Morning journal and courier., 1884-06-12
The CoIored Rantists.

Officers EIeeted-The Work in General
 Interesting ErOceedings - Valuable
 Papers Read.
 At the New England Baptist Missionary convention at the Emanuel Baptist church in this city yesterday, the nominating com mittee's report was accepted and the follow ing were appointed officers for the ensuing year:
 President, Rev Gardner Ross, New Haven; vice presideet, Rev D Wynn, Nor wich; recording secretary, Rev Rufus l. Perry, Brooklyn, N Y; corresponding secre- tory; Rev Wm Dixon, Brooklyn. N Y; treasurer, Fairfax. Plainfeld, N J; board of managers, Rev Messrs Ross, D Wynn, R l. Perry, W Dixon, R N Fairfax. R A Motley, William Hill, Moore, D W Wisher.
 The convention was opened yesterday I morning with the vice president, Rev. R. D. Wynn, in the chair. Prayer meeting was led by Rev. Henry Travis or Harlem, N: '; After reading Psalm cxiii, prayer was offered by Rev. B. T. Moore of Wilmington, Del. Report of the nominating committee was read and accepted. The president Rev. J. | Gardiner Ross, of this city, then took the | chair and made pleasing address. The visiting members were invited to take seats ! and take part in the discussions of the conven- tion.
 | Reports of the committee of arrangements and also of the corresponding secretary were read and accepted, after which the meeting | adjourned.
 AFTERNOON SESSION. Prayer was offered by the Rev. B. T. Moore, of Wilmington, Delaware. Several i important committees were appointed. Rev. A. W. Lorey led in prayer, after which ser ! mon was delivered by Rev. William Wallace, | from the text John, v., 6. After the ser mon a communication from the Morning | Star Baptist church was read and referred to | the board. Report of committee on fields
 was read and accepted and after prayer by | Rev Henry Williams, jr., the meeting adjourned.
 EVENING SESSION.
 The evening session opened with the presi- | dent in the chair. Rev. H. N. Jeter re ad psalm 1 ciii and prayer was offered by Rev. R. G.. Wynn, vice president of the association. ! The most interesting feature of the day was l the paper lead by Rev. R. l.. Perry, of ! Brooklyn, editor of the National Monitor, on ssDeaconship, it's duties and demands" " | Rev. w. A. Burch, of Boston, was appointed ! to read the paper, but as he was unable to be present, MT. Perry, at very short notice, kindly consented to take his place. He went on to say that the subject means the nature and relations of deaconships as given in
 the scriptures. He traced in an able
 and scholarly way the meaning of
 the word as derived from the Greek.
 The original signifcation of the word was to
 serve. The ground meaning of the word is
 to serve and nothing else. In some churches it is considered to be place of honor and
 distinction and the ministry is made to bow
 down to it. The office of deacon is of hu man origin and divine. They were original ly appointed by the disciples in convention
 and approved and blessed by the twelve
 They were appointed for 8 special work witt
 no ecclesiastical authority. They were tc
 serve the poor and do such ether work as the
 apostles should demand of them. A deacor
 can never take part in any spiritual services
 without the pastors consent and at hit
 order. Whenever the word deacor
 is applied to minister it ii
 always accompanied by some mod flying word. The demands are
 not demands by the deaconship but on the
 deaconship. The departure of the deaoonf
 from their original duty to the poor led
 many to seek aid from benevolent societies
 and other sources. If the deacons attended
 to their duty in this respect the church
 would be able to take care of the church'f
 poor and the benevolent societies would gc
 to the wall. The paper met with the hearty
 approval of the convention and was accepted
 After discussion of the paper the meeting
 adjourned to this morning.