Interchurch World Movement

Interchurch World Movement
Name	Interchurch World Movement
Formation	1919
Dissolution	1920
Status	Defunct
Purpose	Protestant unity, post-war reconstruction, evangelism
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	United States, international missions
Main organ	General Committee

Interchurch World Movement. The Interchurch World Movement was a short-lived but ambitious cooperative effort among American Protestant denominations in the immediate aftermath of World War I. Launched in 1919, it aimed to harness the wartime spirit of unity and organization for a massive post-war program of evangelism, social service, and foreign missions. The movement sought to eliminate denominational competition through a unified "survey, publicity, and financial campaign," but it collapsed in 1920 under the weight of its own financial overextension and internal criticism, leaving a complex legacy for the ecumenical movement.

Origins and formation

The movement emerged from the cooperative Protestant efforts during World War I, particularly the work of the General War-Time Commission of the Churches and the Federal Council of Churches. Influential leaders like John R. Mott, a prominent figure in the YMCA and World Student Christian Federation, and Robert E. Speer, a secretary of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church, were key architects. They were inspired by the success of united fundraising drives like the United War Work Campaign and believed that similar organizational efficiency could be applied to global Christian outreach. The formal organization was established at a planning conference in New York City in December 1918, with its official public launch following in 1919, capitalizing on a wave of post-war optimism.

Goals and objectives

Its primary goal was to conduct a comprehensive, scientific survey of global religious and social needs, followed by a unified financial campaign to meet those needs. Objectives included strengthening Protestant missions in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, supporting educational and medical work abroad, and addressing domestic social issues in the United States such as rural church cooperation and industrial relations. The movement explicitly aimed to present a united Protestant front to the world, seeking to "Christianize" international relations and counter the perceived threat of Bolshevism and secularism in the post-war era. It envisioned a single, massive budget that would support the combined work of its member denominations.

Activities and campaigns

The movement's major activity was its ambitious "World Survey," which aimed to meticulously catalog global needs. It launched a highly publicized financial campaign in the spring of 1920 with a goal of over $300 million. The campaign employed modern advertising techniques and mass mobilization strategies developed during the Liberty bond drives. Concurrently, it published reports on major industrial disputes, most notably its investigation into the 1919 Steel Strike, which criticized the practices of U.S. Steel and supported the workers' demands. It also produced extensive literature and held large promotional rallies across the country to generate support from local congregations.

Organizational structure and leadership

The structure was designed as a federation of participating denominations, including major bodies like the Northern Baptist Convention, the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. A central office in New York City housed the executive staff. John R. Mott served as the General Secretary, providing visionary leadership, while Robert E. Speer chaired the Executive Committee. The organization relied on a vast network of volunteer committees at the national, state, and local levels, mirroring military and corporate hierarchies of the time to manage its proposed nationwide fundraising apparatus.

Criticism and controversy

The movement faced significant criticism from the outset. Theological conservatives, particularly within American fundamentalism, denounced it as a bureaucratic, modernistic enterprise that compromised doctrinal purity for organizational unity. Many local pastors and denominational leaders resented its top-down approach and the perceived diversion of funds from their own church treasuries. The financial goal was widely seen as unrealistically grandiose. Furthermore, its foray into social justice with the Steel Strike Report angered powerful industrialists and conservative church members who felt it overstepped its religious mandate, aligning the church with labor unions.

Decline and dissolution

The decline was swift and dramatic. The national fundraising campaign in the spring of 1920 failed catastrophically, raising only a small fraction of its goal. This financial collapse was exacerbated by the onset of a post-war economic recession. Facing massive debts from its extensive surveys and promotional activities, and with constituent denominations withdrawing their support, the General Committee voted to dissolve the organization in late 1920. Its remaining assets and some ongoing projects were transferred to the Federal Council of Churches and other cooperating bodies, marking an abrupt end to its grand vision.

Legacy and impact

Despite its failure, the Interchurch World Movement had a lasting impact. It demonstrated both the potential and the perils of large-scale ecumenical cooperation, providing hard lessons for future endeavors like the World Council of Churches. Its "World Survey" methodology influenced later mission strategy and social research. The movement's emphasis on applying social science to religious work left an imprint on American Protestantism. Its bold intervention in the Steel Strike set a precedent for church involvement in industrial ethics. Ultimately, its collapse accelerated a retreat from post-war optimism and contributed to the defensive denominationalism and the fundamentalist–modernist controversy of the 1920s.

Category:Christian organizations established in 1919 Category:Christian organizations disestablished in 1920 Category:Ecumenical organizations Category:Protestantism in the United States