Part 4. ACCOMPLISHMENTS

6. Young People’s Missionary Society

NEW chapter was written into the history of Free Methodism in 1919 when the first organization for young people—the Young People’s Missionary Society—was born. A number of years previous to this the Executive Committee of the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society (now Woman’s Missionary Society) had asked themselves the question, “What will it profit the church if we gain many adults and some children but lose the young people ?“ Youth wanted to serve the church and the Kingdom, and they wanted to do it in an organization of their own. The Juniors had one and the women had one. Why not youth? They had appealed. The time had come to grant that request. Accordingly, the Young People’s Missionary Society was launched, with Mrs. Emma L. Hogue as superintendent and trail-blazer. A lover of youth and wife of a man who had served the church in every capacity from pastor to bishop, she was well able to mother the organization. There were objections and fears, and many said, “It can’t be done,” but say that to a woman and she’ll prove it can. And Mrs. Hogue did, guiding the organization safely away from tragedies and failure down the path of multiplied activities and success.

     At the close of her twelfth year as superintendent (the time limit for a general officer) the church found a large and growing organization. Instead of the Y. P. M. S. bringing worldliness in, as some had feared, the church found a fine army of spiritual, loyal young people, co-operating every way for the advancement of the kingdom of God.

     During the first four years there was no Constitution and there were only local organizations.

     There was no young people’s page in the Free Methodist, so most of the promotional work was done by correspondence and through the Missionary Tidings, the monthly organ of the Woman’s Missionary Society. There was no salary—only postage was allowed.

     But during the first quadrennium two hundred local societies were organized, with a membership of 3,208, and $12,000 was raised for missions besides a large sum for “specials.”

     In October, 1922, the Executive Committee of the Woman’s Missionary Society appointed a committee of five to prepare a tentative Constitution and By-Laws for the Young People’s Missionary Society. This was presented to the quadrennial meeting in Corunna, Michigan, in June, 1923. With some changes it was adopted. Later a Handbook was ordered, prepared, adopted, and bound with the Constitution. This Constitution, with a few changes and additions, was used during the twelve years it was auxiliary to the Woman’s Missionary Society.

     The payment of a dollar a year entitled one to membership. All young people of good moral character fourteen years of age and over could join.

     Some opposed taking in those who were not Christians, but there was strong objection. There was work they could do; besides, the association might mean their salvation. Too, there were safeguards in the Constitution. The pastor and president of the Woman’s Missionary Society were members of the Executive Committee. The president must be a member of the Free Methodist Church, and all other officers “whenever practicable.”

     Three months after the first Constitution was sent out fifteen conferences organized. Southern California was first, under the superintendent, Jenne Harroun Howland. Oregon was second.

     The first Young People’s Missionary Society summer conference was held on the camp ground in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, during the second quadrennium. Missionaries addressed the group and evangelistic services were held. Enthusiasm and interest grew. Many local, district and conference institutes and conventions were held. Interests widened and pastors found they had in this organization an assistant pastor to help do the work they formerly did alone.

     A Young People’s Missionary Society Council was elected also during this quadrennium, composed of seven members, two of whom were the president of the Woman’s Missionary Society and the young people’s superintendent.

     At the close of the second quadrennium there were thirty-seven conference societies, 330 locals—an increase of 130—and a membership of 6,208—an increase of 3,000. They had raised $56,678.99, an increase of $45,287.37 over the previous quadrennium. During the last year of this quadrennium they raised $21,808.87, enough to pay the salaries of forty missionaries on the field. Many had been converted and many more were enriched in their own experiences.

     At the quadrennial meeting of 1927, held in Rochester, New York, it was voted to give the Young People’s Missionary Society representation at the next quadrennial meeting, so in 1931 nineteen delegates met in Greenville, Illinois.

     At the General Conference in 1927 a Young People’s Society was organized, to be under the control of the church. The Young People’s Missionary Society was to confine itself to missionary activities alone, and the other organization was to carry on activities which had formerly been a part of the Young People’s Missionary Society. The Young People’s Society was not to take the place of the Young People’s Missionary Society, and any local could have one or both societies. No organization could function long without some vital, definite object in view, and two organizations were one too many in a small denomination. In view of this fact, and because of friction, both the General Conference and the Woman’s Missionary Society, after much consideration, consultation and prayer, decided there should be but one society—the Young People’s Missionary Society, which was already a strong and growing organization. Also that it should be under the control of the church. Mrs. Lillian B. Griffith was nominated superintendent by the Young People’s Missionary Society and elected by the Woman’s Missionary Society. “In accordance with the provision of the new plan, she was nominated and elected by the General Conference, thus becoming the first superintendent elected by that body.”

     At the end of the third quadrennium, under Mrs. Hogue’s superintendency, there were forty-two conference organizations, 433 societies and 7,180 members. One hundred four thousand eighty dollars and thirty-three cents was raised during this quadrennium, and fifteen conferences were publishing Young People’s Missionary Society papers.

     The quadrennium 1931-35 saw a marked forward movement. Having traveled with Bishop Griffith and finding opportunity to assist Mrs. Hogue preceding her own superintendency, Mrs. Griffith helped in organizing many conference societies. So closely associated with the work before, with training, travel and familiarity with its workings, it was easy and hard to take the responsibility of the old yet new organization. New, because it had been taken away from the mother’s care and was now responsible only to the church. But there was steady growth in widening activities and service as well as numbers and spirituality. At the close of this quadrennium there were the following gains: Local societies, 145; active members, 3,336; honorary members, 829; Sunday schools organized, 24; accessions to the church, 1,041; missionary money, $272.85.

     During the quadrennium the Young People’s Missionary Society Council was enlarged. There were 13 members, five of whom were members of the Woman’s Missionary Society.

     At the quadrennial meeting in 1935 B. H. Pearson, a young man with a sympathetic understanding of youth, untiring and spiritual, who was also superintendent of the Mexican work, was elected superintendent of the Young People’s Missionary Society. Already holding a job which taxed his strength and energies almost to the limit, many wondered how he would ever handle additional responsibility. With God-inspired courage and unbounded vision he went at his herculean task. Mrs. Mildred Williams Harper was the first office secretary of the Young People’s Missionary Society. Her counsel and service have meant much to the superintendent and organization.

     One outstanding feature of the quadrennium was the Western Youth Advance, held at Palmer Lake, Colorado, August 9-17, 1937. Twenty-nine states were represented and participated here. The spirit and desire were wafted across the waters, resulting in two Youth Advance meetings in the Dominican Republic; India is planning one which will have been held ere this book goes to the publishers; Portuguese East Africa has held one. Out in the great Northwest one is being planned. These will all climax in the World Youth Advance in June, 1939, at Winona Lake, Indiana—a fitting closing to a quadrennium.

     Youth camps have grown in favor. The Japanese-Americans led the way, then Illinois, Southern California, the Ozarks, Louisiana, and the Mexicans. These camps have brought large youth groups together under gospel influences, which have strengthened faith and experience and bound tighter the church bond.

     Evangelistic bands have been organized here in our land. Churches have been raised up. In China eight young men took a dangerous journey of one thousand miles into the Kansu Province with splendid results.

     The following are reporting Young People’s Missionary Society members for the first time: Japan, Portuguese East Africa, and India.

     Service Training under the leadership of Dr. Orville S. Walters has been instituted, gaining great proportions.

     The Conference Officers’ Exchange, a youth paper, has been a valuable bulletin, news carrier and promotional helper, and has been sent to the five hundred members of the conference executive committees, including district elders and others.

     Stimulating to the work east, west, north and south have been the two regional secretaries, Ernest Keasling and Robert Burgess.

     The personnel of the Young People’s Missionary Society Council changed again at the beginning of the quadrennium. Comprising the members were the bishop, who was president, the missionary secretary, Young People’s Missionary Society superintendent, two members of the Woman’s Missionary Society, and the two regional secretaries.

     The following shows the steady growth in the Young People’s Missionary Society during this quadrennium:
 

  
     This last amount is nearly $25,000 more than in any other four-year period. And never in the history of the Free Methodist Church have we had such a large group of spiritual, ready-to-serve young people. If the present is an indication, rich years of fruitage are ahead for the organization and the church.