The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-11-09
SOUND BUSINESS
BASIS FOR CHURCH
lnterchurch World Movement
Natural Growth of Tendency
to Eliminate Waste.
AVOIDS USELESS COMPETITION
Religious FInanclering Revolutlonlzed
Sy Success Of Men and Millions
Movement and Cooperation
Is Result

ANOA Va fhnCllIa ~ dn 0AAtDlRl Wy AZ
wardlooking leaders OF the varior
evangelical denominations of the Tn
ted States and Canada to co-ordinat
the resources In men, money and nj
terial OF Protestant America
Historically it is the logical ou
growth of tendency of the nationa
boards in each denomination to forr
working alliances among themselves
in which each board shall preserve it
identity and control its own personne
and treasury.
In former times, the home mission
society, the foreign mission society
the church extension society and thu
various philanthropic and eleemosy
nary agencies of any denomination
conducted their affairs independently
OF one another Each surveyed its
own restricted territory prepared q
budget Of money and workers for it,
own purposes and made its 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 ell
nome work was neglected and some
denominatlonal resources were entire
ly overlooked. Because OF their spe.
cialized training, the leaders of each
agency regarded themselves as pecu
larly fitted for their tasks, and jeal
ously regarded attempts at outside In.
reference.
Decide on Experiment
After decades of such haphazard
mUthods, the leaders of one denomina-
tion decided on an experiment. They
thought 1t would be possible for the
agencies to get together for a com
mon study Of all the opportunities and
res Durces of their brotherhood, to
make out unified budget of men and
money, and to conduct a concerted
appeal for funds. 1t was made clear
that each constituent board should
preserve complete autonomy
When the board representatives met
they found it possible to eliminate a
great amount of organization expenses.
They ultimately worked out a budget
and plan OF campaign that waa salts
factory to all. This resulted in the
famous Men and Millions Movement"
of the Disciples of Christ, which
brought in what was then considered
the staggering sum of $6,SOO,O00 for a
fiveyear program. The members OF
the commission were so pleased with
this business-like method of conducting
affairs that they contributed even more
generously than had been expected.
The success OF the enterprise revo-
lutioni2ed the whole business of church
financiering. The other great demon.
nations Immediately adopted the plan.
The denominational associations have |
come to be known as forward move |
ments,' and some thirty of them are
in existence today Each one has clar.
ified all the information in relation to
enterprise within the denomination,
and has reduced the business OF col.
lecting and spending money to a
science.
WorId-Budast Formed.
The Interchurch World Movement
10 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.
tion. 1t means that contributions to
one denomination will not be in waste
ful competition with contributions te
another.
The functions of the InterchurcE
World Movement are threefold First,
1t collects. by means of world surveys.
all the pertinent facts on which de
nominational programs may be built
Second, it sets up the practical ms
chinery OF cooperation. Third It actf
in an advisory capacity whenever its
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 its own
constituency. ANY surplus IN unQeStg-
mated funds, over and above the actual
cost of administration, will be pro
rated among the denominations en-
gagged in given financial undertaking.
An illustration of one thing the
movement can do is to be found in a
western community OF 1000 persons
n which thirteen denominations have
been supporting separate churches
With missionary funds, while an ada
,ent territory OF $4,000 persons has
,nly three churches. BY seeing that
III missionary boards are supplied
With information in such cases, the
movement will make possible wiser
distribution OF funds.
Its first goals are to reduce unGec.
ssary duplication and overlapping 10
minimum and to bring about an in.
ellikent division of labor In unoccn-
led fields. The movement is, at bot
ON, an attempt to put church busi-
ess on sound, business like founda,
Ions.