The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1920-04-02
SOUND BUSINESS.
BASlSifORlCHURCh
Interchurch World Movement
Natural Growth Of tendency
to Eliminate Waste.
AVOIDS USELESS COMPETiTt)N
Religious Finaneierins Revolutionized
by Success Of Men and Millions
Movement and Cooperation
ls Result. =
AVOIDS USELESS COMPtTi7t)N


North America is an attempt by for.
ward-looking leaders OF the various
evangelical denominations of the Unit
ell States and Canada to coordinate
the resources in men, money and ma
tsrial 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 it's
identity and control its own personnel
and treasury.
In former times. the home. mission
society, the foreign mission society,
the church extension society gnd the
various philapthropic and eleemosy-
nary agencies, OF any denomination
conducted their affairs independently
OF one another. Each surveyed its own
restricted territory, prepared a budget
or money and workers for its own pur.
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
denominational resources were entire
ly overlooked. Because Of their spe-
cialized training, the leaders of each
agency regarded themselves as pecu.
liarly fitted for their tasks, and ieal-
Ously regarded attempts at outside in
terference. ~
Decide on Experiment..
After decades of such haplazard
methods, the leaders OF one denOmina-
tiOn 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. 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
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-
sidered the staggering sum of $6s500,-
900 for a tive-year program. The mem-
nf th. ,,v,ttc uir ovS
pleased with this business-like method
Of conducting affairs that they con-
tributed even more generously than
had been expected. ~
The success of the enterprise revo-
lutionized the whole business OF
church financiering. The other great
denominations Immediately adopted
The plan, The UNCONVENTIONAL 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-
InatiOn, and has reduced the business
Of collecting and spasaing Money to o
science.
Worid-buu0et Formed.
The Interchurch World Movement
Is simply u plan to do intcrdsnomi1a-
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
semi.obscurity of incomplete informa-
, ton 1t means that contributions to
one denomination will not be in waste
full competition with contributions to
another.
The functions of the Interchurch
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, 1t 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 its own
constituency Any surplus in undesig-
mated funds, over and above the actual
cost OF administration, will be pro.
rated among the denominations en-
gagged III given financial undertaking.
An illustration of one thing the
Mo sement can do is to be found in a
western community Of 1900 persons
IL Which thirteen denominations have
teen supporting separate churches
with missionary funds, while an adjs.
cent territory OF $4,000 persons has
only three churches. BY sesing that
all missionary boards are supplied
with information in such cases, the
Movement will make possible "a wiser
distribution Of funds.
It's first Goals are to reduce .tinnec.
exsary duplication and overlapping to
4 minimum. and to bring about an in
Al - lal L..