Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-09
THE YOUNG PEOPLES CONFERENCE
A Lively Session Held In the First
Church Today,

There were throngs both upstairs and
downstairs at the First Baptist Church,
on 10th street, at 10 o'clock this morning
The lower part of the church was sort
of headquarters, and was the resort of
hundreds Of the visitors, who renewed ac-
quaintance with each other and shook
hands right and left with fervor. A ma
jority of them were men, but later there
came quite a sprinkling of the other sex,
and by 1890 the main room of the church.
upstairs, was well filled with about an
equal division of the sexes. Clustered
around in front of the pulpit were a dozen
or so of small tables for the representa-
tives of the secular and religious press. The
denominational pencil was very active and
scribbled away like mad during the early
stages of the proceedings, though it
tagged when the meeting grew more inter-
esting.
pie, the meeting was attended by Baptists
of all ages, from the venerable DIR. Meador,
the me derator of the Washington confer
ence, to some young lads. AT about twenty
minutes to IL o'clock the devotional ex-
ercises were Oegun. They were conducted
by Rev. Carter Helm Jones of Louisville,
assisted by Rev. w. w. Landrum, DID,, of
Thee" had been sung by all present, with
Mr.. Percy Foster at the great organ,
prayer was offered by Mr.. MacGregor of
t'lorida, and "A Soldier of the Cross was
then sung.
Rev. Mr.. Jones read selection from the
Scriptures, and Mr.. r. z. Johnson of Mis-
souri, led in prayer. The church was by
this time filled. and the next hymn How
Firm Foundation" was sung by nearly
thousand voices Prayer was next of.
fered by DIR. Ellis of New York Between
the stanzas Of the hymn, Come, Thou
Font of Every BLESSING" prayers were
made by ex-Gov. Northen of Georgia, DR..
A. j. Dickinson of Alabama and Dr. H w
Wharton Of Maryland.
This concluded the devotional exercises,
and Rev. r. H. Pitt, d. D., of the Religious
Herald, Richmond, Va, took the chair of
the presiding officer. and explained in a
few words that the object of the meeting
was the organiZa ton OF a Southern Young
Peoples Baptist Conference. Nothing, he
added had been "cut and dried" and no
one plan was forecast. The only conditions
of membership We're that the person should
be member of the Baptist Church in good
standing and living within the territory of
the southern Baptist conference, and it was
presumed that each one should join without
| being committed to this or that plan of
orSanizat ation.
The Temporary Officers.
DR.. Pitt then started the work of affect
| Ing temporary organization by nominat-
| ing Prof. P. H. Nell of Alabama for tenn
| porary president. This nomination met
with unanimous approval, and after Prof.
Nell had made brief speech of thanks,
| DR.. o. F. Gregory of Maryland was chosen
secretary. On motion of Rev. DR.. T. T.
| Eaton of Louisville. these temporary off,
GERS were declared permanent.
Tnen arose question as to whist consti-
| tuted membership of the organizat ton s,eet-
| ing, and what gave a title to vote. Rev.
| DR.. Thames of Virginia moved to include
| all Baptists in attendance. Rev. Dr. j. b.
| Hawthorne of Atlanta reminded him that
| the right to vote was restricted to dele
| gates to the southern convention, and then
| the query was shot into the field in regard
| to the status of the ladies. Rev. Geo. A
| Lotion of Nashville argued in favor OF
| their admission to the meeting. DIR. Haw-
thorne regretted that the issue had been
| raised, and said he hoped it would not be
| pressed to the front. DR.. Landrum said
Continued on Third Page.)