CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR, YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES OF. 



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converts for the duties of church membership ; 

 to promote an earnest Christian life among their 

 members, to increase their mutual acquaintance, 

 and to make them more useful in the service of 

 God." The first society was organized in Wil- 

 liston Congregational Church, Portland, Me., 

 Feb. 2, 1881. Other societies were formed, 

 and since 1883 their increase has been rapid. 

 Thus in 1882, the societies had 481 members ; in 

 1883 2,870; in 1884, 8,905; in 1885, 10,964; in 

 1886,50,000; in 1887, 140,000; in 1888, 300,000; 

 in 1889, 500,000 ; and in June, 1890, more than 

 660,000. The essential features of the societies 

 are pledged and constant attendance by the mem- 

 bers on the weekly prayer-meetings, participa- 

 tion in the exercises of those meetings by every 

 active member, and work for others through the 

 committees, and in any way that may be sug- 

 gested. An important service is the consecra- 

 tion meeting, which should be held monthly or at 

 stated periods, at which the roll of membership is 

 called and each one is expected to respond with 

 a renewed testimonial of his loyalty to Christ. 

 Members are active young persons, professing 

 Christians, who only have the power of voting ; 

 associate young persons of worthy character 

 who are not at present willing to be considered 

 decided Christians, and who are excused from 

 taking part in the prayer-meetings ; and affili- 

 ated, or honorary members persons who have 

 passed the age of active membership. The prin- 

 cipal committees are the Prayer-Meeting, So- 

 cial, and Executive Committees, the functions 

 of which are fairly defined by their names ; and 

 the Look-Out Committee, whose duty it is to 

 bring in new members, introduce them to the 

 work and to the other members, and look after 

 and reclaim any who seem indifferent to their 

 duties as mentioned in the pledge. In other 

 points, the constitutions of the societies are 

 adaptable to the conditions of the local church. 

 Auxiliary to these societies are junior societies in 

 which the children of the church are banded 

 together for Christian training. The United So- 

 ciety of Christian Endeavor is defined as being 

 simply a medium of communication between the 

 societies. It prints the literature and serves as a 

 medium of correspondence, but has no authority, 

 and is supported by the sale of its literature and 

 by voluntary contributions. 



The ninth International Convention of the 

 Young People's Societies of Christian Endeavor 

 was held in St. Louis, Mo., beginning June 12. 

 The Rev. Francis E. Clark, D. D., presided, and 

 made an address, presenting the principles of the 

 society, which, as summarized, were : A revival 

 of the covenant idea ; a revival of conscience : a 

 revival of loyalty ; a revival of fellowship. The 

 society stood for no particular creed or church 

 polity ; but each local organization should be loyal 

 to the creed and polity of the church to which 

 it belonged. Denominational lines were not to 

 be obliterated, but only temporarily forgotten, in 

 the conventions of the societies, the four days 

 during which the convention was in session 

 were occupied with devotional meetings and ad- 

 dresses on the principles of consecration, fellow- 

 ship, and devotion. Some twenty-two denomi- 

 nations were represented. The reports showed 

 that there were now 11,013 societies of Christian 

 Endeavor in the United States and Canada, hav- 



ing more than 660,000 members, and that 3,341 

 societies and 175,000 members had been added 

 since the last convention. Resolutions were 

 adopted urging increased regard to the sanctity 

 of the Sabbath ; the prohibition of the liquor 

 traffic ; the promotion of Sunday-school and 

 missionary enterprises ; and asserting the rightful 

 and necessary supremacy of all local churches, 

 within which the Christian Endeavor societies 

 are to regard themselves as subordinate to official 

 authority. The number of trustees in the ex- 

 ecutive board was increased, in order that a 

 more adequate representation might be given to 

 the several denominations and different parts of 

 the land. 



A card was published after the convention at 

 St. Louis to meet some apprehensions in regard 

 to the nature and purpose of the Christian En- 

 deavor movement, in which it was declared that 

 there was no central board of authority of con- 

 trol of the society. The United Society of Chris- 

 tian Endeavor, the card said 

 simply serves as a bureau of information. It exer- 

 cises no authority, demands no allegiance, levies no 

 taxes, and does not even record the names of societies 

 unless they wish to be recorded. It has only one 

 paid officer, a general secretary. Its board of trustees 

 is composed, ot leading representatives of all evangeli- 

 cal denominations, arid it has always insisted upon 

 the fundamental principle that every local society is 

 responsible to, and is governed by, its own local 

 church and its own denomination. The yearly inter- 

 national conventions, like the great gathering recently 

 held at St. Louis, are simply "mass meetings. They 

 are not delegated bodies in the strict sense of the term. 

 No legislation is attempted, and. no votes are taken 

 that are binding upon individual societies. . . . The 

 same is true of the local unions. No society is respon- 

 sible to the city "union" ... or to the United 

 Society, or to any other body than its own church and 

 denomination. 



The board of trustees on the llth of Septem- 

 ber adopted a resolution reaffirming the princi- 

 ple that the societies stand together on an evan- 

 gelical basis, and that societies connected with 

 evangelical churches only can be enrolled in the 

 United Society, and adding : " While we disclaim 

 any authority over local unions, State and other 

 organizations, yet we recommend to them that 

 these principles be recognized." 



The second annual convention of the Ontario 

 Provincial Union of the societies was held in 

 Hamilton, Oct. 23 and 24. The Rev. Mungo 

 Fraser, D. D., presided. Statistics were presented 

 showing that there were in the province 196 so- 

 cieties, viz., 94 in Presbyterian churches, 48 in 

 Methodist, 23 in Baptist, 20 in Congregational, 

 5 in Episcopal, and 6 in other churches. A 

 deputation was received from the Epworth 

 League of the Methodist Church, and a com- 

 mittee was appointed to confer with a committee 

 of that body respecting union. The convention 

 declared by resolution that every society taking 

 its name and adopting its principles is eligible 

 to membership in the Union. 



In several denominations societies analogous 

 to the Societies of Christian Endeavor have been 

 formed in connection with the denominational 

 organization, and subject to the control of the 

 authorities of the church. One of the largest of 

 such societies is the Epworth League in the 

 Methodist Episcopal Church, with which are 

 connected more than 4,200 branch leagues. 



