CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR CONFERENCE.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXX, Issue 1785, 16 February 1904, Page 5

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR CONFERENCE.

MEMORABLE GATHERING AT STIRLING. Thursday last was a red-letter day at Stirling, and in the history of the Christian Endeavour movement in the district. It was the day upon which Dr Clark, the founder of the movement—a movement that is world-wide in its influence—visited the district. The distinguished visitor was accompanied, by his daughter (Miss Clark), Mr Cooper (secretary and treasurer of the N.Z. Union of the C.E.), Miss Hustwick (delegate to -N.Z.C.E. Council), Rev. Mr Newbold, Rev. Mr Thomas (president of the Dunedin district C.E! union). The visitors were met,at the railway station by the Rev. Mr Ramsay (president of the Clutha C.E. Union), Mr McSkimming (vice-presid-ent of the Stirling C.E, Society) and quite a number of Endeavourcrs, who gave them a hearty and enthusiastic welcome, after which Dr Clark and his daughter were driven to the Hermitage, the residence of Mr A. Anderson, and the others of the party were taken by Mr McSkimming to his residence. Tile C.E. movement, originated by Dr Clark, February 2nd, I SSI, has thus seen some 23, years of life. _ The following paragraph speaks for itself of the wonderful progress of the Society " Proni; one Society in 18SI to 64,020 in 1903, from one denomination to more than 80, from one city to every country, and from 50 members to 3,822,300 ; and a million and a half more in societies bearing strict- ' ly . sectarian names, but patterned after Christian Endeavor, and gaining their inspiration from it,—a net gain in number of societies in. one year of more than two thousand." The meeting in the afternoon was somewhat interfered with by the sudden downpour of rain that came on just at the time of the afternoon gathering, fa spitg o{ bowevvr,

there was a good- attendance of representatives from the surrounding districts. Mr McSkimming, who has been so closely identified with the C.E. movement in Stirling, took the chair, and called upon the Rev. Mr Dalrymple to engage in prayer. Thereafter the Chairman, in the name of the Endeavourers, extended a hearty welcome to Dr Clark, and in doing so spoke of the great work that Dr Clark had been honoured in initiating and carrying forward. The Rev. Mr Curric followed, and, in the name of the Clutha Presbytery, al_so welcomed Dr. Clark. The "history of the world, he said, was the history of its great men, and judged by the importance of the C. li. movement Dr Clark had left his mark very deep in the history of the church. Dr Clark, on rising to respond,, was heartily received by the young people present, and, on behalf'of the Stirling Society, was presented with a beautiful bouquet. He then proceeded with a somewhat lengthened and very practical address. He recognised that the welcomes he had received were largely on account of the movement he repressented. He was hopeful of the future of New Zealand, not on account of the material riches of. the colony only, but very specially because of hor young men and women, so many of whom stood for temperance and purity of life, for Christ and tho Church. Dr Clark then proceeded to give an account of the origin of the first C.E. Society in connection with his own church in Portland in the year 1881. The heart and life of the movement was found in the sentiment that youth is the time to serve God. It was a truth recognised by all the churches, but the desire of the leaders of the movement was, to make this truth practical. The young people responded heartily, and this Dr. 'Clark believed they would always do if! the Christian life and service were not made too easy. Dr Clark also spoke of the good work done bv Christian Endeavourers in America and in the difl'orent. countries of Europe and throughout the world. Not a few Japanese Jack-tars had also enrolled themselves, and were faithful in their witness-bearing. In passing, the speaker referred to the temperance movement in Maine, where, in spite of all criticisms to the contrary, -no-license had proved an immense success. Mr Cooper, Secretary of the New Zealand C.E. Union, also said a few words, and in doing so took the opportunity of referring to tlioi C.E. literature that by-and-bye would be on sale in the colony, and more especially to the C.E. Magazine fo'* NewZealand, " The Burning, Bush," a periodical that was published at the nominal price of 1/- per annum, and that in quality was .second to none. The Rev. R. S. Allan, of Kaitangata, opened the C.E. Parliament that followed with an address on "The Extension of. the C.E. Movement in our District Union." Ho had to lament the falling awav in numbers that they as a Union had to confess to. How was the lost ground to be regained ? For this prayer and a morei whole-hearted consecration were necessary. The Rev, A. M. Dalrymple followed with a paper on " How to Better Organise Societies." Three things, he said , were necessary,—first life, the life of faith ; secondly love, love to God- and love to one another, and, thirdly, liberty, respect for oneself and respect for one another. The Rev. T. G. Thomas, President o£ the Dunedin Union, also spoke. He hoped new societies would be established throughout the district. " Attempt great things for God : expect great things from God," an old motto was the one needed by every Endeavourer. The Rev. Mr Ginger, of Lawrence, advocated the giving a larger place to the more spiritual aspects of the, movement. Dr Clark himself followed with a few practical hints as to how to make some progress in the Clutha. Make a start, he said, and continue in perseverance. Let them get out of themsMves and reach forth after others. The Rev. Mr Ramsay, as president of the Clutha Union, closed the conference, and summing up what he would like to say, believed they could increase their numbers if only they tried. He was afraid, however, they- had themselves failed in duty. In the evening the weather cleared up, and permitted a large gathering of people of all classes from far and near. The hall was completely filled. A splendid choir of young people from Stirling, Kaitangata, and Balclutha, with the Rev. Mr Mitchell as leader, and Mr Fraser as organist, gavo.some excellent renderings of several of tho best known hymns from the Alexander and Snnkey's collections, and, latet on, Miss Johnston, of Kaitangata, sang with much feeling and effectiveness the solo, " Will there be any stars ?" At the* evening meeting the chair was taken by the Rev. Mr Ramsay, who called upon the Rev. Mr Currie to engage in prayer. The Chairman, in a few opening remarks, referred to Dr Clark as a man called of God for a special mission. Through the Endeavour Societies good work had been done, and much lapsing prevented on the part of many young people as they left! the Sunday Schools. He, Mr Ramsay, trusted that in Stirling many of the young men and jvomen would be caught up in the movement, and led on to the life and service of Christ. Dr Clark, on being introduced, received a very hearty welcome from I the large audience, and in a splendid ' address very soon got into closer j touch with the meeting. In opening he said he wished to leave a motto to the Endeavourers present—a motto adopted this year by Endeavourers in America and in Europe. It was this : " Organise, vitalize, evangelise." In such a district there should be more and stronger societies, but for this there must be a fuller and more aggressive life. Organisation was the law of civilised life, and if that was true in the different departments of every day, life why should it he deferent in connection with the Church ' In the world of Nature there were great forces as yet unused, and in the C.E. Societies there were latent possibilities for the building up of Christ's Kingdom. T)ie principles of the Swfetft M ft sfagwsdj we^e

such as commended themselves to the < ! mind and heart o£ every Christian. The pledge, he held, was both reasonable and scriptural. At some length I and] with great force the speaker proceeded to prove this in detail. There- j I after he went on to show how, j through the C.E. movement, the world had been belted by prayer, and pfaise,; and service. America had some 40,000 C.E. Societies, Great Britain some 10,000, while other parts of the world rejoiced in not less than 10,000 more. In all the great languages of the world the voice of prayer was, through this movement, heard, and the thought was a great inspiration. In every hour of the day, the world over, and all the year through, some society or other was probably being' held, and the voice of prayer and praise heard. But besides praise and prayer there was work, and the C.E. Societies through its different committees had not been lacking in service.. With some 60,000 Societies, with an average of five committees to each, what a girdle of service thus circled the earth ! To continue in power work was necessary. Disuso meant loss, and there, no doubt, was the explanation of the decay and death of many societies. But in all lands young, people were witnessing for Christ, and, in their own way, doing what they could for the extension of the Kingdom of God. A great opportunity was presented to the church, and especially to the young people of America and Great Britain. To these peoples as it seemed to him, God had given the great work of the Evangelization of the world. In conclusion, I)r Clark commended to all. both old and young, the idea of the " Quiet Hour "—a few minutes at least every day practising the presence of God. Granted this, and with this would come power, and the success for which they all hoped. Another hymn was sung, and Mr Cooper, Secretary of the New Zealand C.E. Union, again brought the question of a larger circulation of the " Burning Bush " the organ of the Societies,, before the people of the district. A very hearty vote of thanks from Mr McSkimming to the Rev. Mr Mitchell, Mr Eraser and the choir, and to the many friends from Kaitangata and|, Balclutha who had helped by their presence to make the meeting a great success was carried with applause, as also were similar vao'tes of thanks from the Rev. Mr Allan to Mr Anderson for his hospitality to Dr and Miss Clark, and to other friends for hospitality to visitors, and from the Chairman to Dr Clark for his presence and splendid address. The beneffletion by the Rev. Mr Dalrymplei brought to a close at a reasonable hour a most enthusiastic and inspiring meeting.