The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-30
LAYMAN'S CENTURY
SHOULD BE so CHARAC-
TERIZED-DR. CLARK.
All the Great Movements in the Relig-
ious World Said to Be Product
of Lay Ideas.

Under the head OF ''The Iayman's Cen
fury the Rev. Francis e. Clark, president
of the United Society of Christian En-
deavor, says in the Endeavor World:
This twentieth century will be char
acterized in many ways. doubtless, before
II has run its course, but nothing, ] ven
ture to say, will be more characteristic OF
1t In church circles than the fact that it
VIII be prominently the laymen's century.
'All the great movements Of modern
days have been essentially laymen's move
ments. In The Sunday school laymen are
the teachers and officers and leaders. The
same is prominently true of the Young
Mems Christian Association. The Chris
tian Endeavor Society, though in the
church and of the church and for the
church, and under the direction of the
pastor OF the church, is nevertheless an
effort for the training Of young laymen
for all branches of church and philan-
thropie work. or course in this inclusive
phrase the 'laymen" include the lay
women, and all the multitude OF women's
missionary societies which have been so
vigorous and efficient In their work really
come under this designation.
80 In the more recent efforts known as
the Laymen's Missionary Movement, tho
'brotherhoods of different denominations
ana the men cluD WHICH SDHle CuuTCHSs
have found useful--these all are laymen'E
movements for the Advancement Of the
kingdom
"A w. Benedict, of st. Louis, a we'll
known leader In his denomination, at a
recent meeting of the Congregational AS
ISOLATION OF Missouri, presented an aston
lshing and heartening array Of facts to
show what laymen are already doing and
the number OF religious organizations In
which they take the lead.
HE marshals the brotherhoods, the
leagues, the societies of men In the Cath
olic, as we'll as the Protestant churches,
and shows that a host of men are now at
work for men, though there is room for n
host more in this illimitable field of Chris
tian effort.
Perhaps the most significant laymen' 5
movement is along missionary lines In
which Hon. s. b. Capen, of Boston. and
other men of like spirit and character,
have taken such leading part
"In an address OF great power Dr. Capen
has defined this new departure as move
ment expressing life, energy and progress.
as "a missionary movement with a great
ideal, the evangelization of the world In
this generation as a laymens movement
for the mature men of this generation who
are IN the thick OF the fight
'Tne MetnDnlSlS nave lUTfltu wesley
Brotherhood and the Presbyterans a Pres
byGerim Brotherhood; the Baptists have
moved in the same direction. while the
laymans forward movement in the Pro-
testant Episcopal Church Of the United
States was the agency which made the
magnificent Offering for missions at the
recent general convention at Richmond.
"The men Of the Congregational churches
are the latest to form brotherhood at
the recent triennial council In Cleveland,
the clearly avowed object of which is to
help every other church Organization, the
Sunday school, the Christian Endeavor So
ciety, the Junior Society, the church SER
vices, the missionary enterprises OF every
kind.
with such a spirit and comprehensive
purpose, these brotherhoods, If they live
up to their principles, cannot fail.
EVERY wise pastor, | believe will wei
come this uprising of the laymen, and will
rejoice In It; for, If wisely guided, It will
strengthen every church and stay up every
pastors hands.
1T is simply the modern application Of
Wesleys At it, all at it and always
al It.
rr-.. 4. Ef,.afta,