The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-03-14
GREAT LAYMENS
CONVENTION HERE
NATIONAL WORKER ARRIVES in
FARGO TO WORK AND PLAN
FOR BIG MISSIONARY MEETING
WHICH WILL BE HELD HERE
APRIL 1921.

A convention Of the Layrnen's Mis
sionary Movement, one OF the mos
significant enterprises of the twentieth
century Is to be held April 1921 ii
Il Fargo to discuss methods for tho
evangelization of the world in Thu,
generation. Prominent speakers from
all parts of the world will address all
meetings.
The convention will open with q
supper on the evening OF April fs FOR
over 1000 men. The greatest speak
ers on the' movement will be at that
supper, and discuss such themes as
Men and Missions. Missions and civ
tization, Our Share OF 1.-THE World
and Americas World Responsibilities
These delegates from all over North
Dakota, northern Minnesota and sorne
from the border line of South Dakota
will get acquainted at the supper. and
good feeling and fine harmony. N Is
hoped win be established for the
opening OF the business sessions the
following two days.
Delegates to the convention win he
especially chosen laymen and ministers
OF churches. The number of delegates
from one church depends upon about
now many that church can support, so
u will be matter OF rivalry among
the churches to see which can have the
largest and the most active delegation
Three delegates from every church Of
100 members are expected, but many
churches will go above this standard:
some, no doubt, will fall below it. Dele
gates are supposed to pay their ex-
penses while in the city or at the
convention, but so many homes have
been opened to them and hospitality
of all kinds has been so generously
proffered that 1t Is thought none will
be called on to do this.
The aim of the Laymen's Missionary
Movement, which was founded exactly
three years ago today, is the evangili-
cation of the world in this generation.
Its motto is, We can do 1t and we
Will.
1t has been established In Canada.
England Germany and Austria, in adj
dition to the United States. where 1t
originated. 1t has spread like wildfire
throughout the Christian world.
The Laymen's missionary movement
is in a sense an outgrowth of che stud
ent Volunteer Movement for Foreign
Missions, which originated at North
field in 1885, The pass word OF the
enterprise was The evangeIization. of
the world in this generation" At the
fifth quadrennial convention of this
movement in Nashville, February
March, 1906, the idea entered the mind
Of one of the students present that
why. could the laymen of the country
become interested IN missions in the
same practical. hardheaded way in
which they conducted their daily bust |
ness, and in the same common sense
fashion in which. the problem had
struck the students of the country?
The question was a stimulating one. |
and the student asked 1t of many of his
friends No opportunity came to launch
It in a. concrete form, however, until |
the one hundredth anniversary of the /
famous Haystack prayer meeting. |
which was celebrated in New York
,ity by a series of interdenomfnational /
prayer meetings. One OF the meetings.
t was arranged. should be a prayer
Meeting of laymen in Fifth Avenue
church. The student was
present at this meeting.
1t was stormy afternoon and only
lbout rs laymen were present. Mr.
samuel B. Capen, of Boston, the pres
mt head of the Laymen's Missionary
domement, presided. From 3 to s %. m. |,
most of the time was spent In prayer.
Then, an hour of practical discussion
vas opened, and it was now that the /
dea of the Laymen's Missionary Move i
nent was preached and acted upon.
The men got together In earnest con-
They were men of affairs
nd of wealth, and from their deliber-
tioos proceeded a series Of resolutions
alling for the formation of the present
rganization.
From the first the idea of the move
1ent has been to cooperate with the ,
egular missionary organizations of
he different churches, and here has
cen one source OF it's marvellous ,
rowth. 1t does not attempt to present
new or different. It simply !
resents a long-awaited solidifying
gent between the churches, and CO. /
the. separate works of all
ITO one. It's growth was marvellous
rom theAvery first Each denomina-
on almost, took ii up with avidlty as {
BON as II was explained. IL
One of the first acts OF the newly G
1rmed body was to send a committee
prominent business men from all
ties of the Union, to foreign coun- e
les to investigate missions at first 1
and. Seventy six men OF means and c
usiness ability made the trip and their q
sports have been a source of fnspira-
on to the movement ever since. Some Il
these men are speakers at conven-
ons One or two may be here at
argo.
To carry on this idea of instructing {
he laymen in actual missionary condi-
ons. the movement is now conducting Z
series of seventy Ave conventions p
hich began October is. 1908, in Buff s
10, and wifi end in st. Paul April !
i Fargo is third to the last conven- \
on and we must measure up" or ex- \
i other conventions In the series. a
rominent men. missionaries and ex- a
orers. newly returned from mission "
slds are to tell conditions there as v
ey found them. Only men well known
I'VE been selected to address these
semblies. They are sent around the n
untry at the movements own expense n
ON convention to convention. h
At the end OF the series of meetings. m
the Auditorium, Chicago, May 8 to "
1910, a ne tional conference viii be n
Id. in which will be summed ali that ei
Is been done In the local meetings.
ID at which plans will be discussed
oking to the end the movement has p
mind of speedily evangcIizing the k'
,rld. The attendance at this coflven- OF
IN wis be limited to 5,0O0--the seat
3 capacity of the hall-~-but churches
roughout the country are to be en- 81