The Indianapolis journal., 1895-05-11

OVER 1000 ATTENDING THE SEMI
CENTENNIAL OF THE CHURCH.
Crush at the White House, where
President Cleveland Greeted the
Delegates-Y. VI. &. a. Convention.

WASHINGTON, May 10-The semi-cen-
tennial of the Southern Baptist Church be-
gan its sessions in the First Baptist Church
Of this city to-day. Almost $500 delegates
and visitors were present including all the
most eminent divlnes and laymen of the
Southern Baptist Church. Hon. Jonathan
HARRISON was unanimously reelected presi-
dent and j. T. Spark. of Texas. who was
present a the first convention OF the South
ern Baptist Church, fifty years ago, was
elected first vice president; j. Taylor Eli
son, of Virginia. j. H. Fitzpatrick. of Geor-
ga, and d. II. Carroll. OF Texas, were also
elected vice presidents. Lansing Burrows,
of Georgia. and o. +. Gregory. of Mary
land, were reelected secreta ries, and George
w. Norton. of Kentucky. and w. p. Har-
vey. treasurer and auditor, respectively.
After welcoming addresses, the annual re-
ports OF the work OF three Baptist organi-
zations-Sunday school board and home and
all encouraging and satisfactory. The re-
ceipts of the Sunday school board, last
the previous year. r. j. Willingham. sec
retsry of the Foreign Missions Society.
connection with the work in foreign fields.
Over $130,0 900 was expended and 92 per cent.
of this amount went directly to the work OF
converting the heather. The work in the
papal missions in Brazil Mexico, Japan,
China and Africa was given in detail. Rev.
l. T. ficheners report on home missions
showed steady increase in all respects. The
number of missionaries this year was AS,
an increase of forty-four over last year and
more than in any year of the boards his
tory; baptized 592l, an increase of l,45l over
last year, and 572 more than have been
baptized in any year since the organization
OF the convention.
For an hour and twenty minutes this
afternoon President Cleveland stood in the
East room and shook hands with the dele
gates to the Southern Baptist convention.
There was an awful crush, and the dele
gates were I'm a condition to sympathize
him Many expressed themselves to this ef-
Meet as they grasped the Presidents hand,
while. others gave him advice as they
Southern jokes and many a good wish ex-
pressed in Southern phrase. There were as
many women as men in the crowd, and
when they emerged into the long hall they
availed themselves OF the free space 10
again extend their sleeves. which had suf-
fered in the crush and of the mirrors to see
that their hats were on straight. The dele
gates were pleased with the reception.
WASHINGTON, May 1o.-The principal
event of the night session was the annual
gomery, Ala. who had for his text. Rem
der unto Caesar the things that are
Caesars, and unto God the things that are
Formal Endorsement was given by the
convention to the report made by Rev.
DIR. I. i. Eaton. the chairman OF the COM
mittee OF the conference with the American
Baptist Home Missionary Society, the result
of a. meeting at Fortress Manroe
laSL september. Ine Splrlt Oh the
conference was well indicated by
the overture of the Southern
members to those Of the North, in which
an expression was made of the desire to
avoid all discussion of past issues on mat
ters on which it is known that the views
of the members of the North and South
widely differ that they would in all sim
cerity devote themselves TO the task of
securing for the future such cooperation
might be found practicable without at
tempting at once to adjust all differences.
In making this overture the committee
states that the Southern Baptist conven-
ton was not prompted by any necessity
of it's own work or that of its home board
OF missions, but believed that the time
had come when il should enlarge its own
work among the colored people of the South
and it entertained the hope that proper
cooperation of the Home Missionary So
ciety in the work already established would
contribute to the efficiency of the result
At the Fortress Monroe meeting a reso-
luton was adopted authorizing the South
ern Baptist convention to appoint
a local advisory committee at each
point where school of the American Home
Missionary Society is established. This COM
mittee is to have merely the power of
suggestion in the management of the
schools and in return the Southern Baptist
convention is to enlist the aid and the
sympathy of the people in the South in the
work.
The trustees OF the Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary have elected IDr. w.
II. Whitsit, of Louisville, as president of
that institution.