The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-16
A MONTH OF CONVENTIONS.
The Negro Baptists of Georgia Pre-
pairing for Big Time.


Savannah promises to be very largely
given over to the colored Baptists from
May "a to June 49, The centennial celebra-
tion Of the negro Baptists of Georgia will
be held in this city from June to June l8
Rev. E. X. Love, pastor of the First AT
rlcan Baptist Church, said yesterday that
he expects the celebration will draw not less
than $1,000 visitors to the city, and 1t Is
puzzling the committee how they can enter
tain the visitors. Rev. Loves people feel
very grateful, he said, for the kindly in
tereSt that the MORNING NEWS has taken
in the approaching centennial The white
people, he said, have not aided them as
much as had been hoped, and he felt that 1t
will be necessary to make still another ap-
peal to them.
A committee of seven from each of the
seven African Baptist churches Of Savan-
nah has been appointed to go among the
colored people aud learn who can entertain
delegates and visitors. The hotels are
barred to them, and it is no small task to
properly house the visitors. Rev. Love I'M
derstands that some of the visiting delega-
tions will bring tents, and especially he has
learned that this was the plan the Augusta
visitors have concluded upon. There are
1,500 African Baptist churches in Georgia,
representing 165,000 communicates,
and a State centennial OF so
large religious organization must
necessarily draw large concourse OF people
together. The railroads will make special
rates, and the time will be suspicious. The
centennial was fixed for June. so as to insure
a large attendance, otherwise it would have
been more properly held, from chronology
cal point of view, in January last.
A large lot between Montgomery, Jetfer-
son, Ninth and Eleventh streets, has been
enclosed and the committee is negotiating
for the use of a tent for tabernacle, which
will seat 10, 600 persons.
The Baptist State Sunday School Con-
vention. and the Missionary Baptist State
Convention, will both be held in Savannah
just before the centennial The former will
bring from 300 to 400 delegates to Savan-
nah, and the latter about 500 delegates.
Both conventions will hold their sessions in
the First African Baptist church, which
has been enlarged, and which will be COM
pleted in time to accommodate the two con-
ventions.
The State Sunday School Convention will
convene May "a, one week from tomorrow,
and will remain in session until Monday,
May %. The State Missionary Convention
will assemble two days later, on Wednes-
day, May 80, and will continue its session
until Monday, June 4, when a day will
intervene and the State centennial will be-
gin, thus having nearly a month of con-
tinuous work of the three great branches
of the African Baptist church of Georgia
Sunday schools, home and foreign missions
and educational work, and the church
work proper.
The committee having charge of the CEN
telnial is composed of the leading pastors
of the African Baptist Church of Georgia,
and is as follows: Rev. Alexander Harris,
Chairman, Savannah; Rev. U. L. Houston,
Savannah; Rev. j. NJ. Simms, Savannah
Rev. David Waters, Savannah; Rev. e. K.
Love, Savannah; Rev. G. T. Walker,
Augusta; Rev, E. r. Carter, Atlanta; Rev
J. c. Bryan, Americas; Deacon j. H.
Brown, Secretary.