The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-04-30
Csaadisa Congress Of Laymen's Ms
Noaary Movement.

Never before has there been such an
exhibition Of interest by men In the
eyangelization Of the world az was wit
messed 1t Toronto In connection with
the Canadian National Missionary Con.
gress. Fifteen hundred ministers and
! more than twenty-five hundred laymen
vere registered ~ commissioners. Hun
dfeds OF other ministers would have
been present, but the capacity OF HAS
sey Hall made It necessary to limit tho
number. The lay commissioners all
paid > registration fee to cover the cost
Of organizing and conducting the Con-
gress. In the case Of Toronto laymen,
this fee was s.. For men from outside
Toronto, it was IS.
The Congress lasted for Ave days,
Msrcn sfst to April 4th, with two ses 8
sions on the opening day, and three
sessions on each Of the four following
days. Three OF these sessions were de-
voted to separate UNCONVENTIONAL con-
ventions, ave OF which we're held. Ev-
cry denomination cooperated most
heartily In all OF the plans for the Con-
gross, making 1t truly representative
and national. Commissioners were pres
ent in substantial numbers from the At
lantic to the Pacific. Over $50 men at
tended from Nominal, and over 100
from Winnipeg, thirty-six hours journey
from Toronto.
Not before In modern history have
the representative men Of all the
churches Of a nation assembled to plan
together for the extension Of Christ's
kingdom throughout the world. 1t is
the beginning of the fulnllment of the
Masters prayer "that they ali may be
one, that the world may believe" The
power OF combined Christianity to evan
gelire the world vas probably the DOM
inant note OF the Congress.
The National Missionary Policy which
WAS adopted il worthy Of special de-
tailed study. 1t is an attempt to voice
Canada's national and international re-
ligious obligations. 1t co~ntemplates an
increase Of offerings for missions to
about threefold the amount that was
contributed before the Laymen's Mis-
sionary Movement was inauguratsd. In
the case Of foreign missions, more than
q fourfold aggregate is accepted as the
necessary basis. Reports from all parts
Of the Dominion proved that such an in
crease is entirely practicable. Hun
dreds Of individual churches have dou-
bled, trebled or qusdrupled their mis-
sionary offerings during the past year.
The city Of Toronto, which undertook
to increase it's offerings to missions
from $4,000 to $780, 900 per year, has
100000 in sight for this year, and fully
expects to reach the half million mark
by next year. The Mission Boards Of
Canada have already received about
100000 In excess Of the amcunt r,
ceived last year. 1t WAS seoorssd CT.
the floor Of the Congress- ths. thu
Southern Presby.ssisa Ctarsh a. IN
creased its oses,ees TO foreign iaissions
by $4,000 iirring che financial year
! Leaving March 81.
The Canadian Missionary Campaign
anu National Congress have peculiar in
terest to Americans in view Of a similar
campaign to be conducted In the United
States from October 1907 to April 1910.
This campaign will also eliminate In a
National Missionary Congress-, when
representatives Of all the churches 10
the United States may define in spe-
cinc terms the nations missionary re-
sponsibility.
In June 1910 there will be held at
Edinburgh, Scotland, the Worlds Mis-
sionary Conference, where the best ex-
perience Of each nation will become the
common property Of all C~hristendom.
The first national missionary policy has
been adopted. Others must inevitably
follow. The indications multiply that
the church Of our generation will yet
undertake to reach the last person in
the world with the message Of life in
Jesus Christ.
]. CAMPBELL WHITE,
General Secretary.