The Detroit times., 1916-01-15
Baptists Pull Together
I'm Big Five-Year
Program
FUNDS ARE
ADEQUATE
Missionaries, Ministers
And College Students
Are Enlisted
sY THE RELIGIOUS RAMsLER.

BY THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.
rhe present winter Is revealing
several pew and large and organized
projects by the leading denomina
tional bvdies. While church unity Is
stiIl accepted as a goal, yet there Is
no denying that the larger demon
nations are Systematically strength
ening their own identity and eff
cheney. This may be called an era
CT intelligent denominatlonalism.
None CT these denominational pro
1ects is more ambitious or compre-
hensiye or definite than that OF the
Northern Baptist convention. which
Il calls its ''five-year program" This
was adopted last year at the conYen-
ton In Los Angeles. but its impact
was not really felt by the churches
untii the present winter. II has
taken months to get the full denom-
Irrational machinery in operation to
quicken the interest Of the last mem
Der of the smallest church in this
widespread Baptist body.
The program has furnished the
keynote for a multitude of denom-
4 inational meetings, big and little,
= and the signs are that this VIII be
s: Increasingly the case.
III Baptist sessions Of the Layman's
missionary campaign meetings will
have definite objective to present
\ 70 the men.
I. AS categorically outlined, "the
X fve-year@ program" includes:
A million additions 20 our church
e. by baptism.
A missionary force Of 5000 men
\. and women In America and the non
X Christian world
ss Two million dollars Of endowment
Cor the ministers and missionaries
beneit board.
Twenty-Five student pastors in uni
versities, 1000 Baptist students In
\ theological seminaries, $4,000 stu
dents in colleges and uniyer
cities and s6.000,000 for addition
al educational endowment and equip
X ment al home and abroad.
An annual income to s6.000,0o0 FOL
mfssions and benevolence.
I The genius Of one nan may bC
traced in this project and its Htera
ture. This man is DR.. ShaileI
Mathews. dean of the Chicago uni
yersity, president of the Northern
d Baptist convention and president OF
( the Federal Council OF Churches OF
I, Christ in America. Only his pen
could have written this ringing pre-
iude to the program:
I This hour In human history Is
critical, challenging, decisive. No
sschurch or denomination can succeed
II it's message and spirit are not
positive, aggressive, courageous.
heroic. We have a sufficient mes.
sage In the Gospel Of the Kingdom.
10 Sufficient dynamic in the Spirit OF
God. We need spiritual vision. con
quering intercession, evangelist,
power and social passion.
"'rhe call Of the hour is for a cen
structiye, cumulative program of ad
vance so large and Sc compelling "a
to arrest attention. unity our forces
aud activities, challenge our men o.
large resources and stir our whole
people with a splendid enthusiasm
for the Kingdom OF God.
The objective Of this program
should be the development of ever,
church into an evangelistic and so
tscial force In us community ard :
resultant mighty impact OF our de
nominational life upon the nation
and the world"
A national committee. OF which
Dr. John NJ. Moore. No. % East
Twenty-sixth-st.. New York, Is the
secretary. Is at work directing the
prosecution Of THE fve.year pro
gram" Already II has been definite
Iy, and the output OF literature has
been definitely related TO all the
boards and other agencies OF the
denomination. and the output of lit
orature has been volumnous and
effective. The Baptists, by the way
have long shown a skill I'm the use
iof printed matter that is scarcely
matched by any other denomination
~ The local congregation "a the unl
OF all the plans, and the first worl
~ TO tie Il up closely TO the demon
'jnation. The old.fashioned indlvid
usiism of Baptist churches is pass
ing alcng with that of the Congre
fational churches. Both bodies hav'
BEEN steadily working toward great
sr dencminationai Capitalization.
"The 6ve.year program" IL not I
brilliant generalization. Il work
cut into a series OF the definite oh
jkrisves and instructions for ever
Individual church. The larger goals
.sre apportioncd 20 that each con