The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-02
BAPTIST ANNIVERSARIES
ARE BROUGHT TO A CLOSE

coming last, most of the ministers and
delegates have gone home.
Mrs. White of birmingham com
pared the conventions of the Christian
Endeavor Society with the meetings
of the Baptist Young Peoples Union,
much to the disadvantage of the lat
ter. She suggested that the Baptist
society hold a convention of it's own
with a program of the best talent OBJ
tainable which would draw out large
attendance.
Rev. Walter Galley of Boston depre-
Gated the idea of withdrawal from the
| anniversary meetings, but suggested a
rotary plan by which the B. Y. P. U
would hold its session once in a while
| in the middle of the anniversary
work. He said he understood the time
of meeting for the convention and the
Sunday School Association are fixed by
their charters and by laws, but that
| these might be changed to admit OF
the rotary plan
Rev. DR.. S. B. Meeser asked that the
| resolutions be read again. 1t was
suggested that the resolutions be
referred back to the committee on ar
engagements and be put in the form of
a recommendation. The committee,
acting on the suggestion, reported
later and recommended the appoint
nent of a committee to confer with
the joint committee on federation of
the convention and the Sunday School
Association as to the best means of
securing a closer relationship between
the meetings of these societies and
that of the Young Peoples Union.
Rev. George F. Green of Lawrence
gave 15-minute report of the national
convention of the B. Y. P. U. at Chi
cago last summer.
Rev. Walter Galley of Boston gave
an address on THE Meaning of Our
Movement" He began by saying that
the question, What do you stand for?'
Is sometimes an embarrassing one to
answer He continued: ut becomes
my solemn duty to attempt to apply
this test to the Baptist Young People
Union. Is it an organization which has
right to a name and a being among
us because it is rendering a valuable
service to the denomination and the
cause of Christ?
These considerations naturally fall
under three heads. First, is a separate
young peoples organization of any
kind necessary? Secondly, is a Baptist
young peoples organization necessary?
Thirdly, is the organization we now
have the kind best adapted to the needs
of the hour?
Before an intelligent answer can be
made to these questions, it will be
necessary for us to take into account
some of The tendencies of the hour.
He pointed out three tendencies among
young people which ought to make US
all solicitous. There is a growing in
difference to that evangelistic endeaYor
upon which the church of our fathers
lived and expanded. There is ten
dency on the part Of the thoughtful
and educated among us to seek the
fellowship Of the sO-called liberal
churches. With others there is a dis
position to give up ali religious wor-
ship.
'.Three reasons suggest themselves
to me why these conditions exist. The
first is the widespread Indifference to
the church which has fallen ike a
smothering weight upon her. This
does not mean so much a lack OF
spirituality as the absorption in the
multitudinous affairs Of the present
time. philanthropic and reformatory,
which weans from, overshadows and
crowds out the church. The second is
a widening chasm between what many
young people Understand the Baptist
position to be and the intellectual con-
ceptions of truth which mark the
thought of these open days of the 29tA
century The third IS the lack Of g
large percentage Of educated youn
men and young women who can hold
by force of congenial fellowship those
who have had these advantages and
win others of the same attachments.
What is necessary to turn the tide
so that W. may win back our young
people to q ccnsecrated service in the
church of their love? No humanitarian
or philanthropic organization in the
world can ever take the place of the
church of Christ in the winning of the
world to righteousness. To do this a
new emphasis must be placed in our
religious teaching and life, upon the
true mission ana real glory Of the
church. A re-examina ton of the teach
ing of our Lord ard the conditions upon
which the church was compelled to
contend with in the days Of her begin
nings. the scope Of her mission and the
source Ct her power will revive wan
ing interest ana set her forth in her
majesty.
las to what the Baptist people them
selves stand for. II has been often
said that II we have no better reason
for our separate existence than that
we exist, then we ought to seek speed
fly to wipe cut this disgrace and sh anne
Of schism. II those principles for which