The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-26
BAPTISI'S.


BAPTISTS.
THEIR NATIONAL CONVENTION THIS WEEK
GROWTH AND PRESENT CONDITION OF THE
DENoMINArIoN-M MISSIONS AND EDUCATIONAL
INsrIrUTIoNs-BAPrIsr ITINERANcY-H HOW TT
WORKS.
In point or numbers the Baptists stand denomina.
tionally second to the Mcthodists in the United
States. THOR National Convention meets in
annual session at Cleveland Ohio. nsxt Tuesday and
days following 10 this month"; In the church OF which
Rev. George I. Bowling. OF Dr.. John Dowling OF
this CITY, Is pastor The delegates from AL parts OF
the country will be Hospitality entertained by the
Baptsts OF Cleveland. Lilo members oil the several
missionary and benevolent associations OF tho Demon
nation wcl delegates from State associations
and churches entitled aud invited to attend.
The several connectionai institutions OF tho
Church Will hold thor anniversaries in the city
and during tho progress Of tho National Conventions
moetinga The publication Society. for instance,
will hold Its annual meeting in Cleveland tho open
ing day OF the session, the Homo Mission Society
on Wednesday. 10th, and tho Missionary Union,
which attends TO all the foreign work OF the donon-
nation, will occupy Thursday and Friday OF this
with its reports and deliberations. Tho Womans
Home Mission Society also will hold It's FIRST nivcr
sary the evenings OF Wednesday and Thursday
next Delegates all those anniversaries travel
from this city to Cleveland return for So Dur
ing tho current month the Lutheran Baptists held
thor National Convention ut Nashville, Tenn. tho
woman's Baptist Mission Society OF tho West also
Indianapolis Ind. and between this tho end OF
juno several State and district associations will gather
all tho eastern section Of tho land In this State
there arc iorty-l7e such associations, sixteen OF
which will hold their annual meetings during tho
month OF June. There also twenty.six
Sunday school associations whose anniversaries Will
run through Juno, August, September ana December.
According to tho census OF Now York State, taken
three years ago. there then within the bounds of
the State $3.50 church organizations. 6243 church
edihcos, with sitngs In them for 537 470 persons.
The vauo OF the church property was estimated At
that timo $1l7 l5Q OF this total tho Baptiss
to-day own 873 churches, valued at $7529, $40. on
which there is n debt OF only s7o1,23s. In those
churches they gsthor from Sabbath 10 Sabbath
ILL., $40 church members Those members and tho
congregations that assemble with tncm paid during
S7Ss 0O4 ana Tor ON thor church prop
crly 500 037. whilc at the same time they
ousa y sos wal and %ssion
their sunday schools also contributed $3 439 65 Tor
benevolcnce.
The basis OF representation IN the National Con.
vsnsion lie or annual membership in the beaev
client societies oil tho Church or election by State
vcntions churchcs district associations. Any
regular Baptist Church contributing 10 the treasury
is annual meeting. and II 500 one additional dole.
gate additional one Tor every additional 5000
10 tue Home Mission society regular Baptist Church
contributing IS, and an additional ono Tor every nd
dtons So similar rules prevail 10 tho puoIicasioo,
National Convention IS largely a voluntary
gathering Of .hoxo societies and OF such
OshoF persons may Iosl interest enough attend
tho meetings. Their number, therefore, varies from
year year, but ranges from 500 70 Loo annually
dopeudcns upon where the meetings arc held. Tue
pastors churches expected to attend aud their
congregations are expected 10 pay the OIL This
pectation Is not, oil course, always realized.
There Is reason W expect that effort will
male Cleveland rcinstatc the two headed. score
taryshps 10 the missionary rooms a. Boston and Now
YORK. Considering that these are the times OF strict
economy everywhere u would be queer indeed for
Baptss double tue expense Of In the
Missionary Union and Home Mission Society, and
especially queer, seeing that tn0 trial Of
Rotary IN each society has worked excelIsntiy
two Years IN tho other. DR. Fulton Of Brooklyn, is
chanipionug this costly aujunct Tor The Homo Mis-
soc Society IN tho freedmens bens and has started
iooIscap sheet. weekly paper under . name which
u couple OF hc sold out 10 tho ErdDstner TO
Mission Society betrayed It's Yroken
pledges the SouIherh tn failing organize
u ircedmon's depar.mcnt and appointing secretary.
No man OF nnccncc and pownr, hs says (except him
soii goes among tho colorcd Baptiss 0 Tho South
instruct them No one authorized 10 exercise watch
over thom Alabama with 10000 coiorcd
Baplisls - missionary TO tho colored people.
Tho chief motive Of the Doctor Tor demanding q
two aud the Congre2a.onaists Two. and while tncro
arc moro blacks inclined TO tho baptist faith than
all communions together. his denomination has
not one.
II appears. however, that the case not atogctheA
no hopeless. The Homo Mission Society has been
caring more loss for The freedmen 1885; but
in 1869 the National theological Institute, Dr. Full
toms pet scheme making ,ptist ministers OF all
the eligible negroes Of the south. merged In tho
Homo Mission Society, and has not occupied the
Same prominence tho Baptist mind and thought
inccn ms N Home A
up OF twenty men, VINO mcot IN this city every
mon IN 10 the trusts coInaed 10 their care
OF which this institute - or many. In 1869 tho
Baptists had low elementary ircedmen's schools
wnicn wore largely supported Dy grants irom thc
eminent Frcednen's Bureau. through the and
successful agency oil tho Homo Mission Board these
schools have boon elevated INTO Strong seminarcs,
and ncreased ia number that there arc now eight
OF them In many southern States, their
chief object being TO educate tue teachers
anu preachers OF tho einancipatcd race. The build
ings which they occupy are ~orth not icss than
SAYS 0UO aud have been paid Tor by tho Homo Msson
schools for tho six years ending IN May, 1917, was
735. ana Tor the year now cLding IN May, 1878. tho
humber OF students under the care OF thirty-ioar
teachers been ]. 05U-no by nearly Two hundred
than IN any previous year. Inc amount Of money
expended ny Tho Home Mission Board Tor tho
benefit Of tnesc schools Ia tho seven years ending
MAY 1877, was a traction less than SAIL 600 La tho
year now ending, May, 1878 tho expenditures Of tho
board IN the Freednen's department. have only been
traction iess than SOL 50O nearly whole winch
has applied Tor mo current support OF tho sc
inaries. ono new seminary, tLat Vi Natchez, Mlss,
has been put into operation this last year Moro
money has bccn expanded Tor the direct support OF
the schools ami more students have enjoyed their
benefits this iast year now cndng than any pre-
vious year since tho Church has lad an cnauclpatcd
race Tor.
FkkBLE cnuRciiEs-sMALL Contributions.
Aud ths not AL mat 10 worthy oI special obscrva
ton. IL appears from oflclai statements that tho
largest number Of the freodncn's schools IN any
year PRIOR May 1874 there were throe sccrc-
tarics IN tho Home Mission Rooms, go; and that
IN tue four years STAGE May 1874, when thcre has
boon but secretary IN tho Rooms, the number Of
the rcedmon students has been respectively sg5 S4s
ST. 1050 IL also appears that ~ Tho four years vi
one secrctaryship, tue Home Mission Board has ex
pended S3O5, S74 50 IN It's Freedmen . department,
whie in lhs preceding years OF the threo
tary ships tho expenditures IN tho dcpar tmcnt
were S220 1856 55. And ycttho men who dong this
work for tho freedmen are cIassed by DR. Futon
with the Fall River (Aass) dciauncrs as bctrsyers
oi trusts comm ittsd " them Very nucn
might DO done Tor tho freedmen u these flush
tinies ana money iay around loose In every name
pocket, ready 10 DO contributed demand But
bus,noss men and church members Who navo gone
tnrou ph the years that this - not