Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26
THE Y.P.S.C.E. COMING.
Pittsburg Gets the State Convention
of the Big Society.
ITS ORIGIN AND ITS PRINCIPLES
How 1t Has Grown in Ten Years to Body
of Million Members.
THE EPWORTH LEAGUE As A RIVAL


the Societies of Christian Endeavor IN thl'
city November 5-7 brings into loca
| prominence an organization in the churches
which is fast taking chief rank among the
undenominational religious bodies OF the
| day. AT its last national convention, in St
Louis, in June, its members numbered ovel
zoo, 900 and was then growing at the rate O.
| II, 900 month, giving it close to l,OOo,oo
members at the present time.
What is it, anyway? AS special train
bearing delegates to the St. Louis Conven.
tion passed through Cleveland, one railroad
man said to another: "What does this here
Y. P. S. c. E., mean, anyhow"
"Oh," said the other man, sit means, You
Poor Sinners Come Early"
He couldn't have hit the nail more
squarely on the head il he had tried. The
precise object of the organization is to cause
the young, who make "poor sinners" when
their religious education and training are
neglected, to "come early" into working re-
lations with the church and each other; in
other words it means the cultivation of de-
votional and practical Christianity among
young people, Someone has styled it a
patent coupler" between the young and
the church and between the young Of vari-
Gus churches.
ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY.
Since all the Christian world is interested
in the Christian Endeavor movement, which
has been pronounced ''the greatest religious
movement since the days of Luther, Knox,
Calvin and Wesley" Some interesting
facts about it will be in place. Almost
everybody knows already that the move
ment was started by the Rev. f.
E. Clarke, a Congregational minister
of Maine, about ten years ago. DR..
Clarke is still at the head of the organiza-
tlon, and is afectiUnately hailed by his loyal
followers as Father Endeavor Clarke, "
which sobriquet was bestowed by Postmas-
ter General John Wanamaker, who is an
enthusiastic 'tEndeavor."
The origin of the society has been erro-
neouslv attributed to Edward Eggleston, on
the ground that he was once pastor Of a
church known as "The Church of Christian
Endeayor." The good effects of this first
little society were so apparent that others
sprung up in imitation of it until in 1882
six societies. all in Maine, met by repre-
sentatives and organized "The United Soci-
ety." There were just 4S1 members then,
but the next year there were over 1900; the
next, 6,400; the next, IA, ,892, and so on up
to the. million mark, which it is fast ap-
preaching.
ITS CARDINAL PRINCIPLEs.
The features that win seem to be the
pledge OF covenant. The idea is that il you
want to get the best out of q man you must
put him under some special sense of obliga-
ton. The Christian Endeavor Society has
what has been called "an iron clad pledge, Z"
binding all its membe !, to daily prayer and
Bible reading and to public confession of
Christ, attendance on church services and
support of the cause.
: Sscond, isetbe idea of fraternity or .sfei-
lowship. Under their various denomina-
tional forms of organization the young
Christians were like the State militia. each
infected with its own local pride and preiu-
dices and full Of petty rivalries, but in the
Christian Endeavor Society they are like
the Grand Army of the Republic, marching
under one banner with sectional jealousies
all buried in the one grand common pur-
pose. Then, the prestige of numbers gives
an esprit du corps which separate organiza-
tions never could. Another thing which
has contributed much to the success of this
movement, is the fact that it asks for no
contributions of money, nor the right to
boss anyone, as conditions of affiliation.
HOW IT is SUPPORTED.
The Society of Christian Endeavor is sup
ported wholly by the profits of its publish
ing house and such voluntary contributions
as are made. Last year it cost over 81, 900
to run it. The Golden Rule is the organ of
the society aud has a circulation OF over
30, ,000. Besides, there are numerous tracts,
books, pamphlets and leaflets issued and
supplied by the hundreds of thousands to
the II 900 local societies. 1t may be said to
run ITSELF"
Then, there are no bosses in it. It does
not seek to interfere in any way with each
denomination controlling and training ITS
young according to its own notion, provided
the pledge and the name are accepted, and
these bring them into affiliations with the
great army OF Christian Endeavorers, and
nothing more. Still. the organization
has not always had smooth shedding.
Soon after the thing had demonstrated
churches and began to spread into other de-
nominations, some of the narrow-gauge fel-
lows began to get fdgety about it, notwith-
standing it was pronouncedly interdenom-
national.
There was at one time talk in the Presby-
terian circles of having Westminster
League" but the brother to whom was dele
gated the task OF initiating it consulted
with his brethren, and was advised by the
element enthusiastic for the Christian En-
deavor movement to go on if he ''wanted to
lose his head" He still has his head, and
there is no Westminster League There has
been similar agitation among Baptists, but
q writer in the Examiner lately declared
that they had no wish to go into the "league-
making business"
The Methodist Episcopal Church. how
ever, by the force of its centralized organi-
cation, has succeeded in getting a majority
of its young people organized into
"The Epworth League" Notwithstanding
the dissent of some of its most prominent
ministers, like Drs. Leecb, Tiffany, Farrar,
McGrew and others. This organization now
numbers 25o, 900, with its own organ; and as
the process of making over" good Christian
Endeavor societies into Epworth Leagues
has, it is claimed and admitted, been going
on at a pretty lively rate, there is music
in the camps.
THERE'S ROOM FOR BOTH.
The respective organs charge and counter
charge, but there Is plenty of room for both,
and the Methodist Episcopal Church GER
talnly has right to a purely sectarian or
ganization if it wants it. The plan of the
United Brethren, Disciples and some others
is to organize denomlnatiopally on basis
broad enough to take in Christian Endeavor
and all other similar societies without de- |
strOying their affiliations with other young |
people outside deIominationaL lines. The
United Presbyterian and the Methodist
Church of Canada have followed the exam
Pile of the Methodist Episcopal, the latter
adopting the "Epworth" title.