Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-04
THE SOUTHERN BAPTIsTs.
The Annual Convention to be Held II
Augusta in Nav

The Annual Convention to be Held In
Augusta in May.
The Southern Baptist Convention, COM
posed Of representatives of the Baptist
Church from all the Southern States, Will
convene at Augusta MAY 6, and will
probably be in session until MAY II. The
convention held its first session in
Augusta, and was organized MAY S, 1916.
The last meeting was held in Baltimore
last May. The cause of its organization
was the refusal OF the Northern Baptists,
with whom the Southern Baptists had
been cooperating previously to 1916, to
appoint or support as missionaries those
who held slaves. Hence, the present
limit OF its territory is nearly coincident
with the States formerly designated ''the
SlayehOlding States" Delaware and
West Virginia being divided. as between
the Northern and Southern Conventions.
Its constituency Is 94S, 1S4 members,
generally represented by about 600 dele
gates. The whole number of Baptists in
the United States is 2, 401. 453. The con-
vention meets annually in May, and its
object is to conduct the mission work of
the denomination, or, as expressed in the
constitution of the convention, 'sfOr elicit
ing, combining and directing the energies
Of the whole denomination in one sacred
effort for the propagation of the gospel"
1t carries on its work through two
boards. one for the foreign field, the other
for the home field. The Foreign Board is
located in Richmond, Va, DR.. j. l.. NJ.
Curry being President of it. and DIR. Fl.
A. Upper, Secretary. The Foreign
Board has missions in China, Africa, Eu-
rope, South America and Mexico, and the
contributions last year for these missions
was $4,000.
The Home Mission Board Is located at
Atlanta, Ga, Judge John d. Stewart be-
ing President, and DR.. j. L. TichenOr,
Secretary. 1t does mission work among
the Indians, number of whom have be-
come Christians and communicates,
among the colOred people, and in desti-
tute portions of the less pOpulOus State.
1t expended last year in this work 1866, 800.
This work of the convention is quite dis
tinct from that of the various State con-
ventIOns which spent in mission work
last year $4,000.
Nearly all of the eminent Baptist min
listers of the South are expected to attend
the convention this year, and delegations
of the most noted ministers OF the North
will be present. Most of the time of the
convention will be devoted to hearing re-
ports from the different fields of labor. to
the discussion of the best methods of con-
Quoting mission work, and to cOrrespOn-
derce from Northern conventions. The
convention has no control over the
churches or State conventions, and no
legislative powers. 1t devotes itself eX-
clusively to the work of sustaining mis-
siOns, and to this end is in communica-
con with the churches and other conven-
tiOns as their agent for this specific work.
DR.. p. Il. Nell, of Athens, Ga, is Presi-
dent of the convention, and DR.. Lansing
Burrows, Of Augusta, Secretary.
The citizens of Augusta have already
commenced making preparations to en-
terrain the members of the convention.
A general committee, headed by DR.. Ian
sing Burrows as Chairman, and Charles
Il. McCOrd as Secretary, and a number Of
subcommittee, has been appointed to
look after the comfort Of the delegates,
and while it is expected that the hospI-
tality Of Augusta will be taxed to its ut
most, the committee is positive that it
will be equal to the emergency.
Rev. j. f. l.. Holmes, pastor of the Bap-
fist Church of Savannah, will bead the
delegation from this city.