The Raymer enterprise., 1920-03-18
lHtsroharoh World Movement Nat
srsl Growth Of Tendency to
Intimate Waste.
AVOIDS USELESS FRICTION
hs'lslsus FInaneisring RevoIutIonized
" Success Of Men and Millions
Movement and Cooperation
10 Result.


me resources In men, money and ma
tsrisl Of Protestant America.
historically 1t is the logical out
growth 81 tendency Of the national
Boards In each denomination to form
working alliances among themselves
u which each board shall preserve II.
Identity and control Its own personnel
and treasury.
In former times the home mission
ssdsty, the foreign mission society
ne church extension society and the
various philanthropic and eleemosy
nasy agencies Of any denomination con
6ssssd their affairs independently OF
80 another. Each surveyed It's own
restricted territory, prepared bud
~ u money and workers for its own
purposes and made Its own appeal to
III constituency for support.
MS could only mean that these
agencies were more or less In compe
ation with one another; that there
was waste and duplication OF work
and money, and that among them al
some work was neglected and some
UNCONVENTIONAL resources were entire
~ overlooked. Because OF theII
specialized training. the leaders Of
each agency regarded themselves a,
peculiarly fitted for their tasks, and
jsalously regarded attempts at out
side Interference.
Decide On Experiment.
After decades Of such haphazart
methods, the leaders of one denomina
ticn decided on an experiment. They
thought II would be possible for tn,
agencies to get together for q com
non study Of all the opportunities ant
resources Of their brotherhood, /,
make out unified budget Of men ant
money, and to conduct concerted ap
peal for funds. II was made cleal
that each constituent board SHOULD
preserve complete autonomy.
When the board representatives me
they found II possible to eliminate /
great amount Of organization ex
penses. They ultimately worked oul
n budget and plan Of campaign thai
was satisfactory to all. 1Als 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 $1,000,
600 for . five-year program. The
members OF the communion were SC
pleased with this business ike meth
cd Of conducting affairs that they con
trlbutsd even more generously than
had been expected.
The success OF this enterprise reyo.
lutlonized the whole business Of
church financierlng. The other great
denominations Immediately adopted
the plan. The denominational asso.
dstlons have come to be known as
forward movements" and some thir.
ty Of them are In existence today
Each one has clarified all the lnfor
nausn In relation to enterprise with.
In As denomination, and has reduced
he business Of collecting and spend.
iag nsssy to science.
Werid.Budqet Formed.
The Interchurch World Movement
ID simply q plan to do interdenomlna
tionally what the forward movements
have done within the various com
munions. II means that every de
nominatlonal budget will be made In
the light OF world needs instead of in
the ssmi-obscurity of incomplete in
formation. II means that contributions
to one denomination will not be in
wastsfvl competition with contribu-
tisas 70 another, because all the fel.
lswships will have worked out their
program together.
The functions Of the Interchureh
Wonlt Movement are threefold. First.
1t collects. by means OF world sur.
veys, oil the pertinent facts on which
dsnominational programs may be
built. Second, II sets up the practical
machinery Of cooperation. Third. Ii
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 consti-
tuent unit preserves complete an.
tonomy. and is bound only so far as
II wishes to be bound. Financial ap.
peals are made by each denomIna-
tion to Its own constituency. Any
surplus In undesignated funds, over
and above the actual cost of admins.
tration, will be prorated among the
denominations engaged In a given II.
nanclal undertaking
An illustration Of one thing lhe
Movement can do Is to be found In A
western community of 1.6OO persons
In which thirteen denominations have
been supporting separate churches
with missionary funds. while an ada
cent territory Of $1,000 persons has
only three churches. BY seeing that
all missionary boards are supplied
with Information In such cases, the
Movement will make possible . wiser
distribution Of funds.