Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-24
lapmen 10 The RESCUE.
Gigantic Movement Spreading Like Wildfire
Through at Least Five Religious Denonina-
tons Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Baptists,
Methodists and Lutherans All Join in Crusade.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CINCINNATI, November 23.-The most
colossal movement in the church today
is that in which the laymen are interest
ed. A great wave is sw eeping resistlessly
through nearly every denomination, gath
ering in the men who have been showing
but little more than perfunctory inter
est in the church and it's work. Episco
palian, Presbyterian, Baptist Methods
and Lutheran alike has felt its quicken
ing influence.
Tremendous impetus was given the
work by the recent Presbyterian Brother
hood convention held hare. Men left thi
city impelled with the thought that they
must do something to make the church
a greater and more powerful factor In
the daily life than 1t has ever been. They
left imbued with spirit of charity
toward the whole world that must per-
force make itself felt in the missionary
effort now spreading like flame on
dry grass prairie.
The whole laymen's movement is dl-
rected toward impressng upon the bust
ness man the Importance of his support
of the church, not alone financially, but
morally. At the outset it was largely
d missionary movement. There had been
notably the Episcopalans and Presby-
terians. The former were to celebrate
this year their tercentennial. influential
men considered the question of how they
might best show their gratitude for al
the good they had gained from the
church They started missionary fund
of $1,000, 600. George c. Thomas of Phil
adelphia was made the treasur I. Always,
busy man. one who had many interests
that required attention, he made the
ina in, 1x-nic to frav q
for the laymen's fund. H talked in many
cities. He directed the gathering of this
thank offering. He inspired others with
the power of the movement should it be
made a success. Day by day the laymen
saw the leaven working Finally the fund
was complete and in the presence of
splendid audience it was turned over to
the church.
The money they had raised was but a
small part of the good that had been
wrought. 1t was only the material mani
festation of the power of the business
man in the church, once he became in
terested. Heretofore the clerical forces
had guided and controlled in the mission
fields, the men and women. especially the
latter, raising the money. The tercenten-
NAL fund was the first ever raised by the
men alone. 1t gave them sense of their
yond the Episcopal Church. 1t turned up
in other denominations. The great number
of men who came here for the Presby
terrain Brotherhood meetings was an evil
dence of how much in earnest the men are,
now that they have once started.
mo organization in the last century,,
said Prof. ]. r. Howerton of Washington
and Lee University, in addressing the
Brotherhood, has been fraught with more
good than an organization of Christian
/ diSnaraReI
ment of woman's work in religion or home
life or elsewhere, What woman has done
for this country and for the world has
always been for the best and has been
great; but l say that men can do more
good in religious work than women. Men
have more power to do good as we'll as
evil. 1t is men who are the saloonkeep-
ers. the gamblers; men who fill the jails
and penitentiaries. and men who make the
bad laws. In spite Of this it is the men
who can do the most good in religion be-
cause of their position in business and
politics. Men are the teachers and the
preachers. and If we are to win the world
for Christ the men must be made to do
more for religion"
This was the keynote of the convention
The thought that Prof. Howerton had ex-
pressed is to be put into concrete form
by President Ira Landrith of Belmont Col
lege. Nashville. Elected as general secre-
tary Of the Brotherhood. he will push the
work from Nashville. though the head
quarters will be moved to Chicago, and the
thought Is that eventually he will give I'D
his educational work to devote all his time
to the Brotherhood. The organization
started without dollar. In the past year
50, 700 has been expended by the Council of
Twenty-one, and for the next two years
1t Is planned to use $4,000 in extending
the lay movement in the church. At one
session over $4,000 of this amount was
subscribed.
With the Episcopalians and Presbyte-
rians firmly intrenched in this movement,
the Baptists have turned their attention
toward organization. Men from all the
Baptist churches in Philadelphia have
formed branch of the laymen's mission
airy movement and voted to raise 81, OOO,-
900 for missions. besides 500, 900, which
is to be for Chinese work exclusively.
The Texas Baptists approved the vote of
the Southern Baptist convention held at
Richmond, and Immediately organized a
state branch. with the distinct under
standing. however. that the movement
should not contemplate any separate de-
nominational board or agency, but should
simply stimulate the laymen to more eff
fectiye and faithful activity through the
established boards or agencies. 1t was in
teresting to note at this convention that
the preachers outnumbered the laymen.
II was referred to more than once by the
speakers. but always in a good-natured
way.
Robert H. Coleman of Dallas told these
Baptists that the laymen should pick out
the proper site for the church. that they
should provide proper music and singing
In the church. that they should protect
the preachers. and ended by defining the
duties succiifctly. as follows: Person, not
proxy. the laymans call; position. not
profe ssion. his chance; passion. not pru-
dence. his culture. 1t was recalled by
another speaker that the Baptists of Mis-
souri, of whom there are 10000, had
raised but $4,000 for the movement to
evangelize the world. and it was hoped
that the movement in Texas would show
better results.
Since then better report has been had
from the west. The movement has forged
ahead more rapidly than even its most
ardent enthusiasts had contemplated. AT
Topeka. Kan. a mems dinner brought to-
eether 100 of the leading laymen of the
city 1t was found that the churches OF
the city as a whole gave about $1,000 an
nually to foreign missions. These men
determined that the amount shall be at
least $4,000. and committee was named
TO secure the amount within sixty days,
which is now being done.
At st. Joseph, Mo-, similar gathering
discovered that the 1900 church members
gave about S12.0 yearly TO mission work
1t was decided that this should be in
creased four-fold and made Sc. 1000. In
fuential business men at once started the