The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-03-26
FRIDAY, MARCH 20. 1920
History OF Interchurch World Move

History OF Interchurch World Move
ment.
Historically the Interchurch World
Movement of North America is the
logical outgrowth of a tendency OIL
the national boards in each denomi-
nation to form working alliances
among themselves, in which each
board shall preserve its identity and
control it's own personnel and treas
ury.
In former times, the home M. ssion
society, the foreign mission society
the church extension society and the
various philanthropic and elemen-
tary agencies of any denomination
conducted their affairs independent
ly Of one another Each surveyed
its own restricted territory, prepared
budget of money and workers fol-
its own purposes and made its own
appeal to it's constituency for sup
port.
This could only mean that these
agencies were more OF less in COM
4
was waste and duplication of work
and money, and that among them all
some work was neglected and some
UNCONVENTIONAL resources were en-
/ tirely overlooked Because of theil
/ specialized training, the leaders OF
each agency regarded themselves as
peculiarly fitted for their tasks and
jealousy regarded attempts at out
side interference.
After decades of such haphdzard
4 methods, the leaders of one denomi-
! nation decided upon an experiment.
They thought it would be possible
for the agencies to get together for
4 a common study Of all the oppor-
4 tunities and resources of their
brotherhood, to make out a unified
budget of men and money. 1t was
made clear that each constituent
!, board should preserve complete
autonomy.
When the board representatives
: met they found it possible to elimi-
nate a great amount of organization
expenses. They ultimately worked
j 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 considered the staggering
: sum of $6,30O,09O for five-year
program. The members of tho COM
munion were so pleased with this
business-like method of conducting
: affairs that they contributed even
more generously than had been OK
pected.
The Interchurch World Movement
is simply a plan to do interdenomi-
: nationally what the forward move
Z ment has done within the various
: communions. 1t means that every
| UNCONVENTIONAL budget will be made
I in the light of world needs instead
. of in the semi-obscurity of incom-
9 plete information. 1t means that
J one denomination will not be in
wasteful competition with another,
because all the fellowships will have
n worked out their programs together.
The movement has nothing to dc
: with organic church union or matters
of creed or doctrine. Each constitu-
ent unit preserves complete auton-
3 omy and is bound only so far as it
wishes to be bound.
Q An illustration of one thing the
s movement can do is to be found in a
: western community of l 900 persons,
. in which thirteen denominations
3 have been supporting separate
: churches with missionary funds,
: while an adjacent territory of 5000
r persons has only three churches. By
{ seeing that all missionary boards are
, supplied with information in such
/ cases, the movement will make pos
t sible wiser distribution of funds.
> Its first goals are to reduce UNI
/ necessary duplication and overlap
/ ping to a minimum and to bring
{ about an intelligent division of labor
!, in unoccupied fields. The movement
; is. at bottom. an attempt to put
! church business on the sound, rock
, bottom business-like foundations
; upon which the great commercial
, institutions of America are built.
! More than 1000 farmers were
n xdn< e.l