The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-06
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

church movement but what the coming together of preachers from all over Ala
 bama will make for a better feeling among the ministers of the various de- nominations.
 In spite of the great publicity given to the meetings by the local press. the many noteworthy addresses were heard by only
 a few laymen, and the general public has little idea of the marvellous way in which the interehurch movement Is or ganized. It moved with the ease of we'll
 greased machinery. for those sponsoring it are well up in the art of launching such an epoeh-making religious enter prise.
 As there is so much misunderstanding about the interchurch movement, I think now that it has made an appeal to the religious forces of Alabama that a rapid resume of it's origin and purpose should be given.
 It had it's beginning in meeting held in New York City. December F. 1918, in response to call of the foreign missions board of the Presbyterian Church, South. The 135 persons in attendance unanl- mously agreed that the times demand q degree of efficiency and power on tne1 part of the evangelical churches, which can be effectuaIly secured only by the cooperation of all. A committee of twenty was created to Ireport plan of organization and pro- cedure. The report of this committee was received. and approved in turn by the Foreign Missions Conference of North America, the Home Missions Council, the Council of Church Boards of Education. the Sunday School Council. the Fedora 1 tion of Women's Boards Of Foreign Mis- sions, and the Council of Women for
 Home Missions. Each of these bodies heartily pledged it's cooperation in mak- ling the plan reality Nearly eighty de- lnominational and interdenominationa agencies have indorsed the movement. | The plans of the movement were pre- scented widely by means Of series of re- gonal conferences, and much helpful criticism and many constructive sug- gestions were called forih. One hundred Heading pastors, after a two days con- iference at Pittsburg, in April. 1919, en- Enthusiastically and unanimously approved | the movements An interboard conference of 500 men and women from twenty-eight | communions and largely representative of the official denominational boards and societies, was held in Cleveland, April S0- May l, 1919. Here the idea of the move ment received the most careful considera- ! ton, and the conviction was unanimous | perative.
 This briefly sets out the initial steps
 taken to launch the plan whereby it is hoped that the evangelical churches of
 North America may cooperate in carry 1 ing out their educational. missionary and benevolent enterprises at home and abroad. It was distinctly stated here that the interchurch movement was not brought into being to fight any religious Organization. but to be medium by which Protestants might better present in mass the things for which Protestant
 ism stands for in the religious world. | Now, said that those behind the move ment are not band of visionaries, or hopeless amateurs. but are men of in- fluence in their own denominations. and ! highly trained in the special work of pro- noting great religious enterprises To get
 a proper understanding of the magnitude and the scope of the undertaking. a nationwide survey was made, and enough of this data being in hand, world outlook was taken. It's both a religious and business way of launching a movement of such magnitude.
 heard Dr. John MacSporran tell of his visit to the Atlantic City World Survey lConferences, where the facts to date had been determined and tabulated. GThe fact said he, stirred the 1,7o0 delegates representing for.y-two denominations to lsecration, and a mighty throb manifested Itself in the belief that the time had Icome to call out all the forces of the evangelical churches to meet the chal-
 lenge to service
 1
 The first fruit of this was seen in the pastors conferences held throughout ] II number of states, in which teams Of
 widely known leaders in the various de-
 nominations were trained to set out the
 nature of the udnertak.ng and to an- |swer all questions which might suggest
 themselves to the minds of any of the
 delegates. wish to state that the meet
 lings were highly informal and that every
 opportunity was not only given, but in-
 sistence was made that any difficulties
 be presented so that they might be
 threshed out.
 II The interchurch movement. through it's
 spokesmen, explicitly states that it does
 not in any way seek to displace or Inter
 fere with the autonomy and responsi-
 Ibility of administration of the co-cpera-
 lt ting agencies. The immediate expenses
 Of the movement are being met through
 credits established by the cooperating boards of the churches. These boards do
 lnot advance money. but they do provide
 credit on which the movement gan bor'
 lrow. It is left to each denomination 70 determine the extent to which 1t will CO., operate in the financial campaign.
 On the basis of the needs revealed by