The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-07-08
Now Numbers 11,493 Societies
and 3,551,1 100 Members
Gain in Two Years
PRESBYTERIAXS HOLD FIRST
PLACE As DENOMINATION
Disciples Have Slipped Into Second
Place, Supcrceding the Cangrega-
tiOnalists Who Now Occuay Third
Place

Place
st. Paul, July S.-The principal
feature of the Christian Endeavor in.
ternational meeting in this city which
| opened yesterday with an attendance
OF 10000 delegates and as many Wis
itors, was the biennial report OF Gen.
eral Secretary William Shaw, cover
| ing the growth OF Christian Endeavor.
His report follows:
The theme of this great convention,
THY Kingdom Come" is the keynote
of Christian endeavor.
For two years, or since our last re-
port. more than threescore and ten
thousand societies and three and q
half million members have been pray
ing and laboring to that end.
We are here tonight to review In
the briefest possible way the record
Of these years.
Growth Outward.
Each year. with the steady multi
plication OF our own and kindred So
cieties. we feel that we have come to
the end of any great numerical In
crease in our fellowship. And still
we find that we have not yet taken
possession of all the land.
At the Seattle convention it was my
| privilege to report a total enrolment
OF 9.13S societies, with a membership
OF 3,4o6,900. This great host has been
still further increased by the addition
OF 900 societies, with a membership
OF $4,000, making our present net en-
rolment 11,493 societies with 3,551,-
/ 100 members.
Practically all the evangelical de-
nominations are represented in this
Worldwide fellowship. The Presby-
terians still hold the first place, with
an enrolment. including Junior. inter-
mediate and young peoples, OF 10.19S
societies. Next come tho Disciples,
who by the united. enthusiastic inter
est of pastors, church leaders. and
young people, have captured the sec
ond place from the Congregational
lists, with the magnificent total OF T.
14S societies. The Congregationalists
are now third. with 6,454 societies.
After we get through analyzing and
criticising the movement speak as
Congregationalist- in the
providence OF God we had the honor
of giving to the world. we shall take
hold of it and push it in a way that
will make the leaders look out for
their laurels.
Next come the Baptists. with their
splendid squadron Of 2.437 societies.
which will be largely increased when
it is generally understood that no or
ganization can be more loyal to it's
own church than Christian Endeavor,
which at the same time maintainl
brotherly relations with the other di-
visions Of the Lords army
| Neither time nor space will permit
the enumeration of the long list of
denominations and their subdivisions
that are represented in our movement
When Christian Endeavor has done
its perfect work their number will
| be smaller, but their strength and ef-
fectiveness will ba greater.
| Last year the United Brethren
Young Peoples union at its national
convention voted to come into our in
terdenominational fellowship as the
| United Brethren Christian Endeavor
union. All hail, and welcome to these
earnest young people; and may their
action be a prophecy of the speedy
coming of the day when all the de-
nominational societies shall be feder-
ated under the broad. inclusive name
of Christian endeavor, and we all be-
come united brethren in Christ.
| This is coming on the mission
fields; may it speedily come in the
| home field.
| Christian Endeavor does not legis-
late for the local societies: we do not
levy taxes or assessments; we exer-
else no authority; we stand for no
dead level of uniformity: we ask only
for the fellowship that shall reveal
to the world our essential oneness in
faith, in spiritual experience, and in
practical service.
Juniors and Intermediates.
The growth in these two most i'm
portant departments OF Christian en-
deavCr has been mosI encouraging,
but there is still much to be desired.
When will the church come to
full realization OF the fact that the
biggest thing in the world today is
the child, that teaching must be sup
plemented by training. that one ses.
sion week in the Sunday school il
not sufficient for the full development
OF the spiritual life, and that the only
way to have trained men and women
is to train boys and birls?
From tho psychologist with his
scientific training. tho mother with
her natural intuitions, and the church
with it's inspired revelations, the test
imony is unanimous that youth is the
time when the heart is most open to
spiritual truth and the life most easily
directed into channels Of altruistic
service. 1t is the day of visions, OF
crystalizing ambitions. Woe to us if
we neglect to give them the vision OF
tho Christ and fail to arousa their