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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 July 2009
Among the significantly great historical achievements of the American Young Men's Christian Associations has been the planting of Associations in foreign countries. Paralleling the notable missionary outburst of the late nineteenth century among the North American churches, this distinctive program of the YMCA was inaugurated in the last years of the 1880's with the sending of Association secretaries to Japan and to India.1 Nourished in the student Y.M.C.A.'s and particularly evangelized at the pioneer student conferences held under the auspices of Dwight L. Moody in Northfield, Massachusetts, beginning in 1886,2 the missionary fervor aroused significant interest in many Associations. By 1916 there were 157 North American secretaries in 55 foreign countries, 140 of them in Asia.
1. Hopkins, C. Howard, History of the Y.M.C.A. in North America(New York, Association Press, 1951) Ch. 8.Google Scholar
2. Op. cit., Ch. 7. See also, Shedd, C. P., Two Centuries of Student Christian Movements (New York, Association Press, 1934) Chs. XV-XIX.Google Scholar
3. Minutes, International Committee, Sept. 26, 1889; see also Y.M.C.A. Yearbook for 1890, p. 43.Google Scholar
4. Knebel, A. G., Four Decades with Men and Boys (New York, Association Press, 1936) p. 59.Google Scholar
5. Letters, Cephas Brainerd, First Chatrman, to Robert Weidensall, First Secretary, Inteimational Committee of the Y.M.C.A.'s, 1868–1893, compiled by Robert Weidensall (New York, Historical Library of the Y.M.C.A., 1911) Vol. 1, p. 248Google Scholar. (In Bowne Historical Library of the National Council of the Y.M.C.A., New York).
6. Kansas State Y.M.C.A. Bulletin, No. 13 (June 30, 1889) p. 3Google Scholar; Young Men's Era, XVI (July 3, 1890) pp. 420–21Google Scholar; Y.M.C.A. Yearbook for 1890, pp. 59–60.
7. Letter, Helmick, Charles L. to “My dear George (Fisher)66,” 07 15, 1890 (copy in the Bowne Historical Library of the Y.M.C.A., New York).Google Scholar
8. This statement was known as the “Portland Test,” having been adopted by the International Convention that met at Portland, Maine, in 1869. For details, see Hopkins, op. cit., pp. 362–69.
9. Letter, Robert Weidensall to Richard C. Morse, April. 15, 1891 (Weidensall Collection, George Williams College, Chicago.
10. Y.M.C.A. International Convention of 1891, pp. 68–71.
11. Correspondence in the Weidensall Collection, George Williams College, Chicago.
12. Letter, L. P. Wishard to Foreign Work Committee of the International Committee, July 21, 1890 (in Bowne Historieal Library of the Y.M.C.A. New York).
13. Convention of 1891. p. 104.