A REMARKABLE MISSION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1539, 7 September 1912, Page 9

A REMARKABLE MISSION.

MEN AND m KKUgiox FORWARD (V.T'-li lhe « di :l l,an <i l ?ent of the Xatiimal Committee of the Men' and Religion Forward Movement, one of the remarkable evangelistic campaigns of modern times passed lntojnstory," saids "Current Literature. Ihis movement, which was , hacked by nine church brotherhoods, the International Sunday School Association, ■ aim. the International ■ Committee ■of ,f °," n ,S Men s Christian Associations, is ten to have pioneered new ■ methods of «ndimng value. It began its'active work last October; sent four 'teams, , each conwstiiigs of six evangelists, into 1500 American communities, held 7002 meetings aavo 8332 addresses, and had an attendance of 1,-192,616." -Among the- speakers ■Jlr.MVi'Cl. .-Dfyaiii' the famous.democrat; Miss Jnno Atldams, of HulJ. Housei-Chi-Rev. Dr. J. H. Jowctt. f ••.-.w.'v..•-.,•■.-"The uuicaie feature of the movement ■may-bo-«aid-to have been its ability 'to blend notes that have been hitherto regarded as somewhat discordant. Six specific interests werp constantly kept in view: Evangelism, social senice, community extension, boys' work, Bible study, and missions. Past evangelical campaigns' have invariably emphasised the individual motive, but no campaign has ever before appealed on so large a scale to the social conscience. Efforts vncro rtiade to form in Bvei-y community touched by 'the""moX'er ment-an inter-denominational committee for, the gathering of social facts. Tho parochial conception of Christianity was transcended, and the necessity of dealing with social problems by city units was urged. "Experience at the great World Missionary Congress in Edinburgh two years ago had shown that better results' wero'attarned, by putting printed documents, Srepared by experts, in tho hands of every clegate and inviting discussion than by the older method of holding all-day sessions of speeches, with littlo time for discussion. 'Tho now method,' Frederick Lynch tells us in the 'Christian Work and Evangelist,' 'will probably bo followed at all religious conferences of the future.'

; "The reports offered dealt in the main with the- six specific interests of tho Men and Religion Forward Movement, already mentioned. Robert E. Speer, who presented the report on missions, declared: 'Every business house that sends a dissolute man to represent it in non-Christian lauds betrays Jesus Christ. Every Government that sends a .non-Christian to tho East to be its representative slaps tho Church in the face.'

"Dr. Talcott Williams, dean of tho new School of Journalism at Columbia University, and former editor of tho Philadelphia Tress, , who read a report on 'The Church and Publicity,' favoured the maintenance of n press agent by every religious denomination. The discussions of these and similar papers, Mr. Lynch avers, •vere livclv, suggestive, and to the point. The last commission to report was. ono on Christian unity, and.no topic, it is Kife to say! was more appropriate. 'Tho very congress itself,' remarks the'Christinn'Work and Evangelists editorially, 'was n pledge and sign of unity.'-