Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-09
WORKING FOR CHRIST
rur STATE ASSEMBLIES or THREE
DENOMINATIONS MEET THIS WEEK.
u.,<,st General Association ana Disciples
convcntisa. Richmond. aud Metho-
dsst Conference. Lynchburg.

Three important religious Douies. fopio
senting denominations whose membership
IN this State aggregates something like
ouarter Of O million, viii hold their an
nual meetings in Virginia this week.
Two convene in this city and one IN
Iynchburg, and ali three will be IN session
OF the same time. at least for day or two
Their proceedings viii be watched with
keen interest by the thousands who are
connected with tho respective Churches.
First on tho list comes the Baptist Gen;
eral Association Of Virginia. which VIII
open Its sixty-seyenth annuai SESSION ~
the Leigh Street church, corner OF Lelgh
and Twenty ffth streets, Tuesday evening,
at 7.30 O'clock.
PRETTY rIacE 10 MEET.
The Baptists are arranging TO make the
session one OF the most pleasant ones over
heId by the association. There Will be
present prominent Baptists from every
etctiou of the State, and many from other
States. The meetings will continue four
DAYS, at least that is about the usual time
taken. 1t may this year DO day more or
ETRis great body will be fortunate in
having one of the most connections
churches in Virginia In which TO hold its
eesgons. The auditorium IL OF unusual
size, there are splendid galleries, and the
Sunday-schoOl and class-roOms Will ahord
abundant and convenient accommodations
for the committees aud various boards;
All OF this is well, a. the attendance VIII
doubtless be very large, though the mem
bers have been a little tardy in notifying
the Reception Committee that they are
coming.
Tho church is being gotten in nice con-
aition for the assembling of the Baptists,
and when the doors are thrown open Tues,
day evening the eyes Of all who enter Will
rest upon besutitul room. Inc ora peWs
have been taken out and replaced by hand
come circular ones Of red oak, and the Ia
dies have had the entire iloor laid with car
pets OF a bright and attractive color. The
exterior of the building has been painted
by Mr.. W. l.. French, and all necessary re-
pairs have been made, The outer walls are
Of a light-gray color and the trimmings are
of lavender. BY changing the pews, the
seating capacity of the building has been
slightly increased.
INTRODUCTORY SERMON.
Rev. r. G.. Jones. ID. D., of Norfolk, will
preach the Introductory sermon. 1t has
been many years since DR.. Jones, then o
Richmond boy, profes5ed conversion and
was baptized By the late DR.. James Is. Tay-
Tor into the fellowship Of the Second Bap,,
fist church of this city, but they have all
been years OF eminent usefulness ana OF
great distinction. He Is one Of the most
classic and oratOrical men IN the virginia
pulpit.
Alter the Introductory sermon OF. Just
before. DIR. Frost, in the name of his
church and of all the Baptist churches OF
the city, will deliver an address OF wei
come, And the visiting brothers VIII.
along with that, be- called 10 report, and
many of them will be very apt to make
that the occasion for first-class advertise
ment Of the enterprise they have come to
represent. Many good man in less than
an hour probably after he has p" come for
ward" and reported himself" will be
picking up dollars and dimes for some
worthy cause he has come TO Richmond to
beg for.
il is tho early bird that gets the worm
among the Baptists. There is 50 little red
tape among them; IL Ia so free and easy, in
the Baptist way OF doing things in such
meetings, that the wide-awake man who
takes an air line for the point he aims at
is very sure TO reach 1T.
THEY ARE MISSIONARY MEETINGS.
These annual meetings are simply Sc
ries of mass-mlssionary meetings. One ser
vice is given to home missions, another to
foreign missions, Others 10 colpOrtage, Sun
day schools, ministerial education, church
building, and the ike. and usually the In
terest of the crowds grow from the begin
ming TO the end. The speeches are largely
extempore and often they are very elo-
quent, and everybody speaks that wishes
to speak
THE LAYAIEN's MOVEMENT.
OF late years the Virginia Baptists have
been leading the Baptists of the world in
efforts to develop and make efficient their
laymen. They have the work so arranged
that in each of their twenty-three district
associations there is committee OF lay
men that looks after destitute churches
and goes among them holding special ser
vices. Often these laymen preach to great
crowds. William EllysOn, Esq, of this
city, is the president of the Baptist Lay
mems Conference for the State, and he has
an eye and helping hand for all the dis
trict conferences Of laymen. Nothing has
done more of late years than this laymen's
movement IN giving the Baptists the great
place they now hold among the denomina-
lions OF this State. Its influence for good
is seen FAR and wide.
PERSONAL POINTS.
Rev. John A. Broaddus, ID. D., writes
that his health and strength will not adj
NIT of his coming to this great Baptist
banquet He is not sick, he says, but he is
not strong, and feels that Just now he is
more needed In Louisville than III Rich
Dond.
Rev. William II. whtsitt, D. D.. the pro-
fessor of church history at the Southern
Baptist theological Seminary will be pres
emit TO deliver the annual address before
the Virginia Baptist Historical Society
just after the war, when DIR. Whitsitt was
n student at the University of Virginia,
and DIR. William +. Broaddus was pastor of
the Baptist church IL Charlottesville, the
latter gave il as his opinion that young
Whitsitt would become man of great in
Gnonp. And ability That nrOnhaQV has
besn abundantly fulfilled. DR.. Whitsitt
will delight his Richmond audience, espe-
clally II 40 should leave his manuscript
behind
EEv. DR. BITrINo WILL DE HTRK.
Rev. G. @. Biting, ID. d.. well known
and we'll loved in Richmond, expects &c
look in upon his Virginia brethren on thi:
interesting occasion.
Rev. Il. Griffith, ID. D., Of Philadelphia
b also expected to be present
CONVENTION Tx NORTH cARoLINA ALSO.
Several OF the leading North Csrolin'
Baptists express profound regret that the!
win be kept away by the fact that thei
State Convention Will meet the same da,
OF the Virgi mia Association at Shelby. N
G. This will hold back quite a numbe
who would otherwise come from the Ok
Moth State.
Judge w. Z. Barksdale, OF Halifax. re
grets That his Circuit Court will hinder hi
coming.
DR.. c. A. Board, OF Bedford City. and
dozen more are reported Us coming iron
old Bedford.
soNY DIuISeCIsHrD vfnroRs EXPECTED.
Mayor w. G. Evans, of Roanoke; Profes
cor @. J.. Cooke, of hollins: Colone
Thomas Tsbb, Of Hampton; Judge h. 4
Gunter, of Accomsc; George b. West an
Colonel Q. III. Braxton, of Newport News
William IL. Wren, Of Ignchburg; T.
nottingham, of Norfolk, and many NOR
prominent laymen are expected.
AN Old VIRGINIA WELCOME.
All the signs are for large and goo
meeting. Richmond people have enjoye
the hospitality Of the couotry during tn
past summer. and now Richmond will Civ
good. old-fsshionod Virginia welcome (
the countrymen who viii crowd our cit,
this week.
As the ministers and descons arrive the
viii report at the store of Er. IL. NJ. Stark