The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-06-16
Christian Organizations Outside the Church.

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is an age of organization" 1t would
require but little stretch of the imagin.
alton to add that our age is possessed
with the devil of organization. In our
little city of about twenty thousand,
there are upwards of fifty societies,
ancient and honorable modern and
ornery, good, bad and Indifferent, not
counting churches and political clubs.
All these have to be supported. The
| proportion is about the same every
where. The churches of the country,
in order to keep up with the procession,
have ingeniously converted themselves
into machinery halls where wheels and
cranks are employed to their utmost.
We Congregationalists have our own
mystical and scriptural "seven" benev-
olent societies, which the ministry is
kept on the borderline of insanity try
ing to interpret to brethren, who will
not see more than the practical fact,
that they are expected to contribute to
nearly every letter of the alphabet.
And beyond these stand our array OF
Young Peoples Societies of Christian
Endeavor, and Kings Daughters and
Kings Sons, and Boys Brigades, and
all the other Matched and unmatched
ideas in the institutional incubator. 1t
is no wonder that prominent preach
er wrote me the other day, "the great
desideratum, is society whose mission
shall be to kill societies"
In discussing this topic there is one
cheering feature to note: These out
side Christian organizations are not
legion the word christian" has kept
the number down. Looking over the
ground it appears that there are but
two organizations which are so widely
known as to make them the proper
subjects of our consideration. do not
include the Salvation Army, for the
simple reason that it is new and pecu-
liar denomination of itself. 1t answers
the description that tramp gave of his
ecclesiastical connection before meet
ing of Christian sociologists, in Cleve-
land. Il belong" said he 'to the
church of the Divine fragments" All
hail to this unique church! God speed
every army that makes for salvation on
all this round spherel The two organ
izations to which refer are, the Young
Mems Christian Association and the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
Under the former is included the Young
Womens Christian ASSOCIATION, which
was organized because some one came
along through the colleges and said, ut
is not good for man to be alone;" while
under the latter is included the Young
Women's Christian Temperance Union,
or in other words all they that be US.
These two organizations both have the
word Christian in their titles. They are
vast in their equipment, membership
and influence. They are alike from
time to time subjected to the criticism,
friendly or otherwise, of the churches,
and are therefore naturally before us,
1t stands to reason that vast area of
facts must be left unmentioned in this
short paper, but these facts are in the
background, and have their natural
bearing on the discussion. l propose
to ask only three questions:
/. Is the word Christian the largest
OF the smallest word in these titles, or
are they in a true sense, Christian or
CARNATIONS?
2. If so, why are they not doing
their work in the churches, instead of
on the present plan?
3. What should be the attitude of
the churches toward their work?
This first question is raised because
of certain intimations, here and there
to the effect that the Young Mems
away from his parish, and closed by
stating that he might have been misin-
formed, devoutly hoping that he was!
On the other hand from careful COM
pilation of testimony l am led to be-
lieve, that if there is Christian work
the country, not even excepting the
church, the average Young Mems
Christian Association is in that work.
Brushing aside the seemingly provi-
dental circumstances attending its or
ganization and its development to this
day, and coming directly to the present
genius and methods and results of the
Young Mems Christian Association, /
must affirm that it gives evidence of
noble Christian life. It's genius liesin
its recognition of young men and its
ever present motive of saving them.
1t does not forget that he has mind,
body, social nature and soul. Its
whole purpose is to secure this four
fold being for Christ. According to
locality, one or another department of
work is pressed, but always with the
one end in view. IF physical, social
and educational work were not capa-
BILE of being filed with the spirit of
Christ" said one leading worker, II
would get out of the Secretaryship at
once" 1t is the universal testimony.
1--WE do not always fling bible at