Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-02-17
SOUND BUSINESS
BASIS FOR CHURCH
'!nterchurch World Movement Nat
uraI Growth of Tendency to
Eliminate Waste.
AVOIDS USELESS COMPETITION
Religious Finaneierina RevoIutionized
by Success Of Men and Millions
Movement and Cooperation
is Result

North America is an attempt hy for
ward-looklng leaders of tie various
evangelical denominations of the Unit
ed states and Canada 10 coordinate
the resources in men, money and mate
rial Of Protestant America.
Historically II Is tie logical out
growth of a tendency Of the national
boards ia each denomination to form
working alliances among themselves,
In whicli each board shall preserve its
identity and control IL own personnel
and treasury.
In former times. the home mission
society. the foreign mission society,
the church extension society and the
various phlanthroDic and eieemosynary
agencies az any denomination conduct
cd their affairs independently Of one
another. Each surveyed lis own re-
stricted~ territory, prepared budget
Of money and workers for its own
purposes and made its own appeal to
it's constituency for support.
This could only mean that these
agencies were more or less in com
petition with one another. that there
we're waste and duplication OF work
and money, and that among them all
some work was neglected and some
,lenOminational resources were entire
~ overlooked Because Of their
specialized trimming, the leaders OF
each agency regarded themselves as
peculiarly fitted for their tasks, and
iealously regarded attempts at outside
Interference.
Decide on Experiment.
After decades of such haphazard
methods, the leaders of one denomina-
ton decided on an experiment. They
thought it would be possible for the
agencies to get together for com
mon study Of all the opportunities and
resources Of their brotherhood, 20
make out unified budget of men and
money, and To conduct a concerted ap-
peal for funds I; was made clear
that each constituent board should
preserve complete autonomy.
When the board representatives met
they found it possible to eliminate y
great amount OF organization eE-
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 OF the Disciples of Christ,
which brought in what was then con-
Sidered the staggering sum OF Sc
100000 for fiee-year program. The
members of the communion were so
pleased with this business-lfke method
Of conducting affairs that they con
tributed even more generously than
had been expected.
The success of this enterprise reyo-
hiionized the whole business of
church financiering The other great
denominations immediately adopted
the plan. The denominational ass0cia-
lions have come 10 be known as for
ward movements" and some thirty of
them are in existence today. Each ore
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 9
science
World Budget Formed.
The mterchurch World Movement is
simply plan to do interdenomination-
ally what the forward movements
have done within the various com
munions 1t means that every denom-
national budget will be made in the
light OF world needs instead of in the
semi -obscurity of incomplete infoFma
ton Ii means that contributions ia
one denomination win not be in waste
full competition with contributions 70
another, because oil the fellowships
will have worked out their program
together.
The functions of the Interchurch
World Movement are threefOld. First.
il collects, by means Of world surveys.
all the pertinent facts on which de-
nominational programs may be built
I Second. IL sets up the practical ma
/ chinery of cooperation. Third il acts
: in an advisory capacity whenever its
( advice is requested.
The Movement has nothing 10 do
with organic church union or matters
oe creed or doctrine Each constituent
unit preserves complete autonomy. ana
is bound only so far as it wishes TO be
& bound Financial appeals are made
ny fstCll REORGANIZATION 10 It's bNtl SOit-
stituency. Amy 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
western community of 1900 persons
in which thirteen denominations have
been supporting separate churches
with missionary funds. while an adja-
cent territory of $4,000 persons has only
three churches, BY seeing that al
+, missionary boards are supplied with
! information in such eases, the Move
ment win make possible a wiser dis
! tribution of funds.
It's first goals are TO reduce unneces-
sary duplication and overlapping 10
| q minimum and to bring about an in
| teiligent division of labor in unuccu,
I MED fields The Movement is. az boz.