INTRODUCTION by W. R. Warren, pp. 7-17.
• "The Centennial Campaign," pp. 8-10.
• "The Centennial Program," pp. 10-12.
• "Centennial Campaign Fund," pp. 12-13.
• "The Centennial Convention," pp. 13-14.
• "Centennial Convention Fund," p 15.
• "The Convention Report," pp. 15-17.

      To Convention after Convention had gone a large delegation from western Pennsylvania to set before the Committee on Time and Place the claims and attractions of Pittsburg. At Cincinnati in 1899 we were defeated by Kansas City for 1900. At Kansas City, Minneapolis won because the vote was cast by a Western crowd. To Minneapolis, 1901, came for one day a special train of five hundred from Nebraska, and captured the Convention in true Bryan style, in spite of the general sentiment that one section of the country should not have the Convention two years in succession, much less three.

      Just then affairs took a sudden turn. It was proposed that the centennial of Thomas Campbell's "Declaration and Address" should be celebrated in 1909. Immediately Pittsburg put in an exclusive claim for the Centennial Convention. Her plea was granted, not only because of the logical and historical strength of her position, but also because no other city dared make a pledge of hospitality over the long intervening years.

      J. H. Garrison moved that a committee be appointed to report the following year on the advisability of the celebration, and, if found desirable, to recommend methods and plans. He was named as chairman of the committee, and Mrs. Helen E. Moses, B. L. Smith, A. McLean and Judge C. P. Kane were associated with him. At Omaha the committee gave a favorable report and advised that the celebration be in the advancement and betterment of all departments of church work, and all phases of Christian service and life, and that it culminate in a Convention in the city of Pittsburg.

      The proposals were unanimously endorsed by the Convention, and the same persons continued as a standing committee to promote the ends agreed upon. Judge Kane being unable to serve, G. W. Muckley was made his successor. In 1903 at Detroit, 1904 at St. Louis and 1905 at San Francisco cheering reports of progress were made.

J. G. SLAYTER.

      But it was then felt that more vigorous agitation was needed. So it was resolved that an office should be opened in Pittsburg, and a secretary employed to give all his time to this work. To the same end a special committee of Pittsburg men was appointed: R. S. Latimer, Wallace Tharp, Geo. T. Oliver, John G. Slayter, T. E. Cramblet, Wm. H. Graham and W. R. Warren. Pressure of business prevented Mr. Oliver's acceptance, and on recommendation of the Western Pennsylvania Christian Missionary Society, T. W. Phillips, O. H. Philips and M. M. Cochran were added.

      The old committee was augmented also by the addition of Geo. L. Snively, the secretary of the National Benevolent Association. At a meeting in Cincinnati it called W. R. Warren, who had come into general notice as the secretary of the Century Simultaneous Revival of Western Pennsylvania, to take charge of the agitation, and adjourned to assemble two weeks later with the other committee in Pittsburg. Here the two committees were permanently combined and the local members made the Executive Committee, with T. W. Phillips, chairman; O. H. Philips, recording [7] secretary, and W. H. Graham, treasurer.

      The Centennial Bureau was established in Room 203, Bissell Block, north-east corner Seventh Avenue and Smithfield Street, and the campaign opened Dec. 1, 1905.

      The original purpose of the Centennial campaign was rapidly crystalized into twenty-eight aims, of which the following was the final form:

      Daily worship in every home.
      Each one win one.
      Two Christian papers, State and national, in every home.
      Not less than my income's tithe to God.
      God my benefactor and my heir.
      An offering from every disciple to some Christian college.
      Every home anti-saloon territory.

      All the church and as many more in the Bible school.
      All the church in the prayer-meeting.
      Every church its mission.
      Every preacher preaching.
      Every church well-housed; every church debt paid.
      Every church in the State co-operation.
      A men's organization in every church.

      The college for the church, the church for the college, both for Christ.
      The American Christian Missionary Society, $200.000; 4,000 contributing churches; 1,000 evangelists.
      Christian Woman's Board of Missions, 35,000 women in auxiliaries and circles; $200,000 in new stations.
      The Foreign Christian Missionary Society, $400,000 in 1909; $250,000 for buildings by 1909.
      A million dollars in the Church Extension Fund.
      Relief for all disabled ministers; permanent fund, $50,000.
      The restoration of the apostolic ministry of benevolence, $200,000 added to its permanent fund.

      A thousand recruits to the ministry.
      Ten thousand organized adult classes.
      Two hundred thousand trained workers.
      First place in Christian Endeavor.
      Fifty thousand at Pittsburg.
      Two million dollars for missions, benevolence and education.
      The promotion of Christian union by its practice.

M. M. COCHRAN.

      Every available method of agitation was utilized. Every State Convention had something special on the subject, in addition to the Centennial note that was sounded in many addresses on other themes. The ministers and churches in general adopted some of the Centennial aims as their own, and frequently formulated others. In attending State and National Conventions and visiting the churches the secretary traveled over one hundred thousand miles, mostly in the second and third years of the campaign, as the first and fourth years had to be spent at headquarters in Pittsburg, from which 208,000 circular letters were mailed. Scarcely a copy of one of the church papers was issued in the four years without carrying something concerning the Centennial, increasing prominence being given to it, of course, as the Convention approached. The Christian Standard signalized the last year by issuing nine great monthly Centennial specials, which were sent by the thousand to persons not connected with the Restoration movement. The Christian-Evangelist devoted its title page, as well as much other space, to the Centennial agitation, throughout the larger part of the campaign. The committee brought out two editions of the "Declaration and Address;" one in the form of a [8] pamphlet, which reproduced the original as exactly as it could be done in type, with manila cover. Over twenty thousand copies of this were circulated. The other was a photographic production of the Campbell family copy, which is now the property of Mrs. Decima Barclay. Only three hundred copies of this were issued, each numbered and bound in ooze calf.

      The following leaflets were published and given out for free distribution, on payment of postage. Three quarters of a million copies were used:

      Especial attention was given in many quarters to the advocacy of tithing. Twenty-five hundred Centennial tithers' certificates were issued from the headquarters. Many churches had their finances lifted from failure and distress to fullness and delight. Seed was sown throughout the land that will bear bountiful fruit in the larger and more wholesome giving of tens of thousands in the new century.

      A glance at the statistical table will show that in spite of the financial depression hundreds of churches signalized the Centennial by the erection of adequate buildings. We are in the midst of a building era unprecedented in the history of Christianity.

      Especial emphasis was laid upon education, because of the general conviction that it had been too long and too much neglected, and because of the growing sense of its fundamental relation to all permanent growth and power. The results of this agitation are beginning to appear in enlarged endowments for colleges as well as increased attendance.

C. C. CHAPMAN.

      With the close of the Centennial year, Bethany College has had its endowment increased by $158,000--$25,000 or more each being given by R. A. Long, of Kansas City; M. M. Cochran, of Uniontown, Pa.; Geo. T. Oliver, of Pittsburg, and T. W. Phillips, of New Castle, Pa. Similar amounts were added to the funds of the College of the Bible, at Lexington, and of Hiram College, Ohio. Early in the campaign $250,000 was added to the endowment of Butler College, in Indianapolis, on the initiative of Jos. I. Irwin, of Columbus, Ind., who gave $100,000, and was seconded by Marshall T. Reeves, of the same place, with $25.000. The people of Texas have practically cleared Texas Christian University, at Waco, of the large indebtedness on its splendid property. R. H. Stockton, of St. Louis, has given $50,000 to Christian University, at Canton, Mo. The Bible College of Missouri has secured $100,000 additional endowment, half of which was given by R. A. Long, the chairman of its trustees. Drake University is prospering splendidly in every respect, with constant additions to its productive funds, as well as to its equipment and attendance. Johnson Bible College is being generously supported by a host of friends won in the years of its distress. Virginia Christian College and Atlantic Christian College have sprung into prominent usefulness within the Centennial period, as have [9] also Berkeley Bible Seminary and Eugene Bible University, on the Pacific Coast, and Pomona College, in Southern California, and Keuka College, in New York, two union institutions. Oklahoma Christian University, at Enid, may be considered a special Centennial monument, as it has not only been brought into existence and power within the four years, but from the first the salary and expenses of President Zollars have been personally paid by T. W. Phillips, chairman of the Centennial Campaign Executive Committee. The encouraging facts in the history of all of our other schools would justify special mention of each, if space permitted. Best of all, the conviction is general that we are only in the beginning of our new educational era.

      From the first the Restoration movement has been evangelistic to the core, and so it was universally agreed that its Centennial should be signalized by extraordinary efforts in soul-saving. The marvelous success with which these were blessed are matters of celestial record. The chief instrument in all of our evangelism has been the word of God. Naturally and inevitably we are coming to the foremost place among all God's people in Bible-school work. No Centennial aim has been given wider publicity than "All the church, and as many more, in the Bible school." This apparently impossible standard was reached by a score of schools in America, and many more on the foreign fields. That the increased attendance might be both fruitful and permanent, a teacher-training campaign was launched under the special leadership of Herbert Moninger and the Christian Standard, which enrolled 160,000 persons. During 1909 the adult Bible-class movement gained great headway, and the churches of Christ rapidly came to the place of leadership among all religious bodies in the movement.

      The following summary of statistics is necessarily incomplete, but highly suggestive:

      Two years before the date of the Convention the committee began arranging the program. All the interests that are accustomed to be represented in the annual Conventions kindly consented to allow the Centennial Committee general oversight of this, so that there should be more unity in the Convention as a whole.

      Later, they yielded to the committee's request that the time of each be shortened, in order both to give a day for [10] the Centennial celebration proper, and a day each to Bible schools and evangelism, while adding only one day to the total duration of the Convention as a whole. To emphasize the importance of the Saturday and Sunday sessions, the day of opening was changed from Friday to Monday. This arrangement proved so satisfactory that it is being followed in the Topeka Convention in 1910.

      On account of the large attendance it was early decided that from three to five parallel sessions would have to be held throughout the Convention. This, of course, involved both the committee and the delegates in some unavoidable difficulties and inconvenience. But even if a hall had been available large enough to seat all at once, no speaker could have made himself heard.

J. H. McCULLOUGH.

      The most difficult and delicate task which the committee faced was the choosing of themes and speakers. Many meetings of the committee were held, and much time was given to correspondence regarding subjects and speakers. The aim was to make the Centennial tell the story of the Restoration movement, giving the principles of the plea, and voicing a message to the people of our generation that should as nearly as possible serve the purpose that was met by the "Declaration and Address" of Thomas Campbell, at the beginning of the last century.

      The difficulty was not to find fifty men qualified by ability, character and devotion to fill these places, but to make a selection among ten times that number. The aim was to secure a list of speakers that should be representative of all sections of the continent and all shades of thought, and of the two generations whose men have been long enough in the service to justify their being put forward as spokesmen of the cause on so great an occasion. In the first place, each member of the committee was asked to supply a complete list of those that he considered eligible. Upon comparison it was found that a few names appeared on all the lists. Others were found on several lists, and each member recommended some that had not been thought of by any one else. The first step was to eliminate those who had the fewest votes. Then careful consideration was given to each individual of the remaining list. When the number was complete, invitations were sent out to those who had been selected, and practically all of them consented to serve. Our only notable failure to get the men we wanted was in the case of the anti-society brethren, from whom we were unable to secure a representative.

      Naturally, every one who considered the list of speakers before, during or after the Convention saw some changes that he thought could have been made with profit. Especially, objections were made to the appearance on the program of men who are known to hold views on Biblical criticism and interpretation at variance with those current among the Disciples.

      While endeavoring to secure a fair representation of the entire brotherhood, the committee, of course, had to pay especial attention to selecting only men personally fitted to meet the requirements of the occasion. Some of the States where our people are numerous had more than one speaker on the program, while others, where we are fewer, had none. The selection was not guided by numbers in either case, except in the broadest possible manner. In the same way it might have been possible to induce some one who is opposed to prosecuting missionary work through organized societies to take a place on the program, but failing to secure the man best fitted among these brethren, we felt that it was better to leave them without representation, much to our regret. An earnest effort was made to get the "Old British" brethren to send a representative. They were not opposed to having one of their number present, but were unwilling to take official action, and no individual volunteered to make the trip.

      On all accounts, we kept clearly before us at all times the fact that the Convention was to represent a great [11] free movement within the church of Christ, composed of over ten thousand independent congregations, each striving to conform to the New Testament standard of the church of Christ, and to advance the union of all Christians for which the Saviour prayed. No speaker was clothed with more authority than that of the truth which he pronounced. No one was put forward as a representative of the Restoration movement further than be succeeded by his utterances in truly representing it. The committee never thought of vouching for all the utterances of all the speakers, either in its own name or in the name of the free churches of Christ which it sought to represent fairly, in the selection of speakers as well as in all the other arrangements for the Convention.

H. K. PENDLETON.

      Now that the Convention is past and its voice is put into this permanent form, it is gratifying to note that practical unanimity prevails throughout all the addresses. The general feeling of the delegates was that only one discordant note was struck during the entire event. The utterance of Samuel Harden Church was resented by the audience that heard it, and condemned by a later session of the Convention, not because any one questioned his right to make an academic investigation of the grounds of our faith and practice, and to declare frankly his convictions on these subjects, but because such investigation and announcement were entirely foreign to the purpose of the occasion, as a great memorial event. The committee has felt compelled to omit his address from this volume, because of his departure from the subject on which he had consented to speak, from the spirit and purpose of the occasion, and from the practically unanimous convictions of the people that he was expected to represent. In this we are simply conforming to the editorial rule by which all the other addresses have been unmercifully condensed, and respecting the all but unanimous voice of the Convention itself. Furthermore, our purpose in the publication of this book, as in the arrangement of the Centennial celebration, is to voice the message of the Restoration movement to the people of our generation. We have tried to omit from it the half of material placed in our hands that seemed less likely to serve this end. We are not restricting freedom of speech; we are merely selecting matter for publication.

      From 1905 to 1908 inclusive, every effort was made to concentrate attention on the aims, rather than the Convention. During 1909 the agitation was made to include Convention attendance, while redoubling attention to achievements, such as would justify a celebration. The printed matter used included 300,000 leaflets, 1,000,000 seals, 100,000 "Pittsburg and the Centennial," a profusely illustrated prospectus of 80 pages 4 x 9 inches, and 65,000 posters showing the Centennial emblem above the Pittsburg sky-line with the legend:

      "A Convention of 50,000, Representing 1,330,000, Celebrating the Centennial of an American Movement for Christian Union, in the City of Its Inception."

      Devout and enthusiastic Disciples in the States of our chief strength believed that its attendance would reach the high mark set for it. Nobody else believed it possible that more than ten thousand people could be brought together. Railroad men were skeptical, and smiled indulgently or painfully when our expectations were mentioned, but one by one the passenger associations granted special rates, the last being far the best. There were many kinds of satisfaction in seeing them overwhelmed with special trains, all of which were desired to reach Pittsburg Monday afternoon, October 11.

      Hotel men were unable to recognize the possibility of considerable Convention patronage until the reservations began to be made in May. When all the rooms at the Schenley had been engaged before the middle of June, their opinions and those of other conservative Pennsylvanians were rapidly and completely changed.

MARY A. LYONS.

      First the newspapers were convinced. Then they united, merrily, to inform the rest of the city. Homes were opened for the entertainment of delegates until the committee had to cry "Enough." Two hundred and fifty churches sought preachers from among our ministers for the Centennial Lord's Day. Fakers appeared on the streets with bogus badges and banners. A great four-story department store building was turned over to the committee by the Henry W. Oliver estate for headquarters. Unsolicited donations to the expense fund were handed to the treasurer. Pittsburg was expecting a crowd.

      Those from a distance came in by the trainload. California arrived Sunday in time for church. Missouri, Indiana and Illinois came in Monday. Iowa meant to, but there were too many trains on the track. Tired, but [13] good-natured, the Des Moines saints were guided to their places of rest at two o'clock Tuesday morning. Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, came in rapid succession--some trains by, different roads simultaneously. Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania furnished a steady stream of arrivals. Registration and entertainment clerks worked night and day--and were cheerful. Delegates jammed the headquarters building and the foyer of the Carnegie Music Hall until movement was impossible, but kept sweet until the deadlock lifted.

      The crush of Tuesday was not repeated at headquarters, but at Carnegie Hall it was of nightly recurrence. The Convention post-office was in this marble and mahogany lined palace. The exhibit halls and publishing-house, college and society headquarters were here.

      This auditorium was perfect in seating, lighting and acoustics. The men in the great Brotherhood meetings in Luna Park had not seen the Music Hall and were satisfied. Duquesne Garden elsewhere would have passed for a wonderful convention hall. The several churches used were models of their kinds, but all suffered by comparison with the steel master's creation.

      Under the spell of their partiality some delegates censured the committee for having concentrated the best speakers in this most delightful building. As a matter of fact, the parallel programs were arranged by letters, balanced as perfectly as possible, and each assigned as a whole to its hall. But the host gave unmistakable evidence of its preferences by crowding the less favored auditoriums to hear its favorites. Every one lamented the physical impossibility of being in more than one place at a time. Thousands daily compromised with their perplexity and went to see the far-famed Pittsburg industries or took the excursion to Bethany. Hundreds simply lingered about Carnegie Institute and enjoyed the fellowship, which is, after all, the most delightful thing about a Christian Convention. Everywhere you turned you met some unexpected friend; through the whole week you searched and never found the comrade of other days, who was also looking for you.

J. R. EWERS.

      All the colleges had their banquets Friday. Bethany was assigned to the three hours between the afternoon and night sessions. Eleven hundred students and friends gathered in the great dining-hall of McCreery & Company's, not to merely eat, not primarily to hear the toasts, but chiefly' just to be together and sing the Bethany songs. Simultaneously the other, schools assembled after the short night session: Drake at the Rittenhouse; Transylvania at the Ft. Pitt; Butler at the University Club, and each of the others in a commodious place.

      The Sunday services in the Convention Halls were in charge of the nearest four colleges--Bethany, Hiram, Transylvania and Butler. A professor presided and a quartette or chorus led the singing.

      Nothing connected with the Convention could be of more lasting value than the sermons of the two hundred and fifty leading brethren in the churches of Greater Pittsburg. The service brought home to the citizens the message of the Restoration and of its Centennial. With what clearness, power and grace this word was spoken, manifold testimony was borne by those who heard the sermons.

      Pittsburg is proverbially a self-contained city, not easily susceptible to outside influences, seldom turning her attention for even a day from her driving industries. But for a whole week the Centennial not only commanded her notice, but compelled more than her praise--her participation. She was won by the earnestness, the cheerfulness, the frank friendliness and the manifest capability of the Convention people. [14]

      Stenographers were employed to attend all the sessions of the Convention and take down everything of which there was not obviously exact manuscript. This provided more than twice as much material as could be published within the limits that both cost and convenience compelled us to fix. The fact that this book partakes much of the nature of a newspaper and that everybody concerned was eager for its appearance at the earliest possible date, made it impossible to return manuscripts and transcripts to the several speakers for revision, or to submit proofs after the book was in type. This explanation will clear the speakers of responsibility for any slight inaccuracies that may be found in the book, in spite of the great care that was exercised by the editorial committee and the proof-readers.

      In the editing of the shorthand reports and manuscripts of addresses, the following gentlemen have given most painstaking and intelligent assistance, without other compensation than the satisfaction of seeing good work well done: Gilbert L. Harney, George W. Knepper, John Ray Ewers, O. H. Philips, A. W. Fortune, Justin N. Green, A. McLean, Marion Stevenson, A. L. Orcutt, George W. Muckley, J. H. Mohorter and I. J. Beatty.

      In some instances, we are sorry to [15]

W. MANSELL.

say, the shorthand reporters understood that the speakers had manuscript, and so failed to make notes of addresses which it was afterwards impossible for the speaker to reproduce. So we are unable to present the following addresses: "The Mountain Girl," by Miss Florence Miller; "The Unfinished Task," by H. T. Sutton; "The Great Profit of Church Extension," by H. K. Pendleton, "Neglected Fields," by W. L. Fisher; "Benevolence," by Mrs. T. R. Ayars; "Christian Endeavor," by H. A. Denton; "The Crowning Glory of a Glorious Century," by Chas. C. Wilson; "Methods of Teaching a Training-class," by Walter Mansell; "What of the Future of the Training-class Work?" by J. M. Kersey, and other speeches of Bible-school Day.

      Only one session of the Convention is presented without any abridgment or emendation; that was the Veterans' Camp-fire on Saturday afternoon, October 16. The men who took part in this notable gathering were the special objects of the entire Convention's veneration. Unusual honors were accorded them every time they appeared before the regular sessions of the Convention, because of the distinguished service which they had rendered and the heroic sacrifices which they had made, not only cheerfully, but eagerly. This desire to do them honor was heightened by the great numbers in which they had gathered, and the realization that they would never be seen together again this side of the great white throne. Then, they were naturally looked upon as the special and personal representatives of the pioneers themselves, for they had not only heard the primitive gospel from the lips of the Campbells, Stone and Scott and their coadjutors, but they had sat at the feet of those great men as students; they had been in their homes as friends; they had gone on journeys with them for the proclamation of the gospel; they had shared with them the privations of pioneer campaigning and the rejoicing of early victories. So we delighted to do them honor, and only regretted that there were not more ways of showing them our affectionate regard and our high appreciation.

      Beyond all this the reader will find, upon examination, that the words of our fathers spoken in the Camp-fire at Pittsburg are like "apples of gold in pictures of silver." You would not have pardoned us if we had removed or changed one of them. We give you every word and every syllable, because they are worthy to be perpetually preserved, and generations yet to come will ponder them with satisfaction and profit.

J. M. KERSEY.

      The following rules had to be followed in order to keep the book within the limits assigned to it, and to conform to the general purpose of preserving only that which is of permanent value and interest:

      1. All the merely formal processes of introducing speakers, passing motions and adopting reports were left out, as were also the Scripture readings and prayers, excepting in two or three notable sessions.

      2. Everything that seemed irrelevant to the subject which the speaker had accepted was omitted, however good it might be in itself. The range of topics covered comprehensively the whole field of the Restoration movement, and whenever one got off of his own theme, he was pretty sure to be on that of some one else.

      3. As on most of the topics there were from three to five parallel addresses, we endeavored to abridge each so as to preserve that which was distinctive, and not presented by the other speakers on the same theme. Thus, there will be found very little repetition in the entire book.

      4. Elaborate illustrations and extensive quotations were omitted, both because the reader can find most of them in volumes already published, and [16]

W. L. FISHER.

because, the process of reading being more deliberate than that of hearing, such aids to clear understanding are unnecessary.

      5. For similar reasons the extensive elaboration of au argument is omitted. We seek to present only that which is vital and permanent in each speech.

      6. The one comprehensive and controlling rule was to make the book serve the reader and the cause of apostolic Christianity, rather than the particular men who were chosen agents for the presentation of the plea on this occasion.

      Of course all of these rules were formulated in fallible judgment and followed only as best they could be by erring mortals. We know that the work is necessarily marred by our blunders, which only crave the charitable mead of being ignored in the enjoyment of the rich treasures that we have allowed the speakers of this vast Centennial celebration to present to the readers of our own generation and those that follow.

B. S. DENNY.

      With each address we have sought to present the portrait of the speaker. For the special Centennial Day we have given also as many as possible of the chairmen of the various sessions and those who led the singing. We are sorry it was not possible to secure all.

      It was the common testimony of those who were in the Convention, and each will feel it more strongly as the whole of the manifold occasion is gathered up and presented as a unit in this book, that the greatest thing of all, beyond the vast numbers, beyond the enthusiasm, beyond the earnestness and the intelligence, beyond the generous good nature shown by the delegates under all sorts of difficulties and inconveniences attendant upon the assembling of such a host, was the demonstration of the united spirit and single purpose of all the addressee and all the sessions. The speakers came from all parts of the world. There were men and women of as diverse education and environment as could be chosen. No restrictions were placed upon their utterances, as none had been placed upon their interpretation of God's word. There was the utmost variety of presentation of the various themes treated and the most striking individuality manifest in every speech, but through it all there was such unity of vision, integrity of purpose and singleness of aim, that one must rise from the perusal of the book with the exclamation that the voice of the million is as the voice of one, because all have been taught of the one Lord and have yielded allegiance to him alone.

      The dominance of this unity and the absolute exaltation of Christ as Lord were accepted in the Convention, and will be received by the readers of the book as a most reassuring promise of the speedy accomplishment of the work which our fathers undertook one hundred years ago, and of the prayer which our Saviour uttered when leaving the responsibility of his kingdom's establishment and maintenance with his disciples.

[CCR 7-17]