The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-11

Il DtAAhk tifc year 1ooop III tHe fCity VI RChicago. a group of thirteen youns men met in St. Janerss Parish, under the leadership Of James l.. Houghtef- ing. for the study of Gods word. II was young mems Bible class Such as we find in every we'll organized parish of the church today.
 In the providence of God they had for their leader trained young man. possessing in more usual degree the power to perceive and the ability and courage to meet. new problems. even though it were necessary to leave the beaten path to do so--a man whose powers were consecrated to the service of God. and who. though then just out of college. brought into that service all the practical and common-sense methods which have oharacterizd him as he has since developed as s~man Of affairs in the management of large business interests. ana whose genial and cheerful disposition made him pe- cuiiarly suited to become . leader among men.
 St James Parish. at this time was one of those eminently respectable parishes in which all effort on the part of the men of the congregation seemed to. be confined to the arduous duty of serving as vesfrymen. and what few young men there were who were doing anything. were teaching classes of little girls in the Sunday school. and the thought of coming Into personal contact with the needs of men. especially of tbe character of man whose seemingly accidental pres ence in the parish afforded the oppor- tunity out of which grew the Brother hood, would have been almost as dis tasteful as the contact of devout Israelite with leper.
 In this condition of affairs--to quote the language of the founder of the Brotherhood: There came. curiously enough. to the rector Of that parish {for 1t was not frequent occurrence) poor, miserable outcast-a dilapi- dated and ancient drunkard, who ap- pealed to him for help" The rector. desfrous of doing something toward teclaiming this man, and in despair of other assistance, turned, as last re- sort, to the class of young men wnicn has been referred to, and. bringing the man into the classroom one day, ne took their leader to one side and said: "For heavens sake, do what you can for this man. am supporting nln, and he comes to me almost every nishss : and tells his woes; but can't you ana your boys hedge him about some no" or other and help to lift him up
 It was now "a condition. and not theory" which confronted them. HOW easy 1t is to theorizs about our duties' obligations, and privileges. and yet how often when brought face to race with them we feel our own heipless- ness and fail to do what has before seemed so easy to us. These .youhs men, with their teacher, roused by thls direct call for action on their part ministered to the physical needs or tne
 ztr fhnmRh ADDAIG0Ily without much success, to make hiHi realize the source from which alone he could obtain the sttength to over come the sln, the sconhnpal yielding to which had brou ght him under their care One day during one of ms so- her moments, he said to them thar when he was young man in cnurcn in a far-distant city. he belonged 70 Society of Andrew and Phiiip tnoI ths present Brotherhood of Andrew anu Philip. which was organized since the protherhood of St. Andrew). and ne said: "You remember that Andrew was the man who first found his own brother. simon, and brought nm to Jesus. and thaSy Philip was the man who first found his particular hrieho' Nathaniel. before he did anything eise' and brought him to Jesus" shortly after this. the man died, and though there was no apparent result from their work, the effort which had Deen nut forth in the epdeavor to meet , tnis, to them, new problem which had been thrnst upon. them, prepared them to reaHze. as they had never before, the full import of the incident in the min . istrv of our Savior to which their at- terfion was thus called, and they re- solved that, God helping them' they would each follow the example or st. Andrew and St. Philip. and get hoad of his brother or his friend and bring him within the hearing of the Gospei of Jesus Christ
 Their methods were simple ana oi- rect. They were the following ou. ol tbo two ruIes which have ever since remained (with slight amendment 10 one of them) the rules of the Brother. hood namely, "The Rule Of Prayer ano the Rule of Service" ~. ,-
 The Rule of Prayer is to pray daily for the spread. of Christ0 Kingdom among men and for Gods blessing upon the labors of the Rrotherhooa.
 The Rule of Service was originally to make an earnest effort each week to bring at least oue young man witn- in the hearing of the Gospel of Jesus christ. as set forth in the services and young mems Bible Blass at St. Jobn's Church. This last rule was amended at, the annual convention m Roston in 1902 10 read. ''The Rule oi Service is to make at least one earnest effort each week to lead some mar nearer fo Christ through His church. It is the simplicity and definite char. acter of these rules which have kept the Brotherhood close to It's hrst prih- cinIeg. and although the methods by which the Rule of Service is carried in' to effect have been changed so as to he adapted to altering circumstances and growing opportunities, tbe Broth erhood has done well to maintain lts | two rules Tn their simplicity.
 These thirteen young men referred +o organized the Brotherhood of St. Andrew on November s0th. 1883. Ir the first two years the average number of workers was twenty. At the end of the second year they had brousn' to the rector to be presented n tnt Bishop for confirmation. forty men. II was not long before the young men In Grace Church, Chicago. adopted the same plan of practical service and Chapter No. ? of the Brotherhood oi St. Andrew was organized In 1885 Ha young man who was a member Of St James Bible Class moved to sPhiladel l. phfa and became a member Of the Bi- ble Class taught by Rev. Edgar Cope at the Church of the Incarnation. He explained to Mir. Cope the work being done by the Brotherhood Of St An drew in Chicago ana as a result Chap ter No. was organized in Philadel- phia and is still doing active work By the year 1886 there were thirty six parochial Brotherhoods in active work, and in January of 1886 Central Com- mittee was formed. In October of the same year the first number of St. An drews Cross was issued. The first