Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-05-15
CENTENARY MARKS
END OF 100 YEARS
MISSION WORK
Program Includes Greatest
Educational and Religious
Plan Ever Formed.
(By Rev. T.. r. Steel.)

10y rev ~. IL. Sleel.)
Because Of the many inquiries first
among Methodist people and among
| others not Methodists as to the Cen
tenary, | am, taking this opportunity
to give in brief what the movement
represents.
First | may say that it is kindred
movement to those found in most of
the protestant churches in America
1t has grown out Of the revelation
that has been made known to the
churches through the world war We
are no longer in doubt as to the moral
condition of the world today. We
Grating in the known world.
The Centenary movement is a
movement among Methodists, North
and South, planned to celebrate the
one hundredth anniversary of mis-
sions. One hundred years ago the
first foreign missionary society was
organized among the Methodists in
America. That, was before Method
ism was divided in America. Now the
two churches having been apart for
more than half century are coming
together in great gathering the lat
ter part Of June in the city of Column
bus, Ohio.
The meeting is to be more than a
jubilee. 1t is to be the elimination
of the greatest educative and relig-
iOus program ever enterprised by any
single denomination in America. The
Methodists in Canada are in the move
ment. They are planning to raise $S,-
Tn% ENvi
started out to raise $S0,000,O00, but
have moved up to $100.O00,0OO The
Methodist Episcopal church, South, is
planning to raise $35,000,O00.
The movement is characterized by
three fundamental propositions. First,
the stewardship of intercession. Sec
ond, the stewardship of life; and last,
the stewardship of money. The stew
ardship of intercession. is to many
people almost new doctrine. 1t is
the most vital thing in Christianity.
That is the first and most important
mission of the Centenary to emphas
iZe prayer. The ownership and lord
ship of life is to many church people
an empty phrase. Not to st. Paul,
not to New Testament Christians
but to many in our churches today.
The second great mission of the Cen
tenary is to emphasize that our lives
are not our own; we have been bought
with a price. a
The third and last of the lessons
the Centenary is trying tOsteach is the
stewardship of money. Jesus had
more to say in warning to the peo-
pie about money and covetousness
than any one thing. l believe it is
stated that every fourth verse in
Methew, Mark and Luke is warning
against money and covetousness. That
every sixth verse i'm the New Tesla
ment contains such a warning. And
the love of money is declared to be
the root of all evil. The system hith-
erto employed in our churches has
for the most part been almost dis
reputable. 1t has for lack of system
fallen uneQually upon those benefited
by the church, it has been inadequate
has been. declared, unscriptural and
to say the least unbusinesslike.
So far as we have any record in
Old as we'll as New Testament the
1.-THE has been Gods system. The
scripture it is declared is as clear and
as insistent for the 1.-THE as it is for
the Sabbath. One-seventh of your time
belongs to God and one tenth of your
money 1t is not new doctrine. ii
is an old one in disrepute made so
for the most part by a backsliden
church. The Centenary plans to de-
velop a million tithers. if it does the
financial problem of the church will
be solved. We will give in the next
issue the full objective of the Cen
tenary. How and where this money is
to be used.