The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-01-18


Churches and Individual Christians
il, North Carolina Axe Doing iof
tic Spread of the Go~Sici--Grccns-
horo Convention to he Followed by
enthusiastic Work.
The reveillc OF religion has been
sounded to the business men OF
! North Carolina, the rising hour mas
come. and the non are awake an"
at work. The convention Of the Lay
mems Missionary movement III
! Greensboro last week vas the most
signlucanI assembly Of the followers
o1 the christ that was ever known ~
North Carolina, there being more
than fifteen hundred delegates regis
tered. the proportion OF ministers ana
iayrnen in being more
than % to / in favor of the layfnen.
1T viii crafty the people OF TINS
state to know that leaders IN the ma
tlonaI payments movement declared
that the North Carolina convention
was the largest yet held III the Un1t2t!
States.
The laymen's movement takes lit
crafty the command OF CHRIST 10
preach the gospel, u accepts the re
sponsibillty tor carrying the ensign
! IL - ~ hiNt eSN1' 49,
earth equally with the ministers, II
makes missions in the renaOtest ends
Of the world RS important DIS the
york of saving souls IN the nome OF
the 1ayman. there IS with the ratllei
no difference among men whom he
has made the sons OF GOD. ll'tF@
are no ''foreign'' and 'domestic' mis-
sionS in the movement, no division IN
Goa's vineyard that covers the lace
of the earth. The movement does
mot itself as an organization collect
or accept funds for mission work, but
is purely 10 stir this generation 70 the
imperative necessity of taking Christ
at His word and converting the world.
1t has been said that the laymen's
movement IS the most ~stupendOus re
ligiOus enterprise America has ever
undertaken and the most important.
1t is not a competitive movement, but
a cooperative one, helping the sew
eraI churches in the awakening of the
lay members to their deepest obliga-
tons as Christians, recognizing that
the pastor is the GiVinely ordained
leader of the church, and tho move
ment is only to supplement, not sup
plant him. The movement stresses
three points:
Eirst-No church should be con-
tent to contribute less for the rest OF
the world than it does for itself. This
is the minimum.
econd-lt would urge laymen
everywhere to adopt tithing as the
standard in giving.
Ihird-It would urgently advocate
the Scriptural method in giving
Upon the first day Of the week let
every one of you lay by him in store.
as the Lord hath prospered him. that
there may be no gatherings when I
come
The cardinal truth that the move
ment emphasizes is that the Great
commission is as binding upon the
iaynen to send as 1t is upon the mis-
slonary to go. 1t seeks to put busi-
ness into religion, not religion into
business, and recognizes Gods owner
snip, and Gods stewardship.
All these points were stressed ut the
greensboro convention and received
the enthusiastic adoption of the HIM
h!eos OIL men OF mart. It is the be-
ginning o. an eveTy-member cam
palsn ~ North Carolina In which
every church will take an earnest in
tcrest. ="
10 this end a business-Hke efata-
ni@he OF the contributions to missions
was prepared for the Greensboro con
VSitioh showing what not only every
chufch was contributing to thus object
but also what the per capita contrih,'
IONS We're. This statement will com
sututc the basis upon which the work
Tor more adequate contributions will
oe carried on, and it is proposed to
sur the zeal of the churches and the
entlre memberships. This is what tho
movement terms the folow-up work.
mat IS infinitely more important han
any meeting. There Will be wide
awake lay leaders in every church.
who will continue t. fan the flame If
,hfIstlan enthusiasm and uphold the
Standard. o
IhIs exhibit Of what the churches
ma lnoiVlduais were contributing to
ne Spreao Oh the gospel was one OIL
he lessons OF largest import ~ tho
~iaJ1nens meeting. The figures vera
On big card boards stretched on fhe