The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-06
AMBITIONS OF THE
CHURCHES.


| dist church to increase membership and
| the Luther league in connection with
the Lutheran church will do the same
thing.
he c h Q Ii s-For. several years
! past the Roman Catholics have discussed
the plan of taking a census of numbers
and property throughout the world, with
1 a view of publishing early in the new
| century the impressive facts or data in
| mass and SO making before the world
such tremendous showing as only the
! Church of Rome could make, of mate
rial and spiritual achievement. The
events of holy year. which ended Christ
/ mas, seems to have overshadoWeda the
census scheme, at any rate the Ameri-
can churches are not yet in the work
of taking this census.
planned by Ira D. Sankey, whose songs
aided Moody and others in religious re-
yivals, to begin practical, movement in
this country to develop American voices
in the interest of Christianity. He says:
| It shall go into the principal cities
and towns and call the singers together
They must be good men. L mean reli-
gious men. They must sing for me in
public and then sing for me in private.
Then [ shall select the best voices
shall bring all these Voices to New York,
| where they will be trained, with view
Of singing. with such. spirit and under
standing as will enable them to return
to their respective homes, and assist in
religious work. 1 believe that this is
necessary to a spiritual awakening in
this country: The oldsfashioned singing
is needed Singers must feel the song
in their hearts to arouse devotional feel
ing in Others
TO Cow ert TIL e n a tt o n.-An
| interdenominational movement is under
way to celebrate the beginning of the
twentieth century by a strong, synpa-
thetic effort to evangelize the nation
through the medium Of existing churches
and church societies. Such is, in effect
the motive of what is probably the most
far reaching religious movement ever in
| augurated.
1t is a plan backed by leading repre-
sentatiVes of nearly every prominent
Christian denomination and religious So
ciety in the United States. These leaders
have united, ia an appeal to2dhe people
| of America to join, in their respective
! cities and towns, in a week of prayer
the opening week Of the century.
An appeal is being sent to- the Chris
| tian ministers of the nation explaining
+ to them the object of this new plan and
! asking their cooperation. -
The week of prayer, from Jan. 6 to 13
was but the first step in plan to evan
| gelize this whole nation. Creeds are put
! in the background and men Of every de-
! nomination unite in the common Gauss
| of promoting the effectiveness of existina
| church agencies. CIV.
It is probably the longest step ever
| taken in attaining interdenominational
| cooperation.
No spasmodic revival is planned Nc
| hippodrome spectacles are contemplated
! but it is hoped that by the leadership OF
| a committee constituted of trusted repre-
!; sentatives of every denomination al
| churches can be helped.
| 1t is expected, primarily to strengthen
/ the churches-to unite them in a sympa-
| thetic, businessGl1e scheme to help one
! another.
| This, movement will not recognize doc
i trinal differences. 1t will be conducted
f! upon an evangelical basis, but there will
be no antagoniSm manifested toward
those who lean to the higher criticism.
| This new religious movement. of such
| gigantic proportions was first suggested
! by the late evangelist, D. L. Moody.
i The fGea occurred about the same time
/ to William Phillips Hail. the business
| man evangelist, who is chairman of the
| present movement.
1t was for many years before his deaf.
opening of the new century might be
the occasion for a great religious aWah-
! ening
| The practical scheme of national COS
/ pei campaign, Mr.. Hall. says, was. in
part suggested by the forward move
ment' of the Methodist church, which
| has set out to convert 2, 000 600 souls and
raise $2O,000,e00 before Jan L, 1902.
The leaders do not intend to form any
new society They aim solely to pro-
/ mote the interest of existing churches and
| church societtes-to ascertain their needs
| and to supply them; or, in other words,
| to wake up America religiously.
| The national central committee has
| been appointed. It has held several
meetings. Its entire membership Joined
in the appeal sent out to the nation.
| Offices are to be opened for the cam
| paign in New. York city. The co-opera,
ton of the press is to be solicited, and
every effort made to deepen the eonsecra-
ton ofsChristian and awaken the unchris-
tan to their, religious needs. e
T h e z. M. C. A.-The two branches Of
| young peoples associations In Christian
Work-young men and young women
| will make a united and earnest effort to
| promote the work in which they are en-
| gagged in with SO much present success,
| but which they hope to enlarge to pro-
/ portions far inTexcess of ordinary hopes.
The S alvati on A r m y.-Eeaders
in this field Of Christian labor, eontem-
| plate renewed effort during the new cen
! fury. They have already organized prac-
| teal movements to relieve distress
| among the lewly, and these will be en-
| larged. 1t is intended to locate colonies
from the cities on Western lands, and
steps for that purpose have already been
| taken. - eszezz -
The Vo1un t er o Am e,rl c a.
This organization, like. the Salvation
Army, works in the streets and IN places
| where the regular denominations have
| been doing little. The officials of the
Volunteers have large plans for the Goth
century.