including new and up-to-date literature, especially in pamphlet form, the strengthening of Men and Missions, the magazine of the Movement, and the extension of the plan for men’s discussion groups. 10. The colored laymen in this country have been almost entirely unreached by the Movement and earnest appeals are coming for the extension of the work among them. This call should be heeded and help given at the earliest possible moment. 11. The work in Canada having been interfered with by the war, special effort should be made at the proper time to co-operate in every possible way with the Canadian Council in such plans as they may deem wise for the renewal and promotion of the work in Canada. 12. These and other lines of work lie before the Movement. There is great inspiration in this enlarging field. It may well challenge the best effort of every worker. But there is still another, even broader field. We thank God that so many ties of Christian fellowship have held firm amid the sundering influences of these bitter days but the European conflict has wrought sad havoc in the Christian work of the nations involved. Distrust and suspi¬ cion have taken the place of confidence and trust. What will bind up the wounds thus inflicted? Nothing but the love of Christ and co-operation in his service. What other influence is there that can so quickly unite the strong laymen of all these lands as the ideal of enlisting in one mighty army, under the banner of the Great Captain, going forth to conquer the world for Him? May it not be that the Laymen’s Missionary Movement has come to the Kingdom for the contribution that it can make in such a time as this? The service of directing men’s minds to the missionary min¬ istry of humanity, rendered at this opportune hour, under¬ girded with prayer and devotion, would go far toward allay¬ ing suspicion, healing the open wounds, and binding the 34 THE ADVANCE OP A DECADE hearts of men together in one great fellowship of love and loyalty to their common Lord. Upon the laymen of America God is placing a great re¬ sponsibility, to them He is giving a transcendent opportunity. It must be seized promptly when the hour strikes or be lost forever. Are we equal to the task, are we ready to obey the call? If so, we may see the missionary battle won in this generation, but failure on our part in this testing hour may mean the indefinite postponement of victory.