Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-07-02
PUT HALF BILLION
NTOCHURCH|D
Iowa Man, Who was Born at New
Hampton Head of Interchurch
Plan Now Being Developed rs.
REFUSED $4,000 OFFER
TO ENTER OTHER WORK.
Taylor is the Dominating Character
in Three Great World Movements
In Religious Circles

standing figure of the interchurch
world movement of the interchurch
native son Of Iowa. Since refusing
the offer of a position paying $780,
600 annually, Mr.. Taylor has been
the dominant character in three
great religious movements, the
jubilee education and centenary
campaign of the Methodist Episco-
pal church and the interchurch world
alliance.
! Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor, mother OF
the man who is now gathering a
plan which contemplates brin ging
together of all evangelical protestant
denominations in world league, is
a resident of Waterloo, as is also a
sister, Mrs. Alton Durham. He is
a brother of Rev. A. E. Taylor,
Independence, a state senator, and
also of Mrs. Alfred APPEL, Shell
Rock. Another sister, Mrs. Fred
Cole, resides at Oceanside, Calf. =
Born IN New hampton.
Mr.. Taylor was born at New Hamp-
ton, Iowa, while his father was
Methodist minister there. In those
times Methodist preachers, were
limited to three years in a place and
during his boyhood years, S. Earl
Taylor lived in many towns. and
villages in the Upper Iowa confer
ence. Probably the longest period the
Taylors lived at one place was while
the father Was superintendent of
Dubuque district, when the family
resided at Manchester.
| The man who is now leading the
protestant religious forces of the
world toward an alliance, received
his early education at Epworth semi
nary, Epworth, Iowa, and was
graduated from Upper Iowa univer-
sity, Fayette, after which he attend
ed Drew Theological seminary.
He has never preached, but at one
time was in Y. NJ C. A. work. Dur
ing his younger days he was quite
an athlete and one Of his first. po-
sitions was that of physical director
of the Y. M. c. A., Muscatine, Iowa.
In recent years he has been identi-
fed with the student volunteer
movement and was sponsor for the
jubilee educational and centenary
campaigns in the Methodist Episco-
pal church.
How Taylor Was Inspired.
How Mr.. Taylor was inspired to
found the interchurch alliance and
, the sacrifice required of him that
the inspiration might develop is told
in the following story: 60
Four years ago he was secretary
of the board Of foreign missions of
the Methodist church in America,
He had shown ability in the manage
ment of his work that one of the
biggest banks in New York City Of
tered him salary of $4,000 a year
to become manager, of it's foreign
business.
Now $4,000 a year was an enor-
nous sum to Mr.. Taylor. He had gone
into religious work from sincere
convictions, and the pay was small
Fifty thousand dollars a year was
a great temptation. For a while he
could not make up his mind what to
do. Even one year at $4,000 would
make him rich, comparatively, while
if he stayed in religious work he
probably would never get more than
enough upon which to live decently
Perplexed and worried about what
he should do, he decided to go to
Palestine. He had always wanted. to
visit the Holy Land, anyway, and on
the, voyage he could study out the
problem of whether. to take $4,000
year and give his time and talents
i to business, or to stay in religious
work at small pay. ~. ~t.s e.
But the Tong voyage across the
ocean and up the Mediterranean
brought no solution to his problem.
His mind vas as undecided as ever
when he reached Palestine. $3.50.
| His Vigil at Galile. =,
One night, with his mind still
burdened with the perplexpg ques-
ton of his future he walked alone
from the little, village hotel, where
he was staying down to the shore
of the Sea OF Galilee. He. sat down
upon the bank alone and looking up
at the sparkling stars and down up
on their reflection in the calm
depths of the lake. Upon these very
shores Jesus, his master, had stloued
and, sat and taught He had, stilled
the very waves Of the sea when they
were tempest tossed and upon the
still waters had walked and sailed.
Here, upon these shores, he had
found fishermen, 6 Simon Better, An
drew, James and John, and had call
led them: Come, follow me, and !