The latest in my series of documents related to my book
The Family
. This one isn't especially significant except for what it reveals about the historical precision of the movement's organization, in contrast to its claim to have never been more than a casual association of friends. What follows is from the "Summary Report of the Working Session" of an October 27-29, 1967 meeting of what was then called International Christian Leadership in Stockholm, Sweden. It can be found in Box 474 of Collection 459 of the Billy Graham Center Archives.
Douglas Coe described the strength of ICL in number of followers and geographical extension today in terms of Groups and correspondents. The latter part of the description, he reported, was based on a review of Dr. Vereide’s correspondence during the past eight years. All names were classified by country in a book that was at the disposal of the meeting. Groups of correspondents, he said, existed in 68 countries out of 133 and in 15 dependencies out of 111.
Mr. Coe stressed the fact that some national teams set as springboards for extension of the movement in other countries. Thus, in Latin America, the influence of ICL has spread from Costa Rica to Honduras and Panama, and from Brazil to Uruguay, Argentina and Venezuela. Similarly ICL is expanding from Puerto Rico to the Dutch Indies, Haiti and Santo Domingo; from Korea…and from Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast to the rest of Africa.
The groups work under the leadership of the Congressional group, Senator Frank Carlson being responsible for internal and Representative Albert H. Quie for external affairs. The leadership of the student organization and labor unions are invited to attend seminars on the occasion of the Presidential Prayer breakfast.
Our movement is not simply duplicative of other prayer group movements, for it is concerned in promoting a “leadership led by God.”
