Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-11

IN q AWll world are gathered in PITTS
Ia burg this week to celebrate
la the Tooth anniversary OF the
III y Al religious denomination known
lSelz1al2l as the Disciples of Christ, or
more commonly, the Chris
tian church. On September 26, 1902
Alexander Campbell promulgated his
Declaration of Principles" and from
that date and document grew this great
religious body The Disciples now
number a million and a half, more than
million belonging to churches in the
United States. This is the only purely
American Christian denomination, and
its growth in the last few years has
been more rapid than that of any other
Protestant denomination. Its member
ship has increased so per cent in the
past eighteen years and it ranks sixth
in numerical strength in the United
States, coming after the Roman Cath
olics, the Methodists, the Baptists, the
Lutherans and the Presbyterians, in
the order named.
uniuue feature of the celebration
in Pittsburg is the great roll of the
church. For many months the congre-
cations throughout the world nave
been sending in the rosters of their
active members to the general centen-
nial headquarters, and they now have
the names and addresses of more than
a million of their communicates. From
these the great roll has been prepared,
and after the centennial is over this
roll probably will be deposited in the
library of congress.
The opening of the centennial exc
cises did not begin with the Pittsburg
celebration, where only the compara-
tively few could be present. 1t began
wherever a spire of church of the
Disciples faith points slkyward, whether
in Europe, Asia, Australia or the
Americas. Perhaps three million Wor-
shippers took part in these exercises
It was on September 26-Declaration
day, as they called 1.-THE centennial
anniversary of Campbell's great pro-
mitigation of principles. Seven thou
sand ministers at the morning service
preached on the subject Where the
Scriptures Speak" In the evening
their subject was "A Generation OF
Bible Students" In this sermon they
reviewed the history Of their great
leaders. Perhaps never before has there
been such elaborate preparations for
simultaneous worldwide religious his
torical celebration.
A great spirit if missionary zeal has
been awakened among the Disciples
during this centennial year. With
record of growth seldom, If ever,
eoualed in the hundred years behind
them, they have turned their faces to
the future in plans for new efforts.
With 100000 students now in the
teachers training classes of their sun
day schools they are campaigning for
sc, 900 more. Not only that. They want
10000 preachers in their ranks; ten
million more of assets; every church to
have it's mission; every preacher pull
nit: every efsffrch well housed, and
every church debt paid. Today they
have about 1000 ordained ministers and
II, 900 churches.
The history of the Disciples is filled
with events of human interest. Inc
church started at a time when skeptic-
ism was almost the rule and dlspelleI
far from uncommon. In 1898 only tour
or five of the students at Yale were
members of the church. Princeton had
| q. student body in which belief in
Christianity was not much more pre-
valent. William and Mary was not
he'd of unbelief. Pennsylvania uniVer-
isty, forerunner of the University, OF
Kentucky, founded by the Prespy-
| terians. was in the hands of those who
repudiated the principles of CHRISTIAN
| itv. Bishop Meade said that in lSlG
| he expected to find every educated
young man a skeptic If not indeed q
| disbeliever. Chancellor Kent said that
the majority of professional men AZ
| that time were unbelievers. In lSOG
there was but one Congregational
church in Boston which adhered to the
| old faith. Men went to hear the EN-
inent DR.. Griffin dressed in disguise
rather than face the gibes of their
friends. H..
1t was just about this time that
| there was an awakening. A great Ic-
vivaI swept over the country ana tne
evangelical churches were aroused TO
unprecedented activity. Out of TINS
movement grew the founding of the
disciples of Christ. Their action was
a protest against sectarianism. They
wanted to lay aside all the doctrlnal
| differences that were not essential TO
salvation, and find common GROUND
where all denominations could unite
under a single banner. "Where the
| scriptures speak, we speak, afld
where thew are silent we are silent,
was their motto, meaning that to each
Individual was to be left everything
hut those things which all Christians
| admitted were essential to salvation.
First they started out as an assoc1a-
tion pledged to work for the unifica-
tion of the churches of all denomlna-
tions, but after having their e1orts
to promote such an end set at naught
nv those to whom they made overtures,
| they concluded to establish a churcn'
This was at Brush Run, Pa, IN
| 1910. 1t was not long after this until
! Alexander Campbell reached his IA
NOUS conclusion that weeks debate
was worth years preaching. con-