The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-07
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
 LAYMEN'S MOVEMENT

J. Campbell White general secretary of the Laymens Missionary Movement, has written the following article for "The Christian Guardian" under the title Sig nihcance of the Laymen's Missionary Movement"
 One hundred years ago, at the fam out Haystack prayer meeting, the first organized foreign missionary work in North America was inaugurated. A small group of college students at Williams town, Mass, voiced the keynote of the new enterprise in the now historic phrase, 'We can do it if we will"
 During the last 20 years, the mission ary spirit has had a marvellous develop nent among the colleges of the United States and Canada. The student volun- teer movement, born at Northfield in 1886. has swept through the colleges with its in- spring watch cry, "The evangelization of the world in this generation" famll- iarizing students with world conditions, a nd leading thousands of strong men and women to live with dominating mission ary fife purpose.
 As volunteers went into various mission fielIs they found very few, even among their fellow workers, who were living in tho hope of seeing the world evan gelized in this generation Largely under t,leir influence, this conception of the churehs present duty has taken hold Of the missionaries abroad and the mission dry leaders at home, until now it has become the working basis of nearly all .he important missionary societies Of Chrlstendom.
 Every four years there is a great con- vention of the student volunteer move ment, bringing together some thousands or the students of North America, to con- slider the progress eof the kingdom throughout the world. The last of these conventions was held at Nashville, in Feb ruary- March, 1906. It was at this con- vention that the seed-thought of the Lay mems Missionary Movement was planted by the Spirit in the mind of young business man of the city of Washington. AS he saw over 5000 students considering for several days their relation to the evangelization of the world, this though. came to him: If the laymen of North America could see the world as these students are seeing it, they would rise up in their strength and provide all the funds needed for the enterprise.
 The providential opportunity for testing this idea came few months later. The tooth anniversary of the Haystack prayer meeting was to be celebrated in New York city by a series of interdenominational missionary meetings. It was arranged that one of these meeting should be for lay men, and should take the form of a prayer meeting. This meeting was held on November 15. 1906, in the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church. The afternoon was very stormy, and only about 75 laymen were present. MT. Samuel B. Capen of Boston presided. It was really a prayer meeting, most of the time from 8 to 6 n hnfn ay1ff in, RfI nTQ A.ta an intermission of an hour for supper. the meeting continued in the evening, con sisting mainly of discussion as to what practical steps should be taken. Out of this discussion series of resolutions was adopted calling into existence the Lay mems Missionary Movement.
 From the first the whole idea of the movement has been to cooperate with the regular missionary agencies of the churches in the enlargement of their work It does not divert any missionary offerings from congregational or denom- Irrational channels. Nor does it promote che organization of separate Mems Mis- 9ionary societies within the congrega- tions All the organization asked for is a missionary committee of men in each congregation, to work with the pastor in onlistins all members and a6nerents in the inteagent and adequate support and extension of missionary work.
 The movement itself has no organiza- efon apart from a general committee which meets twice a year, and an ex- ocutive committee of 21 members which meets every month. Three secretaries give their whole time to the work of the general movement.
 Quite a number of denominational Laymen's Missionary movements have, already been organized As a rule these follow the practice of the general movement and consist merely of se- ffes of committees. Five secretaries of denominational movements have now been secured and other are about to be appointed.
 As the movement is an inspiration, not an administration" 1t has been chiefly occupied with the presentation of an adequate missionary policy to in- fiuential groups of men, and also with the exploitation of methods of mis- pionary finance which have produced the best results.
 The movement stands for investiga- tfon, agitation and organization; the Investigation by laymen of missionary conditions; the agitation by laymen of an adequate missionary policy; and the organization of laynen to CO., opera tel with the ministers and missionary boards in enlisting the whole church in its supreme work of saving the world
 It has been found of Enormous ad- Vantage to present the missionary opera tions of the church in the large, to men of all the churches together. Only in this way is 1t possible to secure the full inspiration from past success and Go plan on a comprehensive basis for the completion of the work that has been so splendidly begun.
 It Is noteworthy that wherever the movement has been presented, in scores ef cities of the United States and Can