The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-12

| the early labors OF Witt and Jeter in the work
OF State missions, and told of the great re-
suits Of those labors, and Of the effectiveness
OF the plans Of the Stale Board as shown in
The building of churches, the support of min
iSterS, and, above all, in the conversion of
souls. From these great results he drew n
lesson of encouragement and called upon all
present to see that no church was hereafter
delinquent in respect to contributions TO this
| cause.
Rev. William j. Shipman, Of Salem, made
an interesting statement Of the condition of
his field Of labor, and presented its claims for
pecuniary assistance. He was about TO build
Il church, which he wished completed before
the 1St OF January, and the very existence of
his congregation. now 50 prosperous COM
rarativcly, seemed to depend upon the alIan.
donmcnt of the town hall. where he now
preached. He spoke of Salem as one Of the
great points of influence alluded to by DR..
Wilson, and hoped the church there would
be sustained.
The report Of the Committee on State Mis-
sionS WIS adopted.
| Rev. Mr.. Short in Il telling and character
istic speech presented the claims of the
| Bethlehem church, Hcnrico county. whose
house of worship had been burned and
which they desired to rebuild. He hoped
the Association would not allow the Star of
Bethlehem TO 60 down. Mr.. Shorts appeal
was 80 effective that he soon gathered Il large
handful of greenbacks.
Rev. William G. Hall offered a resolution
calling the particular attention Of the State
| Mission Board to the lower end Of the
peninsula as a missionary field. IT was
! adopted af'cr remarks by Rev. George +.
Adams, Mr.. Hall. and Rev. DIR. Burrows.
VIRGINIA BIBLE SOCIETY.
4 communication from Rev. DR.. Ed
wards, Rev. DR.. Brown; and Rev. Dr. Wood
bridge, OF behalf of the Virginia Bible
Society, WAS presented by the Moderator and
read in the hearing of the Association. The
paper refers to the increasing works Of the
Society, and asks the cooperation of the
Bapti>ts of Virginia i'll supplying the de-
IAnd for "the Word of God without note
or comment
The communication was referred TO a
special committee, consisting OF Rev. e. G..
Biting. Rev. George L. Adams, Professor
Ii. FL. Harris. Rev. DR.. Curry, and Rev. DR..
Burrows.
Adjourned until O'Clock L. NJ:
NIGHT SESSION.
| The Moderator resumed the chair ut S
o'clock After hymn was sung. PRAYER was
offered by Rev. W. s. Bland. I'll CHESTERFIELD.
Rev. Dir. w. +. Broadlls. Rev. j. +: Deans;
Rev. Thomas Hume, DR.. l.. X. Chiles. and
others, members of corresponding bodies,
were invited to take part in the deliberations
Of the Association.
The reading of the minutes having been
dispensed with, the hymn ' Nearer, my God,
10 Thee" was sung with organ accompini-
ment. The Moderator then announced as
the subject for consideration,
"TnE MEMORIAL EFFORT or THE GENERAL Asso-
CATION
and called upon Rev. William f. Hatcher,
ID. D., of Petersburg, for an Introductory
address.
DIR. Hatcher commenced by Il humorous
alusiou to he fact that only two OF the half
n dozen al,lebodied BaptiSts announced to
speak had not fallen before being called upon.
The memorial movement was il child of Rich
mond. and. to tell the truth. it was looked
lIpon at first hy many aS rather an ill-favored
rliiId 1t hardly had vitality enough torcach
the mountains. but lit Stalntun 1t was SAINT
toned, inlor>ctl. and adopted by the Baptist
General Association Of Virginia, a> its own
darliny enterprise. 1t WAS the offspring OF
Il q.lirI, private member OF Richmond
church. AMI the people of Richmond. bearing
this in mnd, should not let 1t depend upon
outsiders for support. The occasion oil the
memorial was the SemiCentennlal anniversary
of the organization OF the General itssocia-
ton of RaptiSss in Virginia; tho year 1913
was to he year of jubilee for the dcnomina-
ton. The people were taking hold of the
movement in manner which could hardly
have been anticipated. In his visits to the
various associations he had found everybody
lIyinv plans for coming to Richmond next
spring, 50 that whereas Il month or two ago
he had thought three thousand Il liberal eStl-
mate for the number OF the crowd he was
now ashamed, in the presence of his mlnlste-
rial brethren TO place the number at less than
ten thousand. The country BaptiStS were
going to take possession Of Richmond, and
the good people Of the capital had better
commence at once to enlarge their houses for
their accommodation.
But it was not proposed to mark the occa-
sion merely by grand oulpo'iring bt tn,
people, or hy an empty Thanksgiving OF @I)-
: ritiuation of ourselves. Our gratitude must
lie more substantially expressed. Hence the
idea of the memorial fund. Ii was deter
mined to raise 100000 for Richmond Col
lege. and so heartily and promptly have the
people responded to the call that some are
now seriously considering whether that sam
ought not to be increased to S3U0,OOO. What
IL Grand thing it will be to raise half il mil
lion dollars for the permanent endown mt
and thorough equipment of this noble iusti.
, tuition Nearly all other enterprises ought
for the time to be S,Ibordinated to thu, for
we will never have another opportunity to
do such grand and glorious thing for the
extension of ChriSt's kingdom. Let it not
be asked. How can it be done: 1t has al
ready been decrced that it shall be done.
Preachers, deaconS, and peoplealreaiy have
their hearts full of the work, and every mcm-
Der of the denomination in the Old Dominion
must do his or her part. Nor is our dep ,ndence
upon Virginia alone; contributions have
already begun to pour in from abroad
While the movement has enlisted the SYM
pathy of BaptiSts everywhere, great hopes
have been raised, and the word of the Bap-
fists of the State has been pledged for its
success. God grant that we may all live to
see the day it is crowned with triumph.
Rev. G. C. Biting, of the Second church.
Richmond, was next called upon. After
adverting briefly to the origin and present
grlndly growing proportions OF the memo
mortal movement, he eloquently recountel
the causes which BaptiSts of Virginia have
for Il general and great rejoicing. Organ
lied in June. 1928. with only fifteen delegate;
present. the General Association of Virginia
bad then within its bounds a member
ship of not more than 10000, or Que in 26
of the population. Fifty years will have
passed since its organization when next
June shall come, and at the last meeting OF
the General Association there were present
3l2 delegates. There are now in the State
,O33 BAPTIST churches; 5SS ordained nln-
! ;stprS 13O COO members or one in nine oil