Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-07-11

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any great popular
gathering which is attended with more
enthusiasm
After the business sessions of SATURDAY.
and the evangelist and other mass meet.
lngs of Sunday, the regular programs OF
the convention of the Christian Endeavor
were begun Monday. Several of the
largest churches in the central part OF
the city were used in addition to OdCon
| Hall, and the three large auditoriums
| heretofore used for exposition purposes.
No event of the year has greater sig
nihcance in the religious world than the
| annual convention of this society. Ger
tainly no religious increment of modern
times has so thoroughly enlisted the SYM
pathy of those who, while having no de-
nominational affiliations, recognize tho
ethical power and uplifting influence Of
Christianity There are many reasons
fer this. Chief among them, no doubt,
is the undenominational character of the
organization. Its membership now emf
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 may be gain
u IICIh Inc 1dtI ludl IL now mas OIL Il
societies with a total membership of near
ly four million, while in 1891 at the close
of the first decade of Christian Endeayor
there were only 1924 societies with
membership of a million. Nothing cont
parable to this growth can be found IN
the history of religious movements.
This great social-religious movement
was started in Portland, Me, twenty
then a young Congregational pastor in
that city, was its 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 just
fifty years ago.
Each one of these three distinct forms
of religious association and organized eff
fort for children and young people came
into being not because of any theory, but
to meet what were felt to be the ncces-
sites of a condition. In neither case did
the new organization have any kind OF
ecclesiastical origin. No form of popular
evolution in its inception could have been
more spontaneous, simpler, Or less osten-
ta:ious.
1t is a remarkable fact that over
against the multiplication of sectarian in
dependencies and differing denominations
in modern times there have sprung into
power three great unsectarian and inter
denominational forms of Christian assoc
citation, which are making 50 irresistibly
for new fellowship Of the frceSt ana
broadest character.
The better clement in the modern
phenomenal development of vast com
mercal and industrial combinations had
already been anticipated in these young
peoples Christian associations and socie-
ties. One year ago the international
Christian Endeavor convention was held
in London. Exeter Hail, Albert Hall,
and Alexandra palace were scarcely able
to accommodate the large assemblies.
There were officially reported 59.1T2
different societies, with 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, 10; Africa, 90; Ger
many, 16S; Madagascar, 93; Turkey, co.
Besides these nearly four millions of the
So-caled Christian Endeavorers were III
fellowship With the United G. T.. Society.
Worthy of note is the spontaneity and
freedom which characterize this immense
organization. Nothing could be more
democratic. The great conventions do
not enact a particle of legislation; do not
even adopt resolutions. The utterances,
the discussions, the demonstrations go
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 DR.. Fran
els Il. Clark is still the head, neither as.
sumes nor exercises any authority over
the local societies. 1t gathers statistics,
gives information, publishes newspa-
per, and in these and other ways keeps
alive the sense of universal Fellowship.
1t manages and provides for the great
annual conventions. and thus undoubt-
edly exerts an influence to prepare the
men and women in all the
churches for the larger and vet the closer
which the new times are de-
After this the international
of the society are TO be held
only once in two years.