Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1920-04-01
SOUND BUSINESS
BASIS FOR CHURCH
InterchurCh World Movement
Natural Growth of Tendency
To Eliminate Waste
TO AVOID ALL COMPETITION
Religious Financierine Rcvolutionized
BY Success Of Men and Millions
Movement and CoOpera-
ton is Result.

lie lAlCt w Vi ~ SIOfElICilt Va /
North America is an attempt by for
ward-looking leaders of the various
evangelical denominations Of tn e |
United States and Canada to co-ordil |
nate the resources in men, money and
material of 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 its
identity and control its own personnel
and treasury
In former times, the home mission
society, 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
own restricted territory, prepared a
budget of money and workers for it's
own purposes and made it's own appeal
/ to its constituency for support.
This could only mean that these
( agencies were more or less in COM
/ petition with one another; that there
! were waste and duplication of work
and money, and that among them all
some work was neglected and some
UNCONVENTIONAL resources were en-
tirely overlooked Because of their
! specialized training the leaders of
each agency regarded themselves as
peculiarly fitted for their tasks, and
jealousy regarded attempts at out
side interference.
Decide on Experiment.
After decades of such haphazard
methods, the leaders of one denomi-
nation decided on an experiment. They
thought it would be possible for the
agencies to get together for a com
mon study of all the opportunities and
resources of their brotherhood, to
make out a upifed budget OF men aid
money, and to conduct a concerted Gp-
peal for funds 1t was made clear Tat
each constituent board should pre-
serve complete autonomy
When the board representatives met
they found It possible to eliminate a
great amount of organization ex.
penses. They ultimately worked out
budget and plan of campaign that
was satisfactory to all This resulted
in the famous Men and Millions
Movement of the Disciples of Christ,
which brought in what was then con
sid -rfd The staggering sum Of &c. O..
900 for a 1iye-year program The mem
bers of the communion were 50
plea ed with this business-iike method
of conducting affairs that they con
tributed even more generously than
had been expected.
The success of this enterprise revo-
i lutionized t h e whole business of
church fnanciering The other great
demon nations Immediately adopted
the plan. The denominational associa-
lions 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 denom-
patton, and has reduced the BUSINESS of
collecting and spending money to a
science,
w rd-Buoest Formed.
The Interchurch World Movement Is
simply plan to do interdenomina-
tionally 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
semiobscurity of incomplete informa-
ton 1t means that contributions to
one denomination will not be in waste
fiji hpIp flptitiOr ;I,,,4;
Y ano her, because all the fellowships
will have worked out their program
together
The furctions of the lntefehurch
World Movement are threefold First
1T collects, by means of world sur.
veys. al the pertinent facts on which
UNCONVENTIONAL programs may be
built. Second, it sets up the practical
machinery of cooperation. Third, it
acts in an advisory capacity whenever
its advice is requested
The Movement has nothing to do
With organic church union or matters
bf creed or doctrine Each constituent
anti 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 undesignat.
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 a
western community Of 1900 persons
In which thirteen denominations have
been supporting separate churches
viii, missionary funds. while an ada
cent territory Of 10000 persons has
only three churches. BY seeing that
| all missionary boards are supplied
with information in such eases. the
Movement will make possible wiser
distribution Of funds.
its first goals are to reduce unneees-