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22 THE
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NOTES ON THE RICHMOND CONVEN
TION, LAYMEN'S MISSIONARY
MOVEMENT.
By F. A. Brown.
Richmond was the fouith city in the
United States to hold a convention of
the National Campaign of the Laymen's
Missionary Movement. Seventy great
cities have arranged for similar gatherings
during the next few months. Delegates
from three hundred churches
throughout the state met to determine
the share of the non-Christian world
which Virginia should attempt to evangelize.
Thirty speakers, including mis
sionaries, laymen and secretaries,
brought messages of great power. Nine
hundred and thirty-four men registered
by mail or in person.
On a very stormy Saturday night, 550
men gathered around - the supper table
in the largest banqueting hall in Richmond.
while fifty others stood for three
hours listening to inspiring messages
from Mr. Campbell White, Dr. R. J. Willingham,
Mr. Mornay Williams, Mr. Jno.
R. Pepper.
Previous to the convention the pastors
of forty-five city churches had invited
laymen from other churches to deliver
addresses on the spiritual value of
the movement before their Sunday morning
congregations. Eight of the largest
cities throughout the state had been visited
by prominent business men of Richmond.
in the interest of the National
Campaign. It is not too much to say
that the whole city was stirred. A week
before the convention opened it was the
opinion of the executive committee that
the movement had been worth all it cost,
even if the convention were not to be
held. All of the men gave and received
a great blessing in this remarkable deputation
work. The willingness of prominent
business men to give of their time
and ability to deliver these addresses
created a profound impression.
Sixteen hundred men gathered in the
city auditorium on Sunday afternoon, to
hear addresses from Mr. White and Dr.
Teusler of Japan. At the same hour the
Second Baptist church was crowded*
with an attendance on the part of the
ladies of the city. An organization of
all of the women's missionary societies
of the city was accomplished by means
of a permanent committee, and has already
perfected plans which will make
possible larger results along educational
linoa
One of the most striking features of
the convention was the sustained attendance
of the men on Monday?the busiest
morning of the week?to consider
the King's business. Much of the time
of the convention was spent in conference
work; the every member canvass
and the weekly basis for giving, receiving
very thorough treatment. The meetings
were held in St. Paul's Episcopal
church.
W:s the convention a success? This
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU1
question could not be answered until
two weeks had passed by, during which
the city was given an opportunity to
prove with what reality these resolutions
had been adopted. A report meeting
was planned to meet about two
weeks after the close of the convention,
each church being asked to complete its
every member canvass by thit time.
Then followed a remarkable campaign,
that in its promptness has not been
equalled in any American city. The
leaders of the Episcopal churches met
and apportioned the amount assumed by
them among the various churches. One
hundred and thirty committeemen of all
the churches spent two hours in discussing
the best plans for makine the can.
vass, etc. A number of churches held
luncheon conferences, at which subscription
cards were signed, and plans devised
for reaching every member of the church
?t once, the committeemen going two by
two. A luncheon conference was held for
all the men doing this canvassing work,
just before the campaign closed, and some
remarkable testimonials were given as
to the value and efficiency of the work.
The First Baptist church, which has been
giving $5,000 annually, by this canvass
increased its gifts to $7,000. Emanuel
Episcopal church secured a per capita
subscription of $8. Ginter Park Presbyterian
church, $12 per member. Nineteen
Methodist churches had already
completed a canvass, which increased
their gifts from $5,000 to $13,000.
Listing the churches that did not report,
at the amount given last year, the
totals by denominations were as follows:
18 Methodist churches, $13,528.61; 17
Baptist churches, $21,522.75; 14 Episcopal
churches, $12,506.79; 12 Presbyterians
churches, $12,348.00; 5 Christian
churches, $2,650.00; German Evangel
church, $218.77; 2 Lutheran churches,
$356.75.
The total being $63,031.63, and the
amount voted at the convention $60,000.
The expectant attitude of the missionaries
of the world is expressed by a letter
from one of them: "We are praying
for you, and watching the work at home
with great interest." Those missionaries
who read these notes will be glad to
know of the spiritual atmosphere that
pervades all the activity of these laymen,
and more hopeful than the emphasis
placed on better methods is the deepening
of the prayer life of the men themselves.
The most popular argument, and
the plea that these laymen invariably
put first is the compelling command of
our Lord. Said oue promient bank president,
when on a deputation visit to a
neighboring city: "I do not know enough
about missions to meet all of the objections
that men bring forward, but I am
a man who believes in trying to carry
out the commands found in the Bible,
and that is enough for me."
Th? onlrlht.l onH an^.irlr,^ -?
i uc o j/? i IIUJ1 auu VUUU11U5 1 cnuiio U1
the meeting are shown by the remarkable
way in which the leading business
men of the city give of their time to
enlist the interest of other men, thereby
increasing their own interest In city,
home, and foreign work, and awakening
rH. December 22, 1909.
to a deeper concern for the man next to
them. In this, the result was like a revival.
One delegate said: "I used to feel
that this task was God's business, or
sometimes, that it was the church's business,
and sometimes, perchance, that it
was no one's business at all. I have now
come to believe that it is my business."
A prominent pastor remarked that ha
was more impressed by this convention
than by any he had attended for many
years. "Yes," remarked a laymen, "it
has impressed me to the amount of
$1,000."
Richmond has had a unique opportunity
of leading; the way in this National
campaign. At the first meeting
of the committee of one hundred, appointed
by the Foreign and Domestic
Board of the Episcopal church, at which '
Admiral Mayhan presided, the chairman
of the RiehmnnH commiaoB T
Sands, reported, in person, the progress
made by the Episcopal churches of the
city. Their example proved stimulating
to other churches represented at this
gathering. The Baltimore committee
has called for the services of one of the
Richmond laymen to describe to their
committee the method3 of the follow-up
campaign, used in the southern city.
One church in Richmond, at a luncheon
conference three weeks after the convention,
subscribed $1,000 for foreign
luiooiuuo, m auuiiiuii to 1116 $lfDUU It 13
now giving. A few days later, during the
visit of Gov. Glenn, the same church
subscribed $1,000 for home missions, in
addition to the regular gifts of the
church to this cause
It is believed that the reflex influence
of the convention will be abiding.
LAYMEN'S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT.
A Perconal Letter to Every Pastor in
North Carolina.
Rev. and Dear Brother:?We beg to
call your attention to the North Carolina
Convention of the great Laymen's Movement
to be held in Greensboro January
19.11 TKa
m. nc vvttn mm omer literature
issued by the publicity committee have
been mailed to you, from which you may
learn of the purpose of the movement,
and of the plans for this one of the seventy
conventions being held in the United
States, and as brethren in the great
cause of our Common Master, we ask
your earnest and immediate interest in
the same.
While it is a Laymen's convention, we
realize that outside of Oreensboro, at
least, the laymen must be reached
through their ministers, and therefore,
we, the Pastor's Co-operative Committee,
met mai we can not co-operate more
efficiently than by urging our brother
ministers throughout the state to join
with us in supporting and promoting this
great ^work among laymen for the extension
of our Master's kingdom. *
To you 'it is not necessary for us to
enlarge upon the importance of this con
vention, or to tell you of the wonderful
possibilities of this great Interdenominational
Missionary Movement of Laymen,
for we all realize that it is one of the