The Donaldsonville chief., 1920-04-24
INTERCHURCH MOVEMENT.
Alliance of Several Denominations
Proves Profitable 10 All.

l :
Historically the Interchurch World
Movement of North America is the
logical cutgrowth Of a tendency of
the national boards in each denomi-
| nation to form working alliances
among themselves, in which each
board shall preserve it's identity and
control its own personnel and treas
ury.
In former times, the home mission
soc.ety, the foreign mission society,
The church extension society and the
various philanthropic and eleemosy-
nary agencies of any denomination
conducted their affairs independently
Of one another. Each surveyed its
budget of money and workers for it's
own purposes and made its own ap-
zeal to its constituency for support
This could only mean that these
agencies were more or less in COM
petition with one another, that there
was waste and duplication of work
and money, and that among them all
some work was neglected and some
UNCONVENTIONAL resources were en-
tlrely overlooked. Because of their
'pecfalized training, the leaders of
each agency regarded themselves as
peculiarly for their. tasks and jeaI-
ouslly regarded attempts at outside
Interference
After decades of such haphazard
methods, the leaders of one denomi-
nation decided upon an experiment
They thought it would be possible for
the agencies to get together for a
common study of all the opportuni-
ties and resources of their brother
hood, to make out unified budget
IF men and money. 1t was made
clear that each constituent board
should preserve complete autonomy.
When the board representatives
net they found it possible to elin1i-
late a~great amount of organization
expenses. They ultimately worked
tut budget and plan of campaign
hat was satisfactory to all. This re-
u}ted in the famous 'Men and Mil
ions Movement" of the Disciples of
christ, which brought in what was
hen considered the staggering sum
# $6,3O0,0OO for fve-year pro-
ram. The members of the COM
nunicn were SO pleased with this
,usiness-llke method of conducting |
affairs that they contributed even
more generously than had been ex-
oected.
The Interchurch World Movement
S simply a plan to do interdenomi- I
nationally what the forward move
nents have done within the various
,ommunions. It means that every
UNCONVENTIONAL budget will be made
n the light of world needs instead of
n the semi-obscuFity of incomplete
Information. I i means that one de-
nomination will not be in Wastefu1
competition with another, because all
he fellowships will have worked out
heir programs together.
The movement has nothing to do
With organic church union or matters
If creed or doctrine. Each con
stituent unit preserves complete au-
,oncmy and is bound only so far as
t wishes to be bound.
An illustration Of one thing the II
can do is to be found in a
western community of 1900 persons,
n which thirteen denominations ;
lave been supporting separate ,
with missionary funds, :
While ansadjacent territory Of $4,000 ,
persons has only three churches. By :,
eeing that all missionary boards are
upplied with information in such
ases, the movement will make posi-
lie a wiser distribution Of funds. /,
It's first goals are to reduce un, +,
necessary duplication and overlap
ing to a minimum and to bring !:
bout an intelligent division of labor .
n unoccupied fields The movement j.
s, at bottom, an attempt to put
hurch business on the sound, rock
ottom business like foundations
pom which the great commercial in :
tltltlons of America are built.
Over 200 persons were killed and