The New York 1900 Ecumenical Missionary Conference: A Centennial Reflection Thomas A. Askew 'J'en years ago, New York's Carnegie Hall celebrated its senseNewYork 1900mustbe viewed as a public media event, ..l. grand opening, which took place a century earlier, in one of the most extensive attempted in American religious 1890. The 1990 centenary program highlighted memorable past history. events in that famous venue: concerts, recitals, premieres, hon­ 2. To provide an international forum for missionaries and mis­ oredgatherings-everytype of distinguished achievement. Glar­ sion executives to assess experiences, strategies, and issues. In ingly omitted from the list, however, was one of the most this regard the conference sought to foster professional con­ ambitious, well-attended, and internationally significant con­ sultation within a broader popular program. Yet it must be claves in the auditorium's history: the New York Ecumenical remembered thatNew York 1900,like previoustrans-Atlantic Missionary Conference, held from April 21 to May 1, 1900. gatherings, was not a church council. Bearing no official Carnegie Hall served as the conference headquarters and authority, representatives spoke only for themselves. Proce­ locationof plenaryaddressesfor the morethansixtysessions that dural principles prohibited formal resolutions. Nevertheless, also filled nearby churches and meeting places. Estimates placed exchanges did take place on questions of vital concern, issues attendance numbers at 160,000to 200,000for the ten-day gather­ that would be more systematically unpacked at the World ing. Simply stated, it was the largest sustained formal religious Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1910. event in the history of the Republic to that date and the best­ 3. To demonstrate a unified church and manifest the oneness in attended international missionary conference ever. Participants mission of Protestant Christianity, resulting in greater comity included former president Benjamin Harrison, sitting president between the denominations in reaching the world for Christ. William McKinley, New York governor Theodore Roosevelt, as In short, to aid a fragmented Christianity in finding ways to well as globally distinguished clergy and mission leaders. Offi­ collaborate on foreign fields. This quest for cooperation, ex­ cial delegates numbered 2,500, with 162 mission boards repre­ emplified by the annual consultations of mission leaders at sented. The term "ecumenical" was introduced in the title, not various field conferences overseas, was an aspiration carried implying that every branch of the Christian church was cooper­ over from the 1888 London Centenary Conference on the ating, but "because the plan of campaign which it proposes Protestant Missions of the World and before. covers the whole area of the inhabited globe."! The conference drew wide coverage from the secular and religious press. The NewYork 1900organizers tookinto account qualitative The failure of the Carnegie Hall centenary publicity even to changes that had developed in mission efforts during the 1890s. mention the conclave betrays the profound shifts in the religious These included the swelling ranks of female missionaries as well ethos and cultural memory since 1900.Largely forgotten, except as the dynamic mobilization of student volunteers, topics that for a few missiologists and historians, is the challenge that were accorded a "Women's Day" and a "Youth Day" on the Christian foreign missions stimulated in the popular imagina­ agenda. Recognized but assigned less emphasis were two other tion at the opening of the twentieth century. This essay recog­ initiatives of the decade, the interdenominational "faith-mis­ nizes the centennial of the New York Ecumenical Missionary sion" movement and the emerging dialogue among leaders of Conference- and offers selected perspectives on that bygone the globally dominant religions, exemplified by the 1893 Parlia­ epoch of missionary dynamic. ment of the World's Religions at Chicago's Columbia Exposi­ tion.' Any assessment of New York 1900 has to evaluate its Conference Goals and Preparation effectiveness in terms of its three goals, seen in end-of-the­ century context. A survey of press accounts, leaders' testimonials, conference Expectations ran high as invitations for the New York speeches, and official records reveals a composite of objectives Ecumenical Missionary Conference were dispatched. A that could be termed inspiration, consultation, and cooperation. perusal of popular mission publications in the United Kingdom Separately delineated these were: reveals great interest as delegations planned to attend. "The time of the gathering is significant. We are on the dividing line 1. To mobilize congregations and Christian public opinion to­ between two centuries.... Let there be earnest prayer [for the ward greater mission commitment, financial support, and conference] ... inaugurating a new era in the evangelization of increased missionary recruits; to do so by communicating the the world" editorialized the Missionary Record in Scotland.' In advances of the passing nineteenth century and enumerating New York the Missionary ReviewoftheWorld sponsored a "postal the needs of the non-Christian world in the opening twentieth card symposium" requesting that key representatives enumer­ century. There was also an apologetic objective: to meet ate their goals for the conclave.' Memories of the London 1888 antimissions criticism within and without the church. In this Centenary Conference fueled anticipation. At least 120 of those at New York 1900 also had experienced the London 1888 Exeter Hall meetings. Fittingly, New York 1900 was perceived as a Thomas A. Askewis therecently retired Stephen Phillips Professor ofHistory logical continuation of trans-Atlanticmissionconsultationsreach­ andChair oftheDepartment ofHistory,Gordon College, Wenham, Massachu­ ing back to the Union Missionary Convention occasioned by the setts.A previous article, "The 1888 London Centenary Missions Conference: visit of Alexander Duff to New York in 1854.6 A request at the Ecumenical Disappointment orAmerican Missions Coming ofAge?"appeared 1878 London Conference on Foreign Missions for an interna­ in theJuly1994 issueoftheINTERNATIONALBULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH. tional gathering every decade was fulfilled by the London 1888 146 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH Centenary Conference; with a new century dawning, New York International Bulletin 1900 would maintain the sequence. Initial planning for New York 1900 originated at the annual of Missionary Research gatherings of North American mission board executives (later Established 1950 by R. Pierce Beaver as Occasional Bulletin from the the Foreign Missions Conference of North America) started in Missionary Research Library. Named Occasional Bulletin of Missionary 1893 by Presbyterian F. F. Ellinwood and other London 1888 Research 1977. Renamed INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH attendees. Judson Smith, Boston-based secretary of the Ameri­ 1981. Published quarterly in January, April, July, and October by can Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and promi­ Overseas Ministries Study Center nent at London 1888, was named overall chair for the New York 490 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, U.S.A. event. He traveled to the United Kingdom and to the Continent Tel: (203) 624-6672 • Fax: (203) 865-2857 to recruit delegates," A year before the conference an invitation E-mail: [email protected]. Web: http://www.OMSC.org was posted to every known missionary. Official delegate status, however, was limited to a total of 2,500 "members" drawn from Editor: Contributing Editors: Mary Motte, F.M.M. Jonathan J. Bonk Catalino G. Arevalo, S.J. C. Rene Padilla eachsocietyor board, based on its field expenditures,with North David B.Barrett James M. Phillips American societies being limited to 1,666 seats. Ultimately 162 Associate Editor: Stephen B.Bevans, S.V.D. Dana L. Robert mission boards (not counting women's denominational societ­ Robert T. Coote Samuel Escobar Lamin Sanneh ies) were represented (64 North American, 50 Continental, 35 Barbara Hendricks, M.M. Wilbert R. Shenk United Kingdom and 13 others)." More than 600 foreign mission­ Assistant Editor: Paul G. Hiebert Charles R. Taber aries working in fifty countries attended. Daniel Nicholas Jan A. B.Jongeneel Tite Tienou Nevertheless, despite all efforts to be ecumenicaland global, Sebastian Karotemprel, S.D.B. Ruth A. Tucker New York 1900 was a decidedly North American and Anglo Senior Contributing Editor David A. Kerr Desmond Tutu event. Representation from the Southern Hemisphere was mini­ Gerald H. Anderson Graham Kings Andrew F.Walls mal. Of the thirty-two listed honorary vice presidents, one hailed Anne-Marie Kool AnastasiosYannoulatos Gary B.McGee Books for review and correspondence regarding editorial matters should be New York 1900 statistics: addressed to the editors. Manuscripts unaccompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope (or international postal coupons) will not be returned. • 2,500 official delegates • 162 Subscriptions: $21 for one year, $39 for two years, and $55 for three years, mission boards postpaid worldwide. Airmail delivery is $16 per year extra. Foreign sub­ • 600 foreign missionaries scribers must pay in U.S. funds only. Use check drawn on a U.S. bank, Visa, MasterCard, or International Money Order in U.S. funds. 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