The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-08
CHRISTIANS AT WORK.
National Oganization Of Live Evange-
lists to Meet Here.

Constituted and How it is Operated
The Rule of Delegates and Attendance
Portland Committee. ~
This afternoon Rev.H. W. Pope, the as
sociate Secretary of the association of
Christian Workers, is expected to arrive
in Portland to make preparations Tor the
convention which is to begin here in the
Second Parish church next Thursday
and last five days. The international
Christian Workers Association had its
ORIGIN in uhe First Convention of Chris
tian Workers in the United Estates and
Canada held in Chicago in 1885, At
this time a committee was appointed to
provide for second convention and to
do such other work as they might think
wise for the advancement of special
forms of aggressive Christian effort
among those not reached 10y the ordinary
ministrations of the church. This COM
m1ttee afterwards added to their mum Der
and chose Cooperating Members, who
by the payment of annual fees would
be entitled to receivessreports of the con-
veptions and have a definite snare
through suggestions given to the COM
mittee or otherwise, as they might re-
quest, or the cooperating mem bers de-
sire.
The committee and cooperating mem
bers constituted practically an association
of Christian workers, and the convention
held in Buffalo in 1889 voted that Sney
should be incorporated into a 1ormaA
association. In accordance with thls
vote they became Incorporated III loSo
under the laws of the State OF Connec-
ticut, the name being "The lnternaeionai
Christian Workers Association, Win
offices and Headquarters at New haven.
An annual fee of ten dollars is palo py
each member of the committee. Assoc
ciate cooperating mem bers pay Two ooi-
lars annually, and sustaining co-operat-
ing memb ers pay five dollars or more an
nually. These fees furnish an income
for meeting the ordinary Office ana cleri-
cal expenses. The expenses Tor annual
conventions have been provided Ior py
the city in which the convention was
held. The work of the Association Is
carried on in the same manner as tnat
of the committee and cooperating MEM
bers previous to Incorporation, the man
agement being by the comm lttee, anu
the cooperating members assisting as
the committee request, and by sugges-
tions or otherwise from time to time.
The cooperating members now num-
Der about twelve hundred and are among
EQpa n IL
vanced lines of Christian effort in the
United States, Canada, England, Scot
land. India and South Africa. Co-oEerat-
ing mem bers are elected by the managing
committee on nomination by other mem
bers, the names being sent to the sec
rotary. who forwards them to the COM
u,ittee from time to. time by mail for
election.
The root idea in these conventions is
that they should be expositions OF. the
diversity of ministrations by which men
and women have been led of the Spirit
in the work of winning souls. The result
is 8 spiritualizing and energlzing OF
agencies for Christian work. and the
stirring up and bringing into active
Christian work of many who for various
reasons have hitherto not been active.
The conventions have been specially
valuable to pastors. for they not only
have given them an opportunity OF
studying closely the men who are most
successful as evangelists, mission work
ers. pastors and otherwise in advancing
the Kingdom of Christ, but they bring
out new helpers from their people, and
make possible the adoption OF new
methods. The spiritual results are also
very marked.
The delegates to a convention such as is
to meet here are of two kinds, special
and general. The special delegates are
appointed by churches, missionary So
cietIes, Young Mems Christian Associa-
tons, Epworth Leagues, Christian En-
deavor Societies, Christian Temperance
Unions, missions and other Christian
work agencies. As rule such special
delegates are confined to these organiza-
lions in the city in which convention is
held and immediate vicinity. The gen
eral delegates consist of any Christian
who desire to attend. The cooperating
mem bers of the Christian Workers Asso-
citation are privileged to attend as special
delegates without appointment by some
particular church or Christian work
agency. All delegates have equal priv
ileges in reduced rates Of railroads anu
in entertainment, and in participating
in the deliberations of the conven ton,
discussions, asking questions or other
wise, except voting on matters which
may be brought before the convention
by. the chairman. Voting on such mat
tiers is limited to cooperating memb ers
of the association under whose auspices
the convention is held. All churches
are entitled to be represented by pastor