The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-07
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A WORLD MOVEMENT

For five days Cincinnati will be crowd
Ell with an army many times larger
than any that has ever before encamped
inside its limits. A peaceful army, it is
true: nevertheless the thousands enlist
ed under the banner For Christ and the
Church" will have lasting influence on
the Ohio city.
The Christian Endeavor movement is
twenty years old. February 2, 1881, the
members could be counted by memory.
Now over four millions of Christians,
scattered over all the earth, are actively
engaged Sunday and weekday in the
cause. a phenomenal growth, but one
that has been perfectly natural because
the organization filled a place in the
church that had hitherto been vacant.
Figures us figures do not indicate the
strength of a moral movement. but a
cursory study of the Christian Endeavor
figures indicates in small way what
the society has accomplished in making
itself known.
Feeling the want Of something to keep
the young people of his church active in
Christian work, the pastor, Reverend
Francis e. Clark, organized the first
Christian Endeavor Society in Williston
Church, Portland, Me. The success that
attended its organization bore fruit In a
missionary effort wherein neighb0ring
towns and churches took up the scheme.
The first convention was held in Port
land in 1883. In 1884 there were but
Isl societies.
In 1856 the United Society was in
corporated. 1t prints the literature Of
the movement, but exercises no authori-
ty over any local society. The profits
from it's publications are devoted to the
furtherance of the organizations work.
In 1889 Doctor Clark, the founder Of
the first society, became the president
Of the United Society, remaining Mt its
head until the present time. He has
travelled around the world three times
for the society.
Five thousand delegates attended the
first convention held in the West, in
Chicago. Philadelphia entertained $500
delegates the next year: Eleven years
ago, in 1880, st. Louis entertained 5000
delegates. Some of the other conven-
tions had enormous delegations. The
convention held in Minneapolis in 1891
had $4,000 delegates in attendance;
Madison Square Garden IN 1892, $4,000
delegates; Cleveland in 1894. 10000 dele
gates; Boston, 1895, 56,435 delegates.
Boston has the honor Of having enter
tanned the largest convention. The re
moval Of the meeting place to distant
points has had the effect Of reducing the
attendance. At that, 1000 delegates
registered when the convention met in
San Francisco four years ago. Last
years convention in London had an
average attendance of over 10000.
Hereafter the conventions will be held
biennially, so that the Cincinnati con.
vention will probably be one of the lar.
gest. There are now over 6O,OO0 Chris.
tian Endeavor societies in the world.
They are scattered in nearly every ma.
ton, In all the European countries, in
China, India, West Africa, Transvaal
Jamaica, Philippines, and In all the
South American countries. Everywhere
has the movement spread, a movement
with no selfish purpose, founded for the
preservation Of Christian character and
| morals, and for all that Is good and
holy.