John Wesley, Jr.

John Wesley, Jr., by Dan B.
Brummitt

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Title: John Wesley, Jr. The Story of an Experiment
Author: Dan B. Brummitt
Release Date: November 19, 2003 [EBook #10134]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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JOHN WESLEY, JR.
The Story of an Experiment
BY

DAN B. BRUMMITT
1921
TO THOMAS KANE, "LAYMAN," WHOSE LONG LIFE OF
NOBLE SERVICE IS BEARING FRUIT IN A NEW CHRISTIAN
CONSCIENCE TOWARDS THE SUPPORT OF THE WORK OF
CHRIST'S KINGDOM IN ALL THE WORLD AN INTRODUCTION
TO THE EDUCATIONAL, MISSIONARY AND BENEVOLENT
WORK OF THE CHURCH

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
THE
GENESIS OF THE EXPERIMENT I. AN INSTITUTE PANORAMA
II. JOHN WESLEY, JR.'S BRINGING UP III. CAMPUS DAYS IV.
EXPLORING MAIN STREET V. HERE THE ALIEN; THERE THE
LITTLE BROWN CHURCH VI. "IS HE NOT A MAN AND A
BROTHER?" VII. THE FIRST AMERICAN CIVILIZATION VIII.
CHRIST AND THE EAST THIS EXPERIMENT TEACHETH--?

ILLUSTRATIONS
THE CARTWRIGHT INSTITUTE THE WESLEY FOUNDATION
SOCIAL CENTER (This one is at Illinois University) MAIN STREET
THE TENEMENTS OF MANY DELAFIELDS ONE OF THE HIGH
LIGHTS OF MAIN STREET ONE OF THE CANNERY COLONY
THERE'S HOPE FOR THE NEGRO IN A SCHOOL LIKE THIS THE
MEXICAN'S HOME IN THE SOUTHWEST THE MEXICAN'S
CHURCH IN THE SOUTHWEST DR. JOE CARBROOK DOES
SUCH WORK AS THIS IN CHINA

THE GENESIS OF THE EXPERIMENT
After years of waiting for time and place and person, the Rev. Walter
Drury, an average Methodist preacher, was ready to begin his
Experiment.
The process of getting adjusted to its conditions was ended. He
believed that, if he had health and nothing happened to his mind, he
might count on at least eight years more at First Church, Delafield--a
ten-year pastorate is nothing wonderful in to-day's Methodism. The
right preacher makes his own time limit.
He would not think himself too good for Delafield, but neither did he
rate himself too low. He just felt that he was reasonably secure against
promotion, and that he need not be afraid of "demotion." There are
such men. They are a boon to bishops.
The unforeseen was to be reckoned with, of course, the possible
shattering of all his plans by some unimagined misfortune. But the man
who waits until he is secure against the unknown never discovers
anything, not even himself.
Walter Drury had at last found his man, or, rather, his boy, here in
Delafield. It was necessary to the Experiment that its subject should be
a decent young fellow, not particularly keen on formal religion, but
well set-up in body and mind; clean, straight, and able to use the brains
he had when need arose.
John Wesley, Jr., was such a boy.
Would the result be worth what he was putting into the venture? That
would depend on one's standards. The church doesn't doubt that the
more than twice ten years' experiment of Helms in the south end of
Boston has been worth the price. And Helms has for company a few
pioneers in other fields who will tell you they have drawn good pay, in
the outcomes of their patience.

Still, Walter Drury was a new sort of specialist. The thing he had in
mind to do had been almost tried a thousand times; a thousand times it
had been begun. But so far as he knew no one preacher had thought to
focus every possible influence on a single life through a full cycle of
change. He meant his work to be intensive: not in degree only, but in
duration.
At the end of ten years! If, then, he had not shown, in results beyond
question, the direction of the church's next great advance, at least he
would have had the measureless joy of the effort. No seeming failure
could rob him of his reward.
Now, do not image this preacher as a dreaming scattergood; he would
do as much as any man should, that is to say, his utmost, in his pulpit
and his parish. The Experiment should be no robbing of collective Peter
to pay individual Paul.
But every man has his avocation, his recreation, you know--golf, roses,
coins, first editions, travel. Walter Drury, being a confirmed bachelor,
missed both the joys and the demands of home life. No recluse, but,
rather, a companionable man, he cared little for what most people call
amusement, but he cared tremendously for the human