Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-07-19
gathering which i.
~nthusiaum

<AIter the business sessions of Saturday,
and the evangelist and other mass meet.
inss of Sunday, the regular programs of
the convention Of the Christian Endeavu,
We're begun Monday. Several of the
largest churches in the central part Of
the city were used in addition to Odeon.
Hall, and the three large auditoriums
heretofore used for exposition purposes,
No event Of the year has greater sig.
nificance in the religious world than the
annual convention OF this society, Ger
talnly no religious movement of modern
times has so thoroughly enlisted the syn.
pathy of those who, while having no de-
nominational affiliations. recognize the
ethical power and uplifting influence of
Christianity. There are many reasons.
for this. Chief among them, no doubt,
is the undenominational character of the
organization. Its membership now EN-.
braces forty denominations of the evan.
gelical church, reaching into all lands
where Christianity has an organized fol.
lowing. Some idea OF the phenomenal
growth of the organization NAV be gain.
ell from the fact that it now has 61.427,
societies with a total membership of near.
ly four million, while in 1891 at the close
of the first decade of Christian Endeayor
there We're only 1924 societies with 6
membership of a million. Nothing com.
parable to this growth can be found IN
the history of religious movements.
This great social-religious movement
was started in Portland, Me-, twenty
years ago. The Rev. Francis q. Clark.
then a young Congregational pastor in
that city, was it's originator, as Robert
Raikes had been of the new Sunday
school movement in Gloucester, England,
just one hundred years before, and as Mr..
George Williams, in London, was of the.
Young Mems Christian Association lust
fifty years ago.
Each one Of these three distinct forms
of religious association and organized eff
fort for children aud young people came
into being not because of any theory, but
to meet what were felt to be the neces-
sites of a condition. In neither case did
the new organization nave any kind of
ecclesiastical origin. No form of popular
evolution in its inception could have been
more spontaneous, simpler, or less osten.
tatious.
1t is a remarkable fact that owe.
against the multiplication of sectarian in
dependencies and differing denominations
in modern times there have sprung into,
power three great unsectarian and inter-
UNCONVENTIONAL forms Of Christian asso-
citation, which are making so irresistibly
for a new fellowship of the freest and
broades. character.
The better element in the modern
phenomenal development of vast COM
mercial and industrial combinations had
already been anticipated i'll these young
peoples Christian associations and socie-
ties. Ono year ago the international.
Christian Endeavor convention was held
in London. Exeter Hall, Albert Hall,
and Alexandra palace were scarcely able
to accommodate the large assemblies,
There were officially reported 59.17a.
different societies, with a total member
ship Of 100000. OF these societies 49,
262 were in the United States: in En-
land, 1000; Australia. 1000; India, 439:
China, 14S; Japan, 73; Africa. 60; Ger
many, 16S; Madagascar, 93; Turkey, 90.
Besides these nearly four millions of the.
so-called Christian Endeavorers We're in
fellowship with the United c. T.. Society.
Worthy of note is the spontaneity and
freedom which characterize this immense
organization. Nothing could be more,
democratic. The great conventions do
uoI eluCI u pafllcle VI leslSidllOu, 10 uOL-
even adopt resolutions. The ~utterances,
the discussions, the demonstrations 60
for what they are worth. The organic
ing principles of the society are clearly
enough defined. and these are left to.
make their own Roadway.
The United Society. of which DIR. Fran
els u. Clark is still the head, neither as
sumes nor exercises any authority over
the local societies. 1t gathers statistics,
gives information, publishes a newspa-
per, and in these and other ways keeps
alive the sense of universal fellowship.
1t ana and provides for the great
annual conventions, md thus undoubt-
eddy exerts an influence to prepare the
younger men and women in all the
churches for the larger and vet the closer
federation which the new times are de-
handing. After this the international.
conventions of the society are to be held.
only once in two years.
Brief News Items.
The Chicago City Council has adjourn
ed to Sept. %.
Three large steel mills, Balboa, Spain..
will consolidate.