The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1919-08-21
EXPECT TO COLLECT
SUM OF s53,0O0,0OO
SOUTHERN METHODISTS OUTLINE
PLANS FOR HANDLING GREAT
CENTENARY FUND.
ORGANIZATION VIII Collect Largest
Amount Ever Handled BY Any
Religious Denomination
Anywhere.

! The Centenary Commission of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
has announced its plan for collecting
/ the $4,000. 600 90 which was pledged
/ for the missionary work OF the church
| in the recent eight-day drive. The
plan was prepared and will be direct
/ ed by Colonel John f. EdgertOn, OF
! Tennessee, the general centenary
. treasurer and the director OF the de.
partment of finance for the Centenary
| Commission.
Colonel Edgerton is a well known
business man. He is president and
manager OF the Lebanon Wooden
Mills, president OF the Tennessee
State Manufacturers Association, and
during the war he was a member OF
the executive committee OF the war in
dustry board appointed by President
Wilson
Our slogan is no shrinkage, but an
Increase" said Colonel Edgerton re-
Gently. Just as the Southern Metho-
dist church has surpassed all records
in securing pledges for benevolent
purposes and has raised the largest
sum ever given TO any church at one
time in the history of the world, so do
we expect to set new record in the
collection of these pledges"
An Extensive Organization.
The organization through which
these pledges will be collected has
four centers of responsibility. The
first is a general finance commission
with headquarters at Nashville, headed
by Colonel Edgerton. This commits.
sion has prepared the standard plan
and will direct the entire movement
handing down to the various bodies
throughout the church detailed plans
for their guidance
There will also be conference cab
met in each annual conference of the
church, about forty in number. These
conference cabinets will be composed
of the Conference Missionary Secre-
tary, Conference Campaign Director,
the Lay leader, and the Conference
Centenary Treasurer Each of these
officials have certain specific duties,
and will direct the work of collecting
all the pledges in each annual confer
ence.
In each Of the four hundred districts
OF the church there is a similar cab
net composed Of the Presiding Elders,
the Lay leaders, Campaign Directors
and the Chairman of the Methodist
Minute Men. The Conference Mission
airy Secretary is an ex-officio member
of all district cabinets The work of
collecting in the districts will be su-
pervised by this district cabinet.
Twenty Thousand Churches.
In each Of the 10000 local churches
there will be local cabinets composed
Of the pastor, the centenary treas
urer. the campaign director, the lay
leader, the chairman of the minute
men. the Sunday school superintendent
and the president Of the Woman's Mis-
sionary Society. This cabinet will do
all the actual work Of collecting the
Individual pledges.
The persons who made subscrip-
tons will be divided into lists Of
twenty-five and the lists will be
placed in charge of . certain menb Dor
Of the church cabinet who will collect
all pledges as they come due.
Ono feature Of the standard plan IL
that the local church will be respon-
sibls for collecting the full amount of
its subscription. If any subscriber
dies or meets with misfortune such a.
t. render it impossible for him TO pay
his pledge, 1t will be the duty Of the
church cabinet to secure another per.
son to take the place Of the one thus
become delinquent.
II IL also proposed that every new
member who comes into the church
shall also be asked to make . contrf
button to the Centenary fund.
The Centenary fund Of $4,000, 0Oc
will be used for the church in an ex
tension Of its missionary work
throughout the world. Several million
will be spent in the devastated re
gions OF France, Belgium, Poland and
Russia. Other millions will go to ths
seven foreign fields occupied by the
church-Mexico. Brazil, Cuba, Africa
China, Japan and Korea Other mil
lions will be spent in the industrial.
sections of the great cities, in the
mountains, among the immigrants. the
negroes and the Indians, and In build
ing churches IN the missionary terri