" The Young Men's Christian Associations seek to unite those young men who, regarding Jesns Christ as their Rod and Saviour, according to the Holy Scriptures, desire to be his disciples in their doctrine and in their life, and to associate their efforts for the extension of his kingdom among young men."
As a rule, the American associations regulated their membership on this basis. It was deemed advisable to keep their membership within the membership of the evangelical churches. While those outside who
are seriously disposed are permitted to enjoy all the general advantages of the association, they are not al- lowed to vote or to hold office. In the English associ- ations, as a general rule, any person is eligible to mem- bership who gives evidence of his conversion to God. But still it is expected that when such a state exists, the young man will unite with some Church. In Hol- land there is no restriction as to membership; it is presumed that when a young man presents himself to the association, he is earnestly seeking the kingdom of God, and is worthy of all encouragement. From the period of its organization to the breaking -out of the civil war in 1861, the new movement had made steady and rapid progress, the membership of all the associa- tions having reached 25,000 in April of the preceding year. The work done is in part indicated by an extract from the report of the annual convention held at New Orleans, April 11,1860:
"Sixty-nine associations have sent in reports. Of these 64 have sustained prayer-meetings; 15 have Bible-class- es : 34 conduct mission Sabbath - schools ; 30 have had courses of sermons, and 35 courses of lectures; 48 own libraries, and 38 keep open reading-rooms."
But with the fall of Fort Sumter came a terrible shock to the associations. Many of them disbanded; the annual convention could not be called that spring; and the Confederation speedily fell to pieces. The work of the preceding ten years seemed to have been destroyed in a day. But a new field of activity came on with the war. Within a month after the opening of the war the association of New York appointed an Army Committee, who began work among the soldiers gathered in the numerous camps in the neighborhood of that city, and exposed to the demoralizing influences of camp and armj' life. Devotional meetings were held among the soldiers ; a pocket edition of a Soldier^s Hymn- book was published and circulated; the Christian men of every regiment were organized, as far as possible, for effective work, and public sentiment was aroused in be- half of the momentous interests involved.
The need of co-operation under this new phase of the movement, as under the earlier development, was soon felt, and, by the suggestion of the Armj' Committee of the New York association, the Central Committee was induced to call a convention to meet in New York. Only forty-two delegates were present, and these rep- resented but fifteen associations; but in their sessions, which lasted a day and a half, a grand beginning was effected. In order to promote the temporal and spirit- ual welfare of the soldiers and sailors of the army and navy, the United States Christian Commission was ap- pointed. This commission consisted of twelve Chris- tian gentlemen, from eight leading cities, and was to be the organ and executive agent of the Young Men's Christian Associations and of the Christian public. This proved to be a great boon to the soldiers in camps, on battle-fields, and in hospitals. It co-operat- ed with the Sanitary Commission, which was a purely secular agency ; but it went further than that commis- sion could go. The Christian public heartily supported its efforts, and made it the medium by which Christian homes, churches, and communities sent spiritual and material comfort to the soldiers in the field and the hos[)itaI. This work belonged distinctively to the Young Men's Christian Associations only at its origin. After it was fairly organized it belonged to the whole Christian public. During the four years of the war, the commission sent out 4859 delegates to do hospital and Gospel work; expended in cash $2,513,741.63; re- ceived and distributed stores worth $2,839,445.20 ; re- ceived and distributed Bibles and reading-matter val- ued at $299,576.26; distributed 1,466.748 Bibles and parts of the Bible, 296,816 bound books, 1,370,9.53 hymn- books, 19,621,103 papers and magazines, 8,308,052 knap- sack-books in flexible covers, 39,104,243 pages of tracts; its delegates preached 58,308 sermons, and held 77,744 prayer-meetings.
YOUNG MEN'S CHRIST. ASSOC'N 1051 YOUNG MEN'S CHRIST. ASSOC'N
Similar work was done by some of the associations in the South among the soldiers of the Confederate army, but there was no general organization for that purpose.
The distinctive work of the associations throughout the country during the war was continued on a limited scale. Two general conventions were held (hiring this period ; the first met at Chicago, June 4-7, 1863, with 30 associations represented; the second met at Boston, June 1-5, 1864, with 28 associations represented by 136 delegates. Although these meetings were full of en- thusiasm, it appeared that the principal activity of the societies was absorbed in arm}' and commission work.
After the close of the war the associations entered upon a new period of ])rogress in their work among young men, which has continued at an increasing rate until the present, and has every appearance of a still greater development of power for good in the years to come. Among the items in which this improvement has been manifested, a few deserve mention. A num- ber of general secretaries have been appointed, who make this work for young men the business of their lives. These secretaries hold an annual meeting for the interchange of views on their common work, and carefully prepared papers are read on topics of vital in- terest to those present. The greatest advantage accru- ing from the labors of these officers is the rapid increase of societies, as well as of workers in those already organ- ized. There has been a rapid increase in the amount of property and the number of buildings owned by these associations. A test of membership has been adopted by the International Convention, which has secured a more substantial Christian character to the associations. In 1866, at Albany, N. Y., they reaffirmed the Paris basis adopted in 1856; in 1868, at Detroit, Mich., they adopted the "evangelical Church test ;" and in 1869, at Portland, Me., defined the term evangelical. The test, as now applied, is as follows :