Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1920-03-12
SOUND BUSINESS
BASIS FOR CHURCH
[nterclurcEl World Movement
Natural Growth Of Tendency
To Eliminate Waste
AVOIDS USELESS COMPETITION
Religious Financiering RevoIutionized
BY Success Of Men And Millions
Movement And Cooperation -
Is Result


The Interchurch World Movement
Of North Arncr:ca is an attempt by
forward-looliing leaders of the various
evangelical denominations of the Unit.
cd States and Canada to coordinate
the resources in men, money and mate,
rial for Protestant America.
Historically. it is the logical out.
growth of tendency Of the national
boards in each denomination to form
working alliances among themselves,
in which each board shall preserve it's
identity and control its own personnel
and treasury.
In former times, the home mission
fociety, tho foreign mission society,
the church extension society and the
various philanthropic and cleemosy-
nary agencies of any denomination
conducted their affairs Independently
IF one another Each surveyed it's
rwn restricted territory, prepared a
budget of money and workers for its
own purposes and made. it's own ap-
peal to it's constituency for support.
This could, only mean that these
"gencies were more or less in COM
petition with one another; that there
we're waste and duplication Of work
and money, and that among hem all
Homc work was neglected and some
henominatienal resources were entire
ly overlooked. Because of their spe-
cializcd, training, the leaders Of each
agency regarded themselves as pecu-
liarly fitted for their tasks, and ieal-
ously regarded attempts at outside
interference.
Decide On Experiment:
After decades of such lraphazard
methods, the leaders Of one daaomina-
ton decided on an experiment. They
thought it would be possible for the
agencies to get together for a com
non study &C all the opportunities and
resources Of their brotherhood, to
make out a unified budget of men and
money, and to conduct concerted ap-
peal for funds. Twas made clear
that each constituent board should
preserve cctnrletes autonomy.
When the beard representative met
they found it possible to eliminate a
great amount of organization ex-
penses.> They ultimately worked out
a budget and plan of campaign that
was satisfactory to all. This resulted
in the famous Men and Millions
Movement" eff the Disciples Of Christ,
which brought in what was then con-
sidered the staggering sum of &c.,
100000 for fve-year program. The
members Of the communion were so
pleased with this business-like method
of conducting affairs that they con:
tributed even more generously than
had been expected
The success of this enterprise revo
lutionized the whole business of
church fnanciering The other great
denominations Immediately adopted
the plan. The denominational associa.
tons have come to BE known as "for,
ward movements" and some, thirty of
them are in existence today. Each one
has clarified all the information in re-
lation to enterprise within the. denomi.
nation, and has reduced the business
of collecting and spending money to a
science.
WorId-BuGeet Formed
The Interchurch Wcrld Movement is
simply plan to do INSTRUMENTATION
ally what the forward movements
have done within the various COM
munions. 1t means that every denomi-
national budget will be made in the
light Of world needs instead of in the
semi-obscurity of incomplete informa-
ton 1t means that contributions to
one denomination will not be in waste
full competition with contributions to
another, because all the fellowships
will have. worked cut their program
together. ~
The functions of the Interchurch
World Movement are threefold. First,
it collects, by means Of world surveys,
all the pertinent facts on which de,
nominational programs may be built.
Second, it sets up the practical ma
chinery of cooperation. Third, it acts
in an advisory capacity whenever it's
advice is requested. ... ..
The Movement has nothing to do
with organic church union or matters
of creed or doctrine Each constituent
unit preserves complete autonomy, and
is bound only so far as it wishes to be
bound. Financial appeals are made
by each denomination to it's own con-
stituency. Any surplus in undesfgnat-
ed funds, over and above the actual
cost Of administration, will be prorat-
ed among the denominations engaged
in given financial undertaking.
An illustration Of one thing the
Movement can do is to be found in
western community of 1000 persons
in which thirteen denominations have
been supporting separate churches
with missionary funds, while an ada
cent territory of $4,000 persons has
only three churches. By seeing that all
boards are supplied with
information in such cases, the Move
ment will make possible wiser dis
tribution of funds.
It's first goals are to reduce unneces-
Rary duplication and overlapping to
q minimum and to bring about an in
.ellgent division of labor in unoccu-
pied fields.