The Winslow mail., 1920-02-27
SOUND BUSINESS
BASIS FOR CHURCH
lnterchurch World Movement
Natural Growth of Tendency
to Eliminate Waste.
AVOIDS USELESS COMPETITION
Religious Financierlng RevofutionIzed
Ag Success Of Men and Millions
Movement and Cooperation
10 Result.

EN0kkQ AmeTlc8 IL au attempt Dy lot
leaders of the various
evangelical denominations Of the
United States and Canada to CO.
ordinate the resources of 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 eleemosyn,
AIRY agencies Of any denomination con-
Quoted their affairs independently OF
one another. Each surveyed its own
restricted territory, prepared budget
of money and workers for its own
purpose 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 all
some work was neglected and some
resources were en-.
tirely overlooked. Because Of their
specialized training, the leaders OF
each agency regarded themselves as
peculiarly fitted for their tasks. and
jealously regarded attempts at outside
Interference.
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 common
study of all the opportunities and re-
sources OF their brotherhood, to make
out unified budget Of men and money.
and to conduct concerted appeal for
funds. It was made clear that each
constituent board should preserve
complete autonomy.
When the board representatives met
they found 1t 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 Move
ment" Of the Disciples of Christ. which
brought in what was then considered
the staggering sum of $6,300,000 for a
fivs-ysar program. The members OF
the communion were SO pleased with
this business-like method of conduct
ing affairs that they contributed even
more generously than had been ex'
psoteA.
The success of this enterprise revo
lutioni1eA the whole business OF
church ana2ciering. The other great
demonstrations Immediately adopted
the plan. The denomtnational assoota
tions 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 denomi'
nation. and has reduced the business
OF collecting and spending money to Q
science.
WorId-B Budget Formed.
The Interchurch World Movement is
simply plan to do INSTRUMENTATION
ally what the forward movements
have done within the various com.
munions. 1t means that every denomt'
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, because all the fellowships
will have worked out their program to-
gether.
The functions Of the Interchurrh
World Movement are threefold. First.
it collects, by means Of world surveys,
all the pertinent facts on which de-
nominationai programs may be built.
Second, 1t sets up the practical ma.
chinery of cooperation. Third, 1t acts
in an advisory capacity whenever Its
advice Is requested.
The Movement has nothing to 90
with organic church union or matters
of creed or doctrine. Each constituent
unit preserves complete autonomy, and
is bound only SO far as 1t wishes to be
bound. Financial appeals are made
By each denomination to its own con-
sfituency. Amy surplus IN undesig-
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 move
ment can do Is to be found In western
Of 1900 persons in which
denominations have been sup
porting separate churches with mis-
funds, while an adjacent terri
tory of $4,000 persons has only three
churches. BY seeing that all mission
ary boards are supplied with informa.
ton In such cases, the movement will
make possible a wiser distribution of
funds.
It's first goals are to reduce unneces-
sarv dunIicatioD and Over1aDDing to a