THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
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work of the union. The income from this latter source has shown a remarkable increase in the last few years. The department of social service is commanding much interest among the young people. This employs social addresses, summer camps, antituberculosis campaigns, visiting nurse associations, and other forms of applied Christianity, through individuals and unions.
One of the most important departments of the union is that of the Junior Union, in which all children of the Universalist Church too young to take up the work of the union itself are enrolled. These local unions meet weekly under the care of a superintendent appointed by the senior union, and the meetings are along similar lines to those of their elders, though much more simple in form. State and national superintendents supervise the work of these local organizations and direct their energies. The official organ of the union is Onward, a bi-weekly paper of twelve pages, published by the Universalist Publishing House at Boston, and edited by Roger F. Etz, of Boston; and the union maintains permanent headquarters at 359 Boylston Street, Boston, Mass. Rospert W. Hit.
XIII. Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor: The Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor is an interdenominational organization founded by Rev. Francis E. Clark (q.v.) on Feb. 2, 1881; in the Williston Congregational Church, Portland, Me., of which he was then pastor. This church was well fitted to be the birthplace of such a society, for it was a young church, filled with young people, and presided over by a young pastor, not out of his twenties, and neither pastor nor people were afraid to try new plans. In fact, they had made a number of experiments before the method which proved successful was
adopted, these running largely to de-
1. Origin bating, musical, or amusement soci-
and eties, which, though very well in their
Primary way, had not enough of the strenu-
Character- ously religious element to attract and istics. permanently hold the enthusiasm of the best young people. This new so-
ciety, however, was distinctively a religious organization. It did not despise other attractions, but it did recognize the fact that religion is the most interesting thing in the world to old and young, and it put the emphasis upon the word ‘ Christian ”’ in its title. Another word in the title which was underscored in practise was the word “ Endeavor.” It did not boast overmuch as a society of Christian accomplishment, but more modestly it claimed to be a company of triers, who were willing to make an attempt, even though it might fail. This characteristic of the new society was made evident by the constitution which was adopted at the pastor’s house on the evening of organization. By signing their names to that constitution the members promised to try to attend and to take some little part in each weekly meeting, and also to try to do their duty on whatever committee they might be placed. None of them were speechmakers, and none of them were expert in Christian work, but they could try to do their best, and so they became the first society of Christian Endeavor. This pledge to try to do these
things proved to be the strength of the society, as well as of all the tens of thousands formed upon this model in subsequent years, for the constitution then adopted is the same one, in its essential features, as that which now, for three decades, has been adopted in all parts of the world. It has been translated into at least a hundred languages, and has been subscribed by at least 10,000,000 of young people, many of whom are now no longer young, and who have gone on to otherorms of Christian work. Most of the failures that have occurred may be ascribed to a lack of adherence to these simple principles of putting religion first, and of making an attempt to speak some word and do some service, however small, in the Master’s name and in his strength. In a word, outspoken devotion to Christ, constant service for him, and loyalty to his Church were the characteristics of this first society and of those that succeeded it. As the movement developed in all denominations and in all lands, universal fellowship with all Christians became a prominent and ever-enlarging feature of the organization.
The second society was formed eight months after the first in the North Congregational Church of Newburyport, Mass., under the leadership of the pastor, Rev. Charles Perry Mills, who, until the time of his death, was a warm advocate of this form
of work for young people. Then the
2. Rapid societies, some accounts of which had
Growth. appeared in The Congregationalist of
Boston and The Sunday School Times of Philadelphia, began to multiply, at first slowly, but with rapidly increasing momentum. They broke through boundaries of state and denominational lines, and were taken up with eagerness and enthusiasm by young people in city and country, East and West, and in all walks and conditions of life. The following figures will show the accelerated rate of growth of the movement in the earlier years:
1882, 7 1886, 850 1890, 11,013 1894, 33,720 1883, 56 1887, 2,314 1891, 16,274 1895, 41,229 1884, 156 1888, 4,879 1892, 21,080 1896, 46,125 1885, 253 1889, 7,672 1893, 26,284 1897, 48,000
The society was not long confined to America, and it was scarcely four years old before it was introduced by a missionary, Miss Margaret Leitch, to India by way of Ceylon. About the same time, Rey. George H. Hubbard, a young missionary from Connecticut, started a little society in Fu-chau, China, which soon multiplied itself over and over again, until now 150 societies exist in the Fu-kien province of China alone, and hundreds more throughout that great empire. In 1888 the founder of the society was first invited to go to England to tell about Christian Endeavor, which had already become a movement of some importance in America, at the May meeting of the Sunday School Union in London. There was then one society in Great Britain, in the Hightown Church of Crewe. At first the growth was slow, but soon it gathered force, and now more than 10,000 societies are found in the United Kingdom, numbering something like 500,- 000 members. In Australia the society took root about the same time as in Great Britain, introduced by a young sailor who belonged to the second society in Newburyport, and the movement has spread into