The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1892-07-14
Y. NJ. C. A. HISTORY.
How George Williams Organized the
First Y. NJ. G. A.

n IL H. a.
Mr.. S. Bowling, the general
secretary of the Winston Y. M. C. A.,
contributes the following interesting
article on general Y. M. C. A. his
tory to The SENTINEL today:
The year of 1887 is an important
one in the history. Of young mems
| efforts for the Master, in that dur
ing this year young man, an ap.
prentice sixteen years old, of Bridg-
water, England, experienced the
new birth
Mr.. George Williams was not one
of those who, getting a treasure,
desired to keep it hid in his own
breast, but being possessor of a
| strong individuality and an unselfsh
| soul he burned with zeal to bring his
fellow associates to the same Master
he was serving.
June 6, 1874, in Mr.. Williams
room the Young Mems Christian
Association was formed; with the
object of improving the spiritual
condition Of young men engaged in
the drapery and other trades"
Upon removing to London in 1S41
he became junior assistant in the
dry goods house of Hitchcock and
! Co., ST. Paul's Church yard. Here
he found about eighty young men.
| Most, in fact nearly all. were not
christians. He gathered together
| those of his fellow clerks who would
go, into one of the bed rooms, on the
promises, at night, for prayer and
Bible study. The influence of such
men could not be penned up in a
small room. 1t went out into the
establishment where they were en-
| ployed until one after another of
their associates were invited to join
| them, resulting in the conversion of
many, and the room becoming too
small to hold them all.
The following is told by Mr.. Ship
ton in his "History of the Young
! Mems Christian Association of Lon
don: Ito obtain the perm snent
and undisturbed use of another room,
application to the principal became
necessary, and this was matter of
some difficulty.
| Able and energetic as a man OF
business, he had shown no signs OF
| religious feeling, he had done moth
ing to secure the comfort or welfare
of his young man. nor did he check
the evils which attended the conduct
| of business in his Elishment, in
common with many others, at the
time He was only known as the
employee and in that capacity,
and though no worse, was not better
than the rest of his class. But the
young man had waited on God for
his direction and help, and in the
strength Of faith they went forward
with their application. To their sur,
prise it was received with sympathy,
| with tenderness, with the heartbrok-
| en- feelings OF a sinner made con.
scious of his guilt and need, and
earnestly seeking to know and to dc
the will of God. The room was
granted, the young men were thank
ed for their past efforts and prayers
on behalf of the establishment, and
the master became from that hour
the father of his household, joining
with his godly servants in solicitude
for its spiritual welfare, reforming
every arrangement inconsistent with
the conscientious discharge of the
duties or the personal comfort O
those he employed, and in all things
seeking to make that household an
abode of peace, a pattern of godli
| ness, and a centre of Christian use
fullness
Mr.. Williams being impressed with
the idea of the Importance of holding
such meetings in every large estab
lishment of London, "they decided tic
call a meeting of the christian young
men of the house for June 6, 1914
to consider the Importance and prac
ticability of establishing the work or
a firmer basis" Accordingly the
meeting was held there being present
Mr.. James Smith, the principal as
sistant in another dry goods house
Mr.. Smith had been impressed with
the sane idea and had written to
Mr.. Williams asking him to attend q
prayer meeting held at his place, that
they might confer together about
starting a similar effort in othel
houses, but Mr.. Williams having in
vited the men of his house to meet
that night for consultation toward
the same purpose, was unable tc
attend bnt invited Mr.. Smith to at
tehd the meeting of Thursday, Jun,
6, 1874, which he did.
So is was that the Young Mems
Christian Association was organic
ed. First in the Cody heart of Mr.
George Williams until this great or
ganization had encircled the eartf
with ALSO Associations in 1890.