El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-03-04

n y the chapel or the old fltth avenue
Presbyterian church Of New York a
- group of men knelt in prayer. It
was the anniversary in 1906 OF that
Haystack Prayer meeting which was
the genesis of all our American mis-
sionarv endeavor And these men
prayed. From three to six o'clock they
prayed: prayed that the men Of America
might see the vision of a world in need.
and that they might hear. as they had
never vet heard 1t, the great commits
sion of the risen Lord. GO ye into all
the world and preach the gospel TO
every creature
Earlier in the year one Of the men
had seen 5000 students at Nashville
quietly. prayerfully facing the question
of their personal duty to their Lord. He
had seen hundreds Of these students
iOyfully dedicate and cOnsecrate their
lives and all their purposes to the serv-
ice Of their savior; and he had become
impressed with the results that must
accrue when ali the men of the church
should see the world vision and should
lay their lives upon the altar OF their
Lord. And so this meeting in New Y ork
was called; and nearly IS busy men laid
aside their work and spent the after
noon and evening in prayer and discus
sion. out of that was born the Lay
mems - ssionary Movement; and out OF
the movement has come a great awak-
ening in the church and a great
strengthening of every department Of
Christian work at home and in every
mission field
First Years Work.
The first years Of the life Of the move
ment were spent in building up the
framework upon which its activities
were to rest At the prayer meeting on
Nov. 10. 1906, a committee OF 25 repre-
sentative Iaymen was called into eX-
istence and was commissioned TO con-
suit with the secretaries OF the various
foreign missionary boards. with refer
ence. first, to the conduct Of campaign
OF education among laymen, to interest
them more largely in missions; secoud.>
to the devisinR of comprehensive plan
for the evangelization OF the world in
this generation; third, to endeavoT 10
send a commission Of 80 or more lay
men to visit mission fields and report
their findings to the church at home
This was the initial program OF the
movement
The Work Grows.
In 1907 the movement, which original
" included only the men of the United
States and Canada, was extended TO
England and Scotland. In lSOI-OS a
a commission Of Sc laymen visited vari-
Gus mission fields at their own expense.
During the winter of 1908-O9 national
missionary campaign was conducted in
Canada, the campaign eliminating
in a great convention in Toronto IN
April. 1909. The next winter a similar
campaign was conducted IN the United
States. conventions held IN 20 cll!es pc
ing attended by about 10000 registered
delegates. As in Canada. so IN the
United states. the series OF conN entlohs
ended in great convention IN chicago
in May, 1910. Since 1910 the churches
and the Laymen's Missionary movement
have been working together 70 IglLseIH e
and to build upon the results OF the con-
ventiOns.
The wears since 1910 have been marked |
bv n great increase i'm missionary CIV !
i've In 1905 the total receipts of the !
goraio+,, missionary boards of North /
America was IS. $50, 44S; in 1914 the total I
was S1716S,611, an increase almost as
great as that of the preceding ~ years /
Nor has this large increase IN ElIls 10
missions been at the expense OF other
causes. instead il has stimulated them
80 In the Goshen district Of the north I
Indiana conference OF the Methodist !
.burcb the benevolence collections in /
qOq were s9O12: in 1919, S-l'llS' ihe /
to ministerial support m /
creased in the same tlIne IIoill 500 ti
Ia SA1 400 Similar increase mas beeh
,oted u,herever the conventions nave
neen followed up and IN all denonlha-,
ions The movement does not clalm all ,
he credit but officers of denomlna- /
-;o,a1 ,qencies frankly admit that 3
100 ,-;.5,,ttle mart Of the credit is due to
he movement and 20 the working OUT /
ocaliv Of plans the movement mas sug-
yested. A.. ,1o,..,,,.rt
Dr stanley White Of the presbyterian I
- - foreign missions summed up
&c ,,orl, of the movement by saying J.
1t ~ had called the attention of the
.t,,rcb ~ its spiritual opportunity and
,ri,iiiege had deepened the individual /
' - Of church members. and
"a resuIted in additional financial sup
,or+ esneciallv in buildings and col
sc. Ho attributed the splendid con-
'ttia, ~ missionary treasures at the
,resent time in large part 10 the lay
mems Missionary Movement
II vas early recognized that the mea-
.erness IF the contributions to mission
- endeavor was due in a large degree
:. isnorance OF the need and to failure
~ 1al<e giving a matter Of system. The
,,o,.ernent therefore put stress on the
'd7-isabilftv Of the every member can
.o@s and upon systematic giving
4 system Started
II has encouraged the appointment Of I
,ieeionarv committees in every church. !
nd this has brought to the men of the
burches q new and broader UNDER
landing of the great commission. It
.as urged prayer as the first measure
n he employed IN every effort for mis-
fonarv support. and il has promoted the
rqanization OF mems discussion classes.
hiding that discussion attracted men