The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-11-27
iNfERCHrRCH
WORLD MOVEMENT
The FRS, Conference "a the Nee
World Church Work Was Held IN
Vermont. 4 Large Attendance

bctwocn churches was the keynote at
the sessions of the Vermont State
Leaders Training Conference Of the
ln,erehurcb Worid Movement which
was held in Burlington. from Novem-
her 18th to 20th.
Az the Close Of the conference the
report made by G. r Robbins who
acted az the registrar showed that 2s9
delegates had registered. II WAS said
70 be the largest representative gath.
cring Of church leaders that ever
assembled for any cooperative pur-
pose in the State Of Vermont. The
fact that Vermont was chosen for the
lirsi conference OF the Interchurch
World Movement was referred TO by
DR.. w. A. Dawson, the superintendent
of the Vermont Baptist Convention, in
his address as the chairman of the
conference committee at the opening
session. Sixty-six similar conferences
are To be conducted in December
Repeatedly during the conference
the fac, Was emphasized by both the
state and national leaders that the
luterchureh World Movement was not
organized for organic union Of the
churches but for cooperation TO re-
alize the common detectives Of deyel-
oping the spiritual resources of the
church; Of promoting tho idea and
practice Of the stewardship that God is
the owner Of all things and that man
is . steward responsible to God for the
administration Of trust funds and
property on an unselfsh basis; Of en-
couraging the study.of missions on al
systcSatic basis and OF placing before
children and young people Of the
churches the idea Of enlisting IN the
definite service Of Christ as life
work.
The speakers declared that the way
the united efforts are being worked
out by the lnterchurch World Move
ment was by getting informationI
which after having been obtained and
.tabulated would enable the national
leaders Of each cooperating commun-
ion TO determine where advance work
iG needed andswhere some competition
among the denominations may be
eliminated. The budgets Of thc.co-op- |
Grating denominations will be dcterm |
ined on the basis of the surveys that
are now being made in all the non
Christian countries where the Ameri- !
can missionaries are working; in all
home mission fields including the for
eign language districts of the cities
and mining areas; the educational IN
stitutions supported by church funds,
hospitals. orphanages, old peoples
homes and other charitable institu-
tions operated under denominations!
auspices. All of the objects for which
money was raised by the denomina-
tional boards in former years by sep
aratcd campaigns will be raised in
united campaign, but the funds so
raised are to be handled in the treas
uries Of the cooperating communions
Just as they always have been.
One Of the features Of the confer
ence was the prayer periods. After
the various phases Of the objectlves Of
the movement and the plans to realize
them had been presented and freely
discussed, the whole body Of delegates
became silent while each one prayed
definitely for the spiritual power to
accomplish the great purposes of the
united movement. After the silent
prayer, audible prayer was offered
from the floor Of the convention by the
delegates. As many as ten to twenty I
delegates would pray during one Of
these intercessory periods !;
All through the sessions Of the con-
ference emphasis was placed upon the
spiritual objectives Of the cooperative
movement II was suggested that the
county units Of the lnterchurch World
Movement that were organized on {
temporary basis TO be later put on
permanent basis at the various county {
conventions, should be directly in s
charge of the house TO house canvass I
within the county limits in order to !
ascertain the names and addresses Of d
persons who have no church afiilia- {
tionS In connection with this propos- Y
ed cooperative effort was to be the a
evangelistie campaign to be conducted /
intenslyely by each congregation to I
eliminate Easter Sunday The need 5
Of promoting family worship was en- S
phasized, one speaker declaring that {
prayer in the family groups would v
cure the diverse evil in this country. n
II WAS proposed that all Christians .
everywhere usher in the New Year n
with prayer for the conquest Of the s.
world for Christ. These prayers were b
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