South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-12
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR TO
CELEBRATE BIRTHDAY
Rev. Francis E. Clark, Founder
of Christian EndeavOr, is
Sixty-three Years Old To-
day.

The 63rd anniversary of Rev.
Francis Clafk, founder of the Chris
tian Endeavor society, will be COM
memorated Sunday evening with
special services by the local charter
at the First Presbyterian church. The
meeting will be led by the president
OF the society here, Elmer Hawkins.
who leaves soon for college. His sub
tect will be What is a Good Educa-
tion?" Talks will also be given by
several college students who were for
merly connected with the local char
ter.
Karl Lehman. 1Ald secretary of
the United Society o. Christian En-
deavor, says OF the founder and his
work:
Doubtless no other man in the
world has travelled so many miles and
done so large a work for the world as
Rev. Francis Z. Clark, ID. D., l.. l.. D.,
founder Of the Christian Endeavor So
ciety and president Of the World s
Christian Endeavor union.
"Thirty-three years ago DR.. Clark
was pastor of the Williston Congrega-
tional church of Portland, Me. He
was then a young man just fresh
from college and seminary. Williston
church was a typical New England
church, with all of the problems and
difficulties that those churches had to
meet.
I'm the winter of 1SSO-1SS1 a series
Of special evangelistic services in the
church had led a great many young
people into church membership. This
wise young pastor realized that if
those young people were TO be held
for the church they must be trained
for service, they must have some
thing to do and they must be shown
how to do il. He called his young
people together. and on Feb. 2, 1881,
the first Christian Endeavor society
was formed, the first Christian En-
deavor pledge was signed. the follow
ing Sunday the first Christian En-
deavor prayer meeting was held.
From that small meeting in Port
land the society has spread and
grown, until today there are more
than $4,000 Christian Endeavor So
cieties IN the world, with more than
1000, 900 members.
There are Christian Endeavor So
cieties in every country of the world,
and each week meetings are conduct
ed in more than 80 different Ian
guageS. The literature Of the society
has been printed in as many tongues.
Something like 1900 daily, weekly
and monthly periodicals carry Chris
tan Endeavor news; more than 200
periodicals are devoted entirely to the
work of Christian Endeavor. There
are more than $50 different kinds of
books, leaflets, cards, ETC., published
for use in the work Of the society and
as aids to II. Millions OF pages of
special printed matter are issued
every year.
From almost the very beginning Of
the movement Christian Endeavor
has been INSTRUMENTATION in it's
scope and work. Though ii began in
a Congregational church, today there
are 81 different denominations that
take Christian Endeavor as their
young peoples society Throughout
the world there are probably more
Christian EndeavOr sOcie-
ties than those Of any other denomi-
nation. though in North America
many Of the Methodist churches have
a purely UNCONVENTIONAL young peo-
pies society. On this continent there
are more societies in Presbyterian
churches than in those of any other
denomination; the Christian church
has the second largest number Of So
cieties the Congregational third, the
Baptist fourth. In England, Burma
and India the Baptists lead in Chris
tian EndeavOr, while in Australia,
Spain, France and other cou" tries the
Meth odists lead; in Norway, Den
mark, Germany and Russia the Luth-
Grams lead. in italy the XValdeuSia7.s