Inspirational Attributes

As spelt out in its founding constitution, the key objectives of the YPSCE were ‘[t]o promote an earnest Christian life among its members, to increase their mutual acquaintance, and to make them more useful in the service of God’.Footnote ¹³ These aims undoubtedly resonated with many ministers who were seeking ways of harnessing the idealism and enthusiasm of the young and of bridging the gap between Sunday schools and full church membership. Although Sunday schools were still thriving, ministers and lay leaders frequently lamented the fact that relatively few scholars became full church members. For example, addressing the annual meeting of Andover's Congregational Sunday School in 1903, the Revd Hugh Ross Williamson, Romsey's Congregational minister, suggested that one of the great problems facing the church ‘was how to keep those they had and how to retain them so that they should be brought into the fellowship of the Christian church’.Footnote ¹⁴ Similarly, in his report to the 1908 annual meeting of the London Street Congregational Sunday School in Basingstoke, the secretary referred to the question of ‘how are we to retain our scholars when they arrive at the ages of 14 and 15’. He went on to mention, with more than a hint of frustration, ‘the astonishing fact that a very great proportion of those who are outside our Churches were once scholars in our Sunday Schools’.Footnote ¹⁵ Likewise, the mayor of Bournemouth, at the anniversary of East Cliff Congregational Church in 1910, referring to young people aged about fifteen or sixteen, many of whom were working, commented:

Both Watts and Yalden acknowledge that the rapid expansion and extensive uptake of the YPSCE was testimony to the growing awareness in many churches of the need for a means by which they could inspire, enthuse and hence retain young people when they outgrew Sunday school. Moreover, they needed to do so in a way that appealed to the religious sensibilities of adolescents, rather than simply their recreational, or even intellectual, interests. As Watts observes, ‘Nonconformists who believed that the gap between Sunday school and church should be bridged by something more Evangelical, supported the Christian Endeavour movement.’Footnote ¹⁷ Although there is some doubt as to how effective the YPSCE was in this respect, for those concerned about the loss of young people from church life the movement was seen as ‘providential’. By blending the spiritual, social and service aspects of the Christian life, it offered church leaders the prospect of additional assistance in undertaking the various ministries with which their churches were involved, such as Sunday school teaching and providing support for the elderly. Moreover, it was testament to the developing solidarity within evangelical Nonconformity at this time, as churches from different denominations who faced similar challenges shared ideas, experiences and resources. There was a feeling afoot that the opportunities the YPSCE presented would assist in motivating and energizing those in their teens as well as encouraging them to remain loyal to the faith into which they had been socialized through attendance at Sunday school. As Jones affirms, the YPSCE was a ‘creative’ movement, intended to inspire.Footnote ¹⁸

At the movement's heart was the notion of discipleship, with members being encouraged to consider how Jesus would behave in situations they encountered and act accordingly. Particularly influential in this respect was Charles Sheldon's book In his Steps: What would Jesus do?, which was first published in 1896.Footnote ¹⁹ This imperative and how it was to be put into practice was reflected in the Christian Endeavour pledge:

As evidenced by the pledge, the YPSCE was in many ways primarily a ‘spiritual movement’. Indeed, when speaking at a gathering of Christian Endeavourers in Portsmouth in October 1908, the founder observed that ‘people were most susceptible to spiritual influences between the ages of 14 and 19, and therefore boys and girls between those limits of age should receive great consideration from such a society as that of Christian Endeavour’. Such comments were made in the context of ‘The “increase” campaign’. This involved Christian Endeavourers being encouraged ‘to more strenuous efforts by telling them that he expected to see the number of societies in a given district increased by a certain percentage in a given time’. In responding to this challenge, he claimed that such enterprise ‘generally proved marvellously fruitful’, an example of what was described as ‘prophetic optimism’.Footnote ²¹

It was recognized, however, that there also needed to be opportunities for social intercourse, provided this did not undermine the activities of a spiritual nature. To this end, Christian Endeavourers frequently organized entertainments which some would have regarded as more ‘worldly’ or social expressions of supportive fellowship. A typical example was arranged in February 1903 by the YPSCE attached to Basingstoke's London Street Congregational Church, at which there was a ‘large attendance’Footnote ²² On this occasion, ‘the programme was of a very varied character’, consisting of live music, recitations and gramophone selections. These were ‘attentively listened to and much appreciated by the audience’.Footnote ²³ Judging from the reports of similar gatherings, they proved immensely popular. Thus, when members and friends of Forton Baptist YPSCE in Gosport gathered for an ‘At Home’ in March 1914, the proceedings, which consisted of dialogues, musical items and refreshments, were deemed to be ‘most successful’.Footnote ²⁴

The spiritual and social wellbeing of Christian Endeavourers, however, were not intended to be ends in themselves. Rather they were seen as underpinning ‘good works’ or practical Christianity, with a leading objective of the YPSCE being ‘to apply practically to the actualities of everyday life the principles on which Christianity rests’.Footnote ²⁵ At a meeting of the Portsmouth and District CE Union in 1903, the president ‘laid stress on the consecration of the intellect, the power of prayer, and the cultivation of the memory, imagination and will, with the object of benefiting others’.Footnote ²⁶ Similarly, in a paper on the ‘Proper Sphere of Christian Endeavour’ presented at a gathering of Hampshire Christian Endeavourers in 1912, the Revd Schofield Thomson, minister of Immanuel Church in Basingstoke, emphasized ‘the importance of the training of young Christians in the principles of Christian living, which carried with it the duty of personal service’. Indeed, he argued that ‘every Endeavourer must be a social reformer’.Footnote ²⁷ At the same meeting, Professor D. L. Ritchie stressed that the YPSCE ‘must not merely be a school of introspective piety’.Footnote ²⁸ Instead its underlying aim was ‘to train young people for active service in the life of a church’, although there was also an emphasis on ‘efficient evangelism’.Footnote ²⁹

Such service was manifested in a variety of ways. For example, in the early 1890s YPSCE members from Lake Road Baptist Church in Portsmouth ‘conducted open-air services during the summer months, and held religious meetings in a room on church premises during the winter. They also paid visits to the sick and sought to relieve the wants of the poor by distributing gifts of tea, coal, etc’.Footnote ³⁰ Likewise, it was reported that at the 1904 annual rally of Portsmouth Endeavourers, the keynote speaker, the Revd J. W. Ewing of London, had been gratified ‘to know what they were doing for the poor and sick around them, while they had not forgotten Dr Barnardo's work in the great city’. He went on to praise them for contributing to ‘the fund for the new “C. E.” steamer on the Congo River, carrying on missionary work’.Footnote ³¹ Meals and entertainments were also provided for particular groups, especially the elderly. Thus, in 1906, in ‘a new departure’, Christian Endeavourers from Basingstoke's Immanuel Church arranged ‘a pleasant evening for a number of old folk’. Members served their guests with a ‘meat tea’ and entertained them with songs and recitations. The pastor's wife ‘gave one of her quiet simple talks’, the theme being ‘the road of life’. In addition, ‘parcels of good things were subsequently distributed’ to those unable to attend.Footnote ³² In an editorial comment from 1905, the Bournemouth Guardian observed that ‘[s]ome of the work achieved by the societies … is of such vital importance to the community, as it directly seeks to carry into private and public life the spirit of religion.’Footnote ³³ This was very evident in 1912 when, at the annual tea of the Boscombe Congregational Church YPSCE, reference was made to the society doing ‘a lot of good work including visiting and … distribut[ing] food and toys at Christmas’. Coal was ‘given to the poor, and garments made for the Ragged School children’.Footnote ³⁴ Unsurprisingly perhaps, given that two major seaports, Portsmouth and Southampton, were in Hampshire, a number of YPSCE societies focused some of their attention on meeting the needs of seamen. Known as ‘Floating Endeavourers’, they contributed to this ministry by writing letters to crew members; donating magazines, newspapers and New Testaments; making and distributing needle cases and book bags; and fund raising.Footnote ³⁵

Thus there could be little doubt that societies made an impact well beyond the confines of the churches to which they were attached, with members seeking to be ‘good neighbours’ to those in need. Moreover, the Revd David Barron, minister of Lake Road Baptist Church, at his farewell gathering in 1909, stated that ‘the CE Movement had greatly helped him in Portsmouth’. He reflected that ‘the highlands of Christian Endeavour ideals had been an inspiration to him, and the friendship, cheering help and optimism of the young people had been gifts which he greatly valued’.Footnote ³⁶ It is probable that many other ministers and lay people would have echoed these sentiments.

Demonstrating concern for the spiritual, social and service aspects of the Christian life, however, was not a guarantee of success for societies. Attention also needed to be given to various organizational requirements. In other words, if the inspiration underpinning the YPSCE was to be given full expression, it required a robust institutional framework to sustain it. Indeed, Yalden argues that Christian Endeavour societies were ‘intensely associational’. That said, ‘with the possible exception of the bible class and the Sunday school … [they] were also the least secular of all the subsidiary associations’ within churches.Footnote ³⁷ In this respect, they continued to be sustained by the spiritual impulse which had originally inspired Clark.

Institutional Imperatives

Three institutional features of YPSCE societies, namely committees, combinations and conventions, played an important part in consolidating their progress. They indicate that ministers and others concerned with the future prospects for the YPSCE were aware that, from a human perspective, structures had a crucial role to play. Underlying these was a very strong emphasis on the obligations of membership. As Yalden explains, there were three categories of member: active, associate and honorary. Active members were bound by the pledge to be conscientious attenders at prayer meetings and ‘the regular monthly consecration meeting at which they recounted their recent experiences as Christians’.Footnote ³⁸ Associates were those who might become active members at some point in the future. Honorary members were older folk who wanted to retain their links with the YPSCE and offer their support and encouragement.

Central to the organization of each society was a complex committee structure, making them ‘remarkably bureaucratic’.Footnote ³⁹ Here the comments of Miss Annetta Tull from Overton are particularly insightful. At the ninth annual convention of the Hants [sic] County Christian Endeavour Union, held in Bournemouth in June 1905, she spoke on ‘The Importance and Value of Committee Work’. Central to her argument was the belief that, although committee work might ‘become prosaic and uninteresting’, it was essential if YPSCE societies were to remain true to their constitution. This, she reminded her audience, ‘provided not only that … [members] should live a Christian life but also that they should … [be] reaching out to others’. Moreover, by engaging in committee work members were able ‘to develop unused talents’ and pursue latent interests. In her view, ‘the well-being and usefulness’ of societies depended upon the attention given to their committees by the active members.Footnote ⁴⁰ This could be seen as an apprenticeship enabling young people to acquire the practical skills they needed to serve their church in later life. Henry Macfarland alluded to this aspect in a very positive review of the early years of the YPSCE and the character and fervour of its founder, written at the beginning of the twentieth century, asserting that committee membership afforded an ‘extensive training in applied Christianity’.Footnote ⁴¹

Societies were in many respects defined by their committees, which reflected the various preoccupations of Christian Endeavourers. An idea of what this meant in practice can be gained from a report of the quarterly business meeting held in March 1902 of the YPSCE attached to Winchester's Primitive Methodist Church. This had no fewer than eleven committees, some with very evocative names, such as the Look-out Committee, which had a very useful role ‘in welcoming strangers to the Sunday services and giving invitations to the Sunday afternoon Bible Class and the weekly Christian Endeavour meeting’. The Sunshine Committee was responsible for arranging visits to the sick, a task ‘made all the more cheery by the flowers which had been provided them by the Flower Committee for that purpose’. The members of the Tract Committee ‘were highly gratified at the very kind way they were being received at the homes of the people’ when delivering Christian literature to them. In addition, ‘their visits had already resulted in children attending the Sunday School, who had not regularly attended anywhere previously’. The Temperance Committee reported ‘that nearly every member of the society was a total abstainer and they hoped that all would be shortly’.Footnote ⁴² Reference was also made to the Social, Music, Prayer Meeting, Church Membership and Junior Committees.

From a relatively early stage, YPSCE societies also demonstrated a desire to combine with each other in order to encourage, motivate and share ideas. This led to relations between neighbouring societies being formalized through the establishment of unions. In Yalden's words, ‘the institutional character of the Christian Endeavour movement was further highlighted by the formation of local, regional and national unions of societies before the end of the nineteenth century’.Footnote ⁴³ By 1905, there were seven local or district unions in Hampshire, centred on Andover, Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Gosport, Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester, and comprising 102 senior societies, 29 junior and one intermediate. A notable feature of union gatherings was the roll call of affiliated societies, with representatives announcing their presence by singing a verse of a hymn, reading a portion of Scripture or highlighting matters for prayer.Footnote ⁴⁴

At a regional level, in 1895 the decision was taken to form ‘The Hampshire Christian Endeavour Union’, its object being ‘to stimulate interest and personal fellowship and relationship amongst the different sections of the society in the county’. At its foundation conference, held at various churches in Winchester, one of the speakers, the Revd Knight-Chaplin, reminded the delegates that while ‘the Christian Endeavour Society had its social and literary features … first and paramount it was a spiritual movement, and they must always remember their hearts were temples of the Holy Ghost’. Another speaker, the Revd J. T. Jones-Miller, rallied the delegates by claiming that ‘at no time in the history of the Church had the spirit of God come down with such power and proportion on the young men [sic] as at the present day’.Footnote ⁴⁵ He went on to argue that through their actions Christian Endeavourers could benefit wider society:

The specific reference to young women is a reminder that, unlike some organizations for young people, such as the Girls’ Life Brigade, which were open to only one sex, the YPSCE provided opportunities for both sexes to pursue their Christian vocations jointly with each other.

Amongst other things, the union, along with the district unions, held annual conventions in various towns, at which visiting speakers addressed issues associated with different aspects of the YPSCE, such as the committee work mentioned previously. Other weightier topics included ‘Christ's Call to Service’,Footnote ⁴⁷ ‘In Praise of Seriousness’,Footnote ⁴⁸ ‘Christian Endeavour and Religious Education’Footnote ⁴⁹ and ‘Christian Endeavour and Social Work’.Footnote ⁵⁰ Conventions also provided Christian Endeavourers with opportunities for making themselves known to the wider community through their presence in substantial numbers at particular locations. This attracted press coverage. For example, in 1904 the Hampshire Chronicle printed an extensive report of the eighth annual convention of the Hampshire Christian Endeavour Union held at Easter in Winchester:

Such publicity would have helped to raise further the profile of the YPSCE amongst the inhabitants of Winchester.

During the last decade of the nineteenth century and in the years leading up to the First World War, yearly conventions of the district unions and the county-wide union played an important part in the annual cycle of YPSCE activities. They appear to have been well supported and offered delegates opportunities to share their experiences and encourage each other. Moreover, such unions and conventions were another manifestation of the increased willingness of churches of different traditions within the sphere of evangelical Nonconformity to co-operate with each other.

Challenges

In the three decades following its establishment, the YPSCE undoubtedly made a positive contribution to the life of many churches and communities. Almost inevitably, however, the rapid growth of this innovation brought with it challenges to be faced. To succeed, societies required a committed leadership and a highly motivated core membership, creative ways of synthesizing the spiritual with the practical aspects of Christianity, and a willingness to adopt a ‘brotherly spirit’. At the same time, various criticisms and concerns surfaced which needed to be addressed. A number of these were articulated by the Revd Reginald Thompson, minister of London Street Congregational Church in Basingstoke and an Endeavourer of fourteen years’ experience. In an article entitled ‘The Christian Endeavour Outlook’, published in the July 1908 edition of his church's magazine, he began by observing that ‘in many parts of the country [there was] a general feeling of dissatisfaction with the present state of Christian Endeavour. Some societies … [had] turned into guilds, others … [had] watered down the pledge, others … [were] listless and decaying’. His concerns included the fact that young people did not participate freely; there was little opportunity to discuss ‘subjects more closely allied to … modern social and theological problems’; and societies achieved ‘no great tangible results’. Thompson responded by reminding his readers that the YPSCE was essentially a bridge for ‘young people on the way from [Sunday] School to Church who … [were] willing to train themselves for more serious work for the Church’. He did not have a remedy for these criticisms of the YPSCE but was convinced of the movement's value, since progress depended upon ‘the energy and enthusiasm that should mark youthful work’.Footnote ⁵² Moreover, the YPSCE was essentially a training ground for Christian service and members should not be judged by standards applied to more mature Christians.

Although not specifically mentioned by Thompson, a particular challenge was securing an appropriate balance between the spiritual, social and service aspects of the YPSCE to avoid one aspect being emphasized at the expense of the others. For example, an overemphasis on the spiritual could lead to opportunities for service being missed. Similarly, a preoccupation with social and recreational pursuits could result in the diminution of the spiritual. As Yalden argues, ‘even the fundamentally devotional character of the Christian Endeavour movement was compromised by the fact that it operated in an intensely associational manner through its bureaucratic promotion of efficient evangelism’.Footnote ⁵³

As with any voluntary organisation, another challenge faced by the YPSCE was that of ensuring good and constructive relations amongst its members. From time to time, resignations occurred which suggested a lack of rapport. As an example, the minute book of Andover's Wesleyan Methodist YPSCE records that three leading members left in the autumn of 1901. On this occasion, the chairman remarked that ‘unless the members could all work together as one body they were best apart’.Footnote ⁵⁴ It is unlikely that this society was alone in experiencing such discord; personality clashes and differing priorities were doubtless evident elsewhere.

There were also signs that by 1914 the growth experienced in the early years was not being sustained, perhaps in line with church membership more generally. At the eighteenth convention of the Hampshire CE Union, held in Gosport, the secretary reported that the total membership in the county was 4,099, a decrease of 288 from the previous year.Footnote ⁵⁵ However, in seeking to put a positive gloss on the statistics, ‘he did not think it represented a falling off of energy and enthusiasm’.Footnote ⁵⁶ Barry Doyle, however, in his study of Congregationalism in Norwich, quotes from the magazine of the Old Meeting Congregational Church to the effect that while the addresses and papers ‘at weekly YPSCE meetings were excellent’, they were ‘worthy of better audiences’.Footnote ⁵⁷

In reviewing these challenges, a key question remains. Did the YPSCE succeed in meeting what Watts describes as ‘the widely acknowledged need to staunch the haemorrhaging of young people from the Sunday schools and churches’?Footnote ⁵⁸ Here the evidence is mixed and not that precise. Not surprisingly, perhaps, in their annual reports societies were keen to accentuate the positive. For example, at Romsey Baptist YPSCE's eighth anniversary meeting in 1901, it was reported that although the number of active members had fallen from 29 to 24 ‘owing to removals … four members had joined the church … and three had become teachers in the Sunday school’. Moreover, ‘the relations between the Society and the Sunday School were very happy’: out of thirteen teachers, ten were Christian Endeavourers.Footnote ⁵⁹

By way of contrast, a somewhat pessimistic assessment of the situation is presented by Stephen Yeo. In support of his thesis that religion and voluntary organizations in Reading were facing a crisis in the early years of the twentieth century, he reports that, out of a total membership of 1,468 Christian Endeavourers in societies affiliated to the local union, ‘only 163 became church members’.Footnote ⁶⁰ The basis of the latter statistic, however, is not provided and others may have joined their churches as full members in later years. A detailed quantitative analysis of societies in Hampshire is not possible, since comprehensive data are unavailable. Furthermore, by emphasizing statistical evidence other considerations, such as the deepening of the spiritual life of members, may be undervalued.

In seeking to offer a summary of the position of the YPSCE in Hampshire in 1914, it can be said that the rapid growth of the early years had come to a halt and numerically some societies were in decline. To a degree, however, this was offset by the tenacity and loyalty displayed by those active members for whom the YPSCE had become an indispensable and essential ingredient of their way of life.