Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-07-16

gathering which is attended with more
enthusiasm.
After the business sessions of Saturday
and the evangelist and other mass meet
ings of Sunday, the regular programs of
the convention of the Christian Endeayor
were 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 auditorums
heretofore used for exposition purposes.
No event of the year has greater sig
niicance in the religious world than the
annual convention of this society. Ger
tainly no religious movement of modern
times has so thoroughly enlisted the SYM
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 may be gain
el from the fact that it now has 81 ,427
societies with a total membership of near
~ four million, while in 1891 at the close
of the first decade of Christian Endeavor
there were only 1924 societies with n
membership of 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 Il. Clark,
then a young Congregational pastor iB
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 neces-
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-
tatious.
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 n 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 in these young
peoples Christian associations and socie-
ties. One 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 59,172
different societies, with total member
ship of 3,500,0 600. OF these societies 49,
262 were in the United States in En-
land, 1000; Australia, 1000; India, 1895
China, 14S; Japan, 49, Africa, 90; Ger
many, 1885, Madagascar, 93; Turkey, 90.
Besides these nearly four millions of the
so-called Christian EndeayOrers were i'm
fellowship with the United G. Il. Society.
The Methodist Epworth League and the
Baptist Young Peoples Union. having a
similar aim. though more closely de-
nom national, have in the aggregate a
nearly equal membership.
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 DIR. Fran
els f. 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 manages and provides for the great
annual conventions, and thus undoubt-
edy eXerts an influence to prepare the
younger men and women in all the
churches for the larger and yet the closer
federation which the new times are de-
handing After this the international
cOnventio Of the society are to be held
only once in two years.