Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-15
ONLY ONE-THIRD
ARE IN CHURCHES
Laymen's Missionary Move
ment Committee Sends Out
Appeal to Christians.
AID FOR THE MINISTERS
Is Requested That Each Co1rTega-
ton Name a Committee 10
Bring in Members.

New York, Jan. 15.-The general
committee of the laymen's missionary
movement Of the evangelical churches
of the United States and Canada has
issued an appeal to the Christian men
of North America. The appeal fol
lows:
After five years Of experimental and
constructive work among the Protest
ant churches of the United States and
Canada, during which it has had the
hearty support and cooperation of the
leaders of all those churches, the gen
eral committee of the laymen's mis-
sionary movement, assembled in an
nual session, sends out this appeal to
the Christian men of North America:
About two out of three people in the
United States and Canada are outside
the membership of all Christian church
es. Two out of three people in the
world live in non-Christian nations.
Two out of three people in these non
Christian nations are beyond the reach
of the present combined missionary
agencies of Christendom. And in spite
of these appalling needs, about two out
of three of the church members of
North America are contributing moth
| ing toward the aggressive missionary
work of the church at home and
abroad.
NEEDS PERSISTENT WORK.
Manifestly our first business is the
enlistment of the other two-thirds of
the members of the church as intelli
gent, systematic missionary support
ers and workers. And this can be
done. Experience in all denomina-
tions, and in every section of the
United States and Canada, makes us
confident that in most cases thorough
going methods of missionary eduea
tion and finance, backed by prayerfu
and persistent work, would result in {
doubling of the number of systematic
missionary supporters during the frs
year, and in the enlistment of practic
ally the whole membership within {
few years These results have beer
SO uniformly secured and indicated
wherever proper methods have beer
used, that we believe the time ha.
, come to call upon the Christian mel
of North America to adopt and worl
these methods in all their churches
In briefest summary, the essentia
points are these:
EDUCATE THE PEOPLE.
!, l. missionary committee in ever!
church to work with the pastor in en-
listing the entire membership.
( 2. A period of intensive missionar.
2 information and education in eacl
:. church once each year, continuing
= through at least two or three weeks
= preparatory to an every-member can
/ vass for missions. This should be il
addition to general missionary educa
ton throughout the year.
g. The adoption of the. weekly basi
, for missionary offerings-instead of a
I annual or occasional collection-with
e simple and effective collecting devic
e such as the duplex envelope.
y 4. An organized and complete pei
sonal canvass of every member of tn
= church and congregation once eac
I year by groups of two men each, afte
proper preparation for their work
We appeal to Christian men every
where to put these plans into opera
tion in their own churches. Enlarge
missionary interest and contribution
will not decrease, but will material
increase the offerings to the suppol
of the local church. This has bee
proved to the point of absolute demon
stration. The surest and speediest wa
to solve any local financial problem {
/ the church is the generation of ,
r healthy missionary spirit.
n EMBRACE ALL CHURCHES,
For the sake of cooperative actio
: between the churches of any city c
county, we recommend the appoin
v ment of city or county committee {
g the laymen's missionary movemen
I where such committees are not alread
r in existence, to promote the adoptio
e of these principles and methods anon
V all the churches within their reacl
y The majority of the members of thes
e committees should be laymen, bt
S some of their members should be su
II cessful missionary pastors The who
:, machinery Of the laymen's missionaI
2. movement, with 20 secretaries no
giving their entire time to the wor
Is at the disposal of such committe,
in the prosecution of their efforts. tt
full available resources of the vario,
A mission boards and other missional
agencies Of the church would ais
y without question, be at their commar
in carrying out the program. But Il
al whole of the United States and Canad
ts with more than 100000 Protesta
Il. churches, can only be adequately reac
10 ed by an army Of volunteer worker