YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETY OF TIAN ENDEAVOR.
1. Origin and Growth. The first Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor was formed Feb. 2, 1881, in Williston Church, Port land, Me., by the pastor, Rev. Francis E. Clark. The second society was formed in Newburyport, Mass., by the Rev. Charles P. Mills, the pastor of the church, some eight months later. From this small beginning it has rapidly grown until now (January, 1932) there are over 62,00o socie ties in all parts of the world, with a membership of 3.500,000. At first the growth of the move ment was slow, but after a few years it gained impetus and headway, so that now several thou sand new societies are added to the ranks every year.
In 1887 the first society was formed in England, in the town of Crewe, and now the movement is growing there as rapidly as in the land of its birth. About this time, too, societies began to be formed in lands to which American and Eng lish missionaries had gone, and they are now increasing very rapidly in all these countries. In 1890 the Society first found its way into France, and the General Synod of the Protestant Church has recommended that all the churches in France adopt this means of Christian nurture. In 1892 and 1893 the founder of the Society made a world-wide tour, visiting large conventions in Australia, where the movement was already thoroughly established, and held other meetings in China, Japan, India, Turkey, France and Spain. Since that time three similar journeys have been made. In 1894 the Society was estab lished in Switzerland and Germany; in 1895 in South Africa ; and at the end of twenty-one years it can be said that it is found in every country on the face of the earth where there are Chris tian churches or missions. Recently the growth has been very marked in India and other mis sion lands and European countries, where the work has been thoroughly organized and devoted societies obtained. The constitution and pledge have been translated into more than fifty differ ent languages.
In this movement all evangelical denominations are represented. In America the Presbyterians are still in the lead in the number of societies. In England.the Baptists are the leading denomi nation in Christian Endeavor. In some of the colonies of Australia and in some parts of Canada the Methodists are in advance of the other denominations. while in some of the states of the Union the Disciples of Christ and in other states the Congregationalists claim the largest number of Christian Endeavorers. These facts only prove that the Society is equally adapted to all denominations in all parts of the world, and show that it is not undenominational. hut inter denominational. Any society connected with an evangelical church which adopts the leading prin ciples of the movement. including the prayer meeting pledge, and which guarantees these prin ciples by the name "Christian Endeavor," used either alone or in connection with a denomina tional name, is admitted to all the privileges of the movement.
Local unions, early in the the movement, were formed for the sake of bringing the young .
pie together for fellowship and inspiration. The first one was formed in New Haven, Conn. They have been very successful and of great value in promoting the growth of the Endeavor idea.
From the beginning, national or international conventions have been held. The first convened in Portland, Me., in 1882, before there were a dozen societies in all the world. These conven tions have been carried on with increasing power and influence, and now frequently number forty or fifty thousand in attendance. They are by far the largest religious conventions ever held in the history of the world.
Very little business comes before the interna tional convention and the state conventions and local-union meetings. No binding votes are taken, and they exercise no authority over individual societies. The officers of the state and local unions freely give their services fo,r love of the cause.