The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-02-20
SOUND BUSINESS
BASIS FOR CHURCH
Lnterchurch World Movement
Natural Growth OF Tendency
To Eliminate Waste
AVOIDS UsELEss coMpErITIoN
Religious Finaneiering RevoIutionized
By Success OF Men And Millions
Movement And Cooperation
IL Result

Movement And Cooperation
IL Result
The Interchurch World Movement
OF North America is an attempt by
forward-looking leaders of the various
evangelical denominations of the Unit
"a States and Canada to coordinate
fhe resources in men. money and mate.
Fiai for Protestant America.
Historically 1t is the logical out
growth OF a tendency of the national
boards In each denomination to form
working alliances among themselves,
tn 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,
ahe church extension society and the
various philanthropic and eleemosy-
nary agencies of any denomination
conducted their affairs independently
OF one another. Each surveyed its
own restricted territory, prepared a
budget Of money and workers for its
own purposes and made its own ap-
peal to its constituency for support
This could only mean that these
agencies were more or less In CON-
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
~ overlooked. Because Of their spe-
cialized training, the leaders Of each
agency regarded themselves as pecu-
LARRY fitted for their tasks. and jeal-
lOusly regarded attempts at outside
Interference.
Decide On Experiment
After decades of such haphazard
methods, the leaders of one denomina-
fion decided on an experiment. They
thought 1t would be possible for the
agencies to get together for a com.
anon study of all the opportunities and
resources Of their brotherhood, to
make out a unified budget OF men and
money. and to conduct concerted APP
peal for funds. II 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 ex
penses. They ultimately worked cut
\ budget and plan of campaign that
was satisfactory to all. This resulted
an the famous Men and Millions
Movement" Of the Disciples of Christ
which brought in what was then con.
adhered the staggering sum of Sc,
5000 for five-year program. The
members Of the communion were SC
pleased with this business-like method
OF conducting affairs that they con
Aributed even more generously than
mad been expected.
The success of this enterprise revo
nutionized the whole business OF
church financiering. The other great
denominations Immediately adopted
The plan. The denominational associa
lions have come to be known as for
ward movements" and some thirty oil
them are in existence today. Each one
has clarified all the information in re,
lntion TO enterprise within the denomi
nation. and has reduced the business
OF collecting and spending money to a
science.
World-Budaet Formed
The Interchurch World Movement is
simply plan to do INSTRUMENTATION
ally what the forward movements
have done within the various com,
municns. It means that every denomi
national budget will be made in the
light CT world needs instead of in the
semi-J bscurity of incomplete informa-
ticn. II means that contributions to
one denomination will not be in waste.
4ul competition with contributions to
another, because all the fellowships
VIII have worked out their program
together
The functions OF the Interchurch
World Movement are threefold. First
# collects. by means of world surveys
al the pertinent facts on which de.
nominational programs may be built
Second. 1t sets up the practical ma
chinery of cooperation. Third. il acts
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
e bound only so far as 1t wishes to be
bound. Financial appeals are made
Nv each denomination to its own CON