Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-17

|
years of study among the beautiful hills of
| New Hampshire And when he left An
dover Theological Seminary, three years
later. no one thought he was more than an
average man. Indeed, there was no great
church which wanted this young minister to
preach TO 1t. He was content to go to Port
land, Me, and take charge OF a small Con-
gregational mission.
He was 25 years old when he started his
work. His mission grew until It became
large and prosperous church. In the winter
of 1880 and 1881 there was revival" among
his people, and large number of young
people Joined the church. The pastor was
only 20 years old at this time. He had seen
''revivals' come and go without producing
any lasting good, and he decided that he
would not permit the effects Of this one to
be lost After much thought he concluded
that the way TO keep the young people true
to their new professions was to give them
something to do. He planned a society of
Christian Endeavor, that is, n society whose
members should strive every day to be true
to the best that they knew.
Forty Members at the Start
He therefore called the young people to-
gether on February q 1881, and proposed
that they organize themselves into society.
He had prepared a pledge of faithfulness
which he asked them to take, and he ex-
planned that by associatlng themselves to-
gether in an organization within the church
they could help one another and the church
also. Forty young people took the pledge,
and the first Christian Endeavor Society |
was organized on the following Sunday |
the first Christian Endeavor prayer meet
ing was held Other young ministers had |
organized their young people in the past |
without attracting attention; but there was |
something in this plan OF the successful |
Portland pastor that appealed to the pastors |
In other cities. And there must have been
something In the mental and moral make
up of the Portland pastor which made 1t
possible for him quickly to grasp the bigress
OF the idea to which he had given birth
He left Portland in 18SS two years after
his first society had been organized, and
took charge of a church in Boston. But
within only six years from the time of the
first February meeting the Christian En-
deavor Societies had been formed in many
churches of many denominations and the
was spreading at the rate of 1000
new societies a year. 1t was necessary for
some one to give his whole time to the drec-
ton of the movement. Mr. Clark resigned
his pastorate in 1887 and devoted himself to
the work. There was no one to offer him
any salary for what he did, and he has
never received a salary as president of the
United Societies Of Christian Endeavor nor
rs head of the Worlds Christian Endeavor
Union. The Christian Endeavor World had
been founded in 1885, and he continued as
editor of that, and in all the intervening
years he has earned his own support through
MIS- conduct of the business of publishing
his paper, by writing books and preparing
he printed matter needed by the societies.
At present there are more than $4,000 Chris
ian Endeavor societies in about 75 different
countries, with total membership of 4,OOo,-
100 young Christians. So great an oak has
crown from so small an acorn from mem
oership of 40 in 1881 to one hundred thou
and times many in 1915!
Not Afraid to Experiment
Doctor Clarl-he received the degree OF