Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-01-30
Tuesday, January 80, 1906.
25 Years of the Y. p. S. G. e.


here in our own State of Maine and
from then has rapidly grown to great
and powerful World-embracing orSani-
Zaticn with a membership Of fully
100000 The 25th anniversary Of the
Christian Endcavor movement Will be
celebrated by Endeavorers the world
over next Friday. 1t was on February
2, 1881, that the first Young Peoples
Society of Christian Endeavor was or
ganiZed by Rev. Francis f. Clark in
Williston church, Portland. He was
then ii young pastor. and his object
was simply to set the young people Of
his church to work and to train them
for Christian service, with no thought
of the great organization that would
grow from such Il small beginning. But
his earnest leadership and their ready
following brought about such a move
ment among the young as the world
had never seen before.
The society then founded has passed
over the entire earth. Many millions
of young people have enlisted under it's
banner, bearing the motto, For Christ
and the Church" Boards Of church
officials, the Sunday schools, the prayer
meetings. charity work, missions.
cvansclistic work. Christian work of all
kinds. are now feeling the results of
this training OF the young by definite
Christian principles and practice. soon
after the formation of the first society
the excellence of the plan became
known to other churches. and other so
Cictics, began to be formed. BY 1855
the movement had spread in the United
States, and had reached out to Europe.
China and the Hawaiian Islands, with
a total of 253 societies and a member
ship of 1882. In this year the
United Society Of Christian Endeavor
was formed as Il central organization.
and she movement began to take on its
International and intcrdcmOninational
aspect. which has since become such a
distinctive feature. The following
year 4 Christian Endcavor paper. then
known as the Golden Rule. but now
the Christian Endeavor World. was cs-
tabishrd 2s the organ Of the move
mcnt and this journal has aided large
ly i'm the growth and usefulness of the
societies.
The demand on DR.. Clark became so
great that he gave up his pastoral
work, and has since devoted his whole
time to the general interests of the
movement In 1892 he made trip
around the world at the invitation of
many persons from other countries
whom he had met at conventions In
this country. Meetings were held un-
der the auspices Of missionaries and
others. and many societies were formed.
Altogether this important journey COW
cred $4,000 miles. and DR.. Clark made
over $50 addresses before audiences aS-
grcEnting more than 100. 900 people. Ad-
dresses were made through interpret
crs in moro than 20 languages. DIR.
Clark has since made other foreign
tours, which have been a great stimu-
lus to- young peoples religious work in
nearly all parts of the world. and have
been n powerful aid to the cause of
missions.
Tho movement had Il rapid growth i'll
the United States. Thousands of So
Cicti"s were formed. and great conven-
tions were held. which have never been
cqualcd in enthusiasm and numbers by
religious gatherings. Especially nota-
bic were the conventions at Boston in
1895. Washington IN 1896 and at Balti-
morc last year. In this movement the
United states has always led. The
latest figures credit this country with
451I2 societies. Great Britain and Ire
land came second. with 10.5t0 societies,
and Canada third, with 427S. The
worldwide total is S7,2l3 societies. in
siNty-scvcn countries. with a present
membership of more than 100000. In
all il is estimated that at least 10000,
COO people have held membership in the
organization since its beginning. The
net gain for last year was over 1000 So
Cietics. During the past two years A
states and territories of the United
States and three provinces of Canada
have gained more than 10 per cent. in
the number of their societies. Twenty
four states have Increased more thar
% PEI cent. fourteen more than so pei
cent. seven more than 40 per cent.
four more than so per cent. two NOR,
than 80 per cent. and Hawaii has
gained 116 per cent.
More than forty denominations are
represented in the movement. and
many of these have their own de.
nominational Christian Endeavol
unions and have no other young peo.
Pies organization. In the United
States the Presbyterians lead. in Can.