The Van Buren press., 1899-07-08
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVORERS| |
Eighteenth Annual Convention OF
the United Society of Chris
tian Endeavorers.
THOUSANDS OF DELEGATES At DETROIT.
The Annual Meeting of the LEGAL
Body at Hotel Cadillac, Presided
Over by Rev. DIR. CIark-A Hum
dred Thousand Recruits Within
the Past Year.

Detroit, Mich, July 6.-The officers
of the United Society of Christian En-,
dtavor did not arrive in time to hold
the annual business meeting of that
corporation at the hour set, viz: 10 a..
H., and the meeting was late in con-
yening. The special train from Bos-
ton was a victim of temporary con.
gestion of railroad traffic caused by
the large number of Christian Endeav-
or special trains en- route to Detroit.
The leaders of the Christian EndeavoI
movement were, consequently, late in
sIriving.
Skies Gave Promise of Showers.
Skies, which gave promise of proba-
bic showers, greeted the thousands OF
Endeavors delegates who hocked into
the city from every direction, but for
a July day the atmosphere was rea-
sonably cool. The earlier arrivals, who
had travelled all night, spent most of
the morning seeking their temporary
homes and getting settled for the
week. Street cars and steamers car
red thousands of young strangers,
who employed the preliminary day OF
The convention in seeing points of in.
terest in and about the City of Straits.
The convention begins with grand
welcoming rally in Tent Endeavor.
The Annual Meeting.
Rev. DR.. Frances f. Clark, president;
Secretary John Willis Baer and Treas.
urer Vim. Shaw arrived at 10:30. Al
II o'clock DIR. Clark called to order the
nnnaul meeting of the united society
in the Hotel Cadillac. DR.. Clark ad-
dressed the members of the legal Or
ganization in part as follows:
The Past Years Work.
THE past year of Christian Endeay-
OF work has been year of remarkable
prosperity, a year signally marked by
the favor of God. Christian Endeavor
has now so largely occupied the field
that the phenominal growth recorded
in the early years of the movement
Fan not be expected. Nevertheless the
growth has been very considerable and
the accession Of 100000 to our ranks
within the last 12 months is no small
addition.
encouragement and Hope.
Il recently made a journey to the
West Indies which was full of en-
engagement and hope. / found in the
island of Jamaica very deep and intel
iigent interest in the movement. In
Cuba, too, | found the beginnings OF
Christian Endeavor and very hopeful
spirit and outlook for the future. In
5,heI lands Christian Endeayor seems
to be obtaining constantly a firmer
foothold.
Looking Forward to 1900.
Our British fellow Endeavorers are
looking forward with great anticipa-
ton to next years exodus to London
In Germany and France and Scandi-
navia the work has made very consid'
cradle advance. In Spain, in spite OF
the distraction of the war and the ma
tural antipathy to things American
the societies have held their own, and
have even increased in number. Rus
sia, which a year ago was the only
country without Christian Endeavor
hes now been invaded by the move
ment, and we hear of our society al
most within the czar's household.
In Behalf of Universal Peace.
"Our effort in behalf of universal
peace and international arbitration
have been a great success. 1t has re
celved the hearty approval of many OF
Ihc greatest men in Europe as wei
as America, and has called forth OF
two OF three occasions kilograms ano
letters of appreciation and gratitude
from the American peace commission
Frs at The Hague.
The spirit of brotherhood.
"'rhe spirit of brotherhood, of na'
tional and nter-denominational fel
lowsh;p, of seeking after Col and nDt
the things that pertain to office ano
station, will, / believe, characterize
this eighteenth annual convention, ant
pray God that His spirit may pervade
every future gathering of Christian
kndeavorers and the whole movement
ir all its phases and forms of work
the world over"