The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-11-02

BAPTIST CONVENTION
Proceedings of That Body
in New Brunswick Tues
day and Wednesday.
SOME CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES.
Anti-Race Track Resolutions Adopt
ed--Reports of Commiltees
Officers Elected.
Special to the Jersey city News.

Jersey Baptist State Convention an III
teresting discussion took place over tn
adoption Of proposed constitutions
changes:-
In the act of the New Jersey Lsgisl =
ture passed in 1S41. and under which th
convention was Incorporated, occurs tn
phraseology: And be it enacted, That thu
sad corporation shall annually elect, a
such time as they shall, by :heir regu-
lations aud bv laws or lain and establish.
Il President. two Vice Presidents, a Score
tary, a Treasurer aud twenty-dv' man
ayers which shall constitute the Exscu~
tive Board. to transact the business oil
the corporation. all of W ,om shall be
residents of this State. uine of whom
shrll be a quorum to do business.
The Board IN Constitutional changes
bv a vote of 8 to s recommended slight
changes in the hove phraseology. In
stead of two Vice-Presfi tents, the pro
posed alteration provided for one Vice
President for each associstion in the con
veution, or for six Vice-P Presidents in al
also for 81 Instead OF % manager. IL
regard to the election of these managers,
it was ad vised by the hoari that seven be
elected for Que year. seven for two years
and seven for three years, and that after
the first election seven be elected an
uUAlty LOT q Germ Oh lures years.
1t took no little time for the =
ton to understand the precise effect OF
these changes, and then a longer time
was consumed in discussion as to their
ACCESSIBILITY and effect. Some one asked
II the adoption of the changes would at
feet the wording of the Act Of Incorpora-
ton, and some one replied that i6 would
not, adding that the convention shou1l
certainly congratulate itself that it was
not an adjourned session of the New Jer-
sey Legislature.
1t was at length elici'ed that q general
act had been passed by the Legislature
last year, granting 70 such incorporated
bodies the privilege Of Dressing amend.
ments modifying the terms of the act of
Incorporation, that such changes, how
ever. should be passed In legal phrases
ology. aud that q certificate should be
filed with the Secretary of State The
convention then adopted the changes, and
ordered everything necessary to be done
to secure their legal efficiency. Another
section in the act was charged. providing
that the funds could be devoted TO the
PURPOSES of the n newly created church
Z iif1ce Department.
E. j.. Brockett. Esq, submitted q re-
port OF the Board on a Church Edifice
Department. He recouute the MANIFEST
hIndrahces to the adoption of such a
scheme, but thought that any feasible
plan hould be well considered. TIE
object OF such q department would be to
assist churches financially weak in the
erection of suitable ediiees. and the &C.
complisnment of this plan through the
appointment of committees and the de-
voIing OF one OF the regular church coll
l~ections to the purpose.
Rev. job Scott, of Toms River, advo-
Gated in a strong speech tue adopLiou of
such a scheme. He said that his church an
nually received $3.50 from the convention
70 he dnuntaA RI fhn e 49,
pastors salary. He thought the expeu-
ditnre was useless because the material
couveniences were Inadequate fer the
successful prosecution of the church's
work. A resolution providing for the
establishment of sue a department. was
unanimously carried.
WEDNESDAYS SESSION.
The session Wednesday morning opon-
ed with devotional services le be the
Rev. w. L. Mayo. Under the lead of
miscellaneous business. the following
resolution was adopted:-
Whereas, The general legislation of New
Jersey relating to. the election of trustees for
church organizations has been recently SO
amended as 10 impose conditions Inconsistent
with Baptist usages; therefore.
Resolved, That a committee of three be ap-
pointed to secure legislation exempting Bapt ist
churches from such conditions.
The specific purpose of this change Is
to allow Young men under the age of
eighteen years to vote at the church
meetings. The committee named by the
chair consisted Of Judge James Buchau-
an, S. V. HnltZ and c.. II. Runyou. all
members of the bar.
B. E. Fowler. Esq. Treasurer of the
society, submitted his report. Il showad
the receipts for the entire year from all
sources 10 he 9,251. and the disburse-
ment- $10,635. A deficit is thus shown of
81 1874 This is more than met by the
.1T1 in rho E-- MT
fund. however, cannot be touched with-
out the sanction of the convention.
Mr.. Fowler then moved that the fiscal
year close on October Is. This he moved
IN order to convenience the work of tue
Treasurer. According to the present ar
rangement the year does not end until the
L easurer's report is placed In the hands
of the auditing COMMITTEES, and a great
ou of work is put upon the Treas
urer at convention. Confusion then
ensues, and there is liability for error on
account of the haste nece ssary TO nave
the reHort readvat the tiuns set ia the
programme. His remarks were seconded
Ny Mr.. Zimmerman.
A discussion followed the motion, Sew.
era did not favor the plan. as according
to me arrangements In their respective
churches, all the funds due the co ,yeu-
ton are not collected until Just before
the annual meeting. The motion was
Tempo arily laid on the table. to admit of
the reading of hey. h. A. Greismer's
paper on 'Denominational Interests in
the S ate"
In detail. ft gave the State statistics as
follows:-231 churches; 1924 members:
2l5 pastors; 1.S25 baUtisms; 8 new
CT urches; $500 633 3S expenses for church
PURPOSES: $SS. $40 96 expended for bsnevo.
EN- purposes; So. 632. S1S value of church
property: 5S5 gain iu membership. The
condition Of Peddie Institute, at Hlghts-
town. and of South Jersey Institute. at
Bridgetop. was reported in a prosperous
{condition.
TO PREPARE A CONSTITUTION,
Under miscellaneous business this
morning the matter OF a constitution and
bylaws was again brought up. A COM
miitee of seven, of which the President
shall be Que, WAS autllorizs to be an
DO inted to take into consideration all
proposed changes and submit a report at
the next convention.
On motion five minute addresses were
made placing before the Convention the
matter of evangelism effort among the
Jews of the State. The work d me at the
Girls Industrial School at Philadelphia
was eulogiZed, aud tbs convention asked
to remember this school IN its generosity.
CoLoRED BAPTIST CHURCHES.
Mr.. Greisemer's paper contained a par
agraph advising the colorsd Baptist
churches to ally themselves with. the
receptlv organized Afro~Americaa BaD-
list Al 4atiou.
A number of delegates thought this
inadvisable u2less the colored members
themselves were Ia favor of it. Mr..
Young OF the Ebenezer Baptist Church
- . that IL 1900