Franklin's paper the statesman., 1911-09-16
GIGANTIC
RELIGIOUS
MOVEMENT


sents the tyre Of substantial Ameri-
cans who are behind the movement
Among the well known members OF
the committee are lion. w. j. Bryan.
Hon. II. b. T. MacFariand Of Wash
Ington. Judge S. +. Spencer Of st
Louis. Mr.. Francis w. Parker of Chi
cago. w. A. Hunton. International sec
retary of the Young Mems Christian
association. and many other leaders In
the business and professional life OF
the country. The campaign leader Is
Fred b. Smith. the successful evangei-
ist to men. This personnel ought Ger
tainly to impress any thoughtful man
with the force that Is behind the
movement. to say nothing OF the big
ness OF the conception
Ts Operate In Ninety seven citis,.
We now turn TO the plan of this
great movement. First. ninety cities
OF the United States and Canada have
been selected In each of these there
il going forward long period Of thor
sugh prspar.fsou by prayer and most
aggressive work. directed by local
committee of 100 citizens working IL
conjunction with the committee of
ninety seven
An eight day campaign will be inau-
Eur.ted In each city. during which
teams of leaders specially trained In
methods of appealing to men. In meth
DDS of Bible study and individual
evanGetistic study of the snnest kind.
In boys work aud in social service will
visit each city.
They will uasIst In every phase Of
work. addressing great meetings Of
every kind for men and boys. holding
Conferences for workers and giving in
spiratton. direction and advice ms TO
organixa tion and methods OF continu-
ing the work and conserving the re-
sults- The Christian force and organ
nations in each city. along with those
who have been won. will then organize
and carry on a somewhat similar cam
paign on a smaller scale in from eight
to twenty smaller cities This will
help to insure for years % cone the
continuance Of the work OF the church
which are sure to be discovered and
developed In the campaign. Thus also
will be employed the greatly increased
numbers newly won to personal alle-
glance to Christ.
1t will be interesting to know how
such a movement came into being. In
vitations were sent out by the religious
work department of the international
committee OF the Young Mems Chris
,to< 10
discuss suggestions concerning "A for
ward movement campaign in behalf
of the religious life Of the young men
and boys Of North America" Forty
one men representing specially the in
ternational committee and the various
church brotherhoods spent May IS.
1910. in prayer and conference at the
Hotel Manhattan, New York. During
the day 1t developed! thai three differ
ent religious organizations had been
considering, each independently. some
such plan.
Conference Results Put In Action.
The result OF the conference was a
resolution to undertake "a forward
movement in behalf Of the religious
life OF the men and boys OF North
America" A committee Of eleven
sounded many religious bodies on the
continent to determine the sentiment
toward 30 bold a movement and
brought in Its report Aug. %. 1910, at
the Niagara Falls conference. where
It was decided to call a conference at
Buffalo und submit its findings and
raNOm muauda finua Twn matfAPn ware
discussed at this meeting-the ap-
pointment OF an international commit
tee to have charge Of the movement
and preparations for the conference
TO Be held in Buffalo in October. This
Buffalo conference had present 2d2
delegates from ssventy-two cities In
the United States and Canada. The
majority OF the delegates had been
sent odlcially BY religious orxanisa-