The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-02-21
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR. - A
DEFINITION AND A MOTTO.
\ Paper Prepared and Read by Miss Jen-
nie a. McIntIre President of the Young
Peoples Society of Christian Eli
deavor. of the Presbyterian Church,
Chesapeake City, Md, at their
Anniversary Meeting Feb
ruary 3rd 1891

| Anniversary Meeting Feb
ruary 3rd, 1891.
| There had been a great revival in the
Williston Congregational Church OF Port
land, Maine, and some fifty young people
had been converted to Christ. Rev.
| Fraueis E. Clark, then their pastor, aud
an earnest consecrated man, realizing the
need of some agency, by which these
young people might be trained for the
active duties of church mem bership, con-
ceived plan of organizing them into a
society Tor this purpose, and to increase
their mutual acquaintance, aud to make
them more useful in the service of God.
This was the first Christian Endeavor
society, organized February 2ud, 1881.
After six mouths of trial, the lesults
attained being most satisfactory, DR..
Clark published half column in one of
the local newspapers, entitled-"Ho
| One Church Cares for its Young People"
with very little thought, he confesses,
that any other church would care for its
|
Bat the same need existed elsewhere.
Many pastor had been confronted with
the question, How shall our Dung peo-
pie be trained for effective service in the
cause of Christ ?" How shall youthful
energy and enthusiasm, SO sadly wanted
in the service of the world, be conserved
for the church?
The principles of the Christian En-
| deavor society, promised a solution to
| the problem, and the Williston society
was quickly duplicated by other Portland
churches, and it spread out all through
| Maine. There was no UNCONVENTIONAL
line, and the Congregational, Presby-
terrain, Methodist and Baptist Churches
all adopted the idea in common. The
movement spread with great rapidity,
not Only through the New England
| States, but clear to the Gulf, and to the
| Pacific, and extended into the Provinces,
and to Foreign lands.
In 1889 there were seven, possibly
eight societies of Christian Eadeavor in
the world, with about 500 members.
| In 1884 the membership had Increased
to s, 9O5 in 1886 to $4,000.
In 1888 there were 100000, and in
1889, 500, 600 until to night we stand
mighty host, $50, 900 strong, all brothers
aud sisters, all solliers of King, with
one banner floating over us, aud on the
banner inscribed &c. E., for Christ and
the Church."
The growth of the society has been
one of the most remarkable events III
church history, in America, aud is found
i'll about the same proportion i'll all the
great evangelical denominations.
No men have done this, it has been G ID
who has given the Increase. No individual
can say, "see this great Babylon which l
have builded w But So unexpected, and
unforeseen aud unlabored-for has it all
been. that all ground for self-gratulatlon
is taken from any of the hundreds who
have been used OF Providef ce in this
work, and no one is tempted to say
aught, except this is the l. prd's 1oing,'
Very soon the correspondence and other
work became SO burdensone that busymen
occupied with other duties, could not at
| tend to it and pastors were called from
all denominations and a united society
was formed, with Dr.. Clark as its presi-
dent to take charge of the movement.
Headquarters were established at Boston,
and publishing house opened to supply
the literature of the movement. The
first constitution handed by the parent
society to the second society in Portland,
was written upon a home made pad. Now
printing presses are kept busy constantly,
striking off thousands OF copies in many
different languages. Such, too, has been
| the development of the work in every
line. The Annual National Conventions
form a striking illustration of this fact.
| We read of that frs: convention in 1882,
assembled in the small but beautiful
city. the birth place of the movement,
the moderate sized church in which it
year at the Ninth Annual Convention
assembled at st. Louis, an exposition
| building would not contain the multi
tudes who came from North, East, South
and West, TO kneel together beside the
| Father of Waters, and to lift their hearts
to the Father of lights, from whom
cometh every good and perfect gift"
Bands of young men and women, full of
the vigor of life, enthusiastic, earnest,
and burning with devotion to our gra-
cious King, came from all parts of
| America and from foreign lands the
register showing a list of over 5000
names, making the largest delegated re-
ligious body in the history of the world.
| Tho very name--Christian Endeavor-
seems divinely chosen. L. is at ouce a
definition and motto, to endeavor to be
like Christ, to execute His purposes, aud
nothing higher or nobler in life than
| this. Each society, ike the Sunday
school, exists only in aud tor the church
in which it is planted. at is the church
at work for and with the young, and the
young at work for and with the church. :"
The main point upon which the constitu-
ton insists, is the weekly prayer meet
ing, which each active member pied sses
himself TO attend, and to participate in,
in some way. 1t provides committees for
the different departments OF Christian
effort, and also has social and literary
features, but it is first and always re
ligious society.
Even small society can be just as
helpful through the development OF
Christian life among its members,
through the training of their hearts and
lils in confession. through the aid they
bring to the Sunday school and to the
prayer meeting, and through the faith
fitness with which they stand by their
pastor in any special work. Pastors all
over this broad land are ready with
thank 'ul hearts to tell YOU what these
bands of youthful disciples have done to
lift or tighten their burdens, and to
widen and deepen their work.
Dear friends, members of the society
of Christian Endeavor, let us maintain
the spirit of our name and show to those
about us what it means to be conse
Grated Christian Endeavor.
AS we have looked back ward 80 see
how God has led us, let us pause tc
thank Him for His wonderful blessings
of the past, and then ask what more,
oh, Lord What further service, what