CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR, Young Peo,. tile's Society of, a society distinctly religious in all its features; organized 2 Feb. 1881, in Williston' Congregational Church, Portland, Me., by the Rev. •Francis E. Clark. From one small association it has expanded into more than 77500 societiee in all parts of the world, with an aggregate membership (1917) of 3,875,000. In addition to the main organiia tions in the United States it has been found necessary to form branches, among which are the Junior, organized 29 March 1883, by the Rev. Charles A. Savage, pastor of the First Congregational Church, Berkeley, Cal.; the Intermediate, organized 1891 by the Rev. A. Z. ,Colarad, pastor of the South Congregational Church, Worcester, Mass., and the Mothers', 'suggested by Mrs. Amanda B. Fellows, of Chicago, and organized in April 1893 at Topeka. by Mr. F. C. Barton. Among other special branches are the Floating societies for work in the United States navy and among seamen generally; and various other organiza tions whose fields of labor lie among the Chi nese, the Indians, convicts in prison, etc. The first Christian Endeavor society in England was Organized in 1887, and was followed by similar ones in other countries, and the constitution has been printed in more than 60 different lan guages. The movement is interdenominational and international, with societies in more than 80 denominations and 60 nations. Any society belonging to an• evangelical church which adopts the leading principles as set forth in the consti tution, including the prayer-meeting pledge, and which guaraetees ahese principles by the name °Christian Endeavor)" either alone or in connec tion with a denominational name, is admitted to all the privileges of the organization. In the United States the Presbyterian Church has the largest number of societies; in Canada and Australia the Methodists are in advance of all others. In some of the American States the Disciples of Christ, and in others the Congrega tionalists claim the largest number.
The distinctive features in the Christian Endeavor movement are its work among the young people, leading them to consecrate their lives to the active service of God; the weekly prayer-meetings, which each member takes a pledge to attend regularly (unless unavoidably detained), and to take a part in; the consecra tion meetings held once a month, at which special efforts are made to see whether each member been faithful to his pledges; the committee work training the members in practi cal service; and the unions, city, county, dis trict, State, .national and international, which
and illustrate the fellowship of the movement. The amount of good accomplished in •training the young people in the practical work of Christianity and fitting them to take up the work of those dropping out of active service can eever be fully estimated. The increase and efficiency standards set before the societies the most practical and helpful plans for definite religious training ever presented by any organization. As a result of this train ing it has enrolled, (1917) more than 100,000 comrades of the Quiet Hour, who practise daily communion with God; more than 36,000 members of the Tenth Legion, who give at least one-tenth of their income to the service of God; more than 8,000 Christian Endeavor experts who have passed an examination on the history. principles and methods of the movement; more than 3,000 life-work recruits who have devoted their lives to the ministry, missions or some other form of Christian service, and more than 50,000 members of the International Peace Union, pledged to promote the principles of brotherhood and fellowship among all nations. Christian Endeavor Week, the week in which the 2d of February occurs, was adopted in 1913 and is observed with appropriate exercises by the societies in all parts of the world. Through it a great impetus is given to all departments of the work.
The World's Union of Christian Endeavor has held conventions at Washington, D. C., in 1896; in London, England, in 1900; Geneva, Switzerland, in 1904; Agra, India, in 1909, and Chicago, Ill., in 1915, which were attended by representatives from all over the world. The United Society of Christian Endeavor is a bureau of information, which simply seeks to spread the idea of the movement throughout the world. Its headquarters are in Boston. The Christian Endeavor World is the international publication of the movement.