The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-28
HOME MISSION FIELD
ANIMAL CONvOCATION OF THE Ma
TIeNAL BAPTIST SOCIETY.
West-Ms ney Stringency Had
Its Effect.

Home Missionary Society opened yesterday
afternoon at the First Baptist Church There
are about twenty ministers connected with
the mission work in various capacities in
attendance IL Ill had not been for the wom-
en- OF that denomination who attended the
meeting there would not have been muck
Of an audience. Rev Il. +. Cavens. OF Peru,
presided. The invocation, Scripture reading
and prayer were given by Rev. ID. r. Mac
Gregor, Rev. Charles l.. Berry and Rev.
G. III. Mcdowell, respectively.
Mr.. Cravens made few Introductory
remarks and then presented Rev. II. c.
Woods, ID. D., OF Colorado Springs, who
is general superintendent of the Rocky
mountain division. On the wall was map
of the United States and Mexico and Mr..
Woods pointed out his field, which takes
the line just west of the Mississippi river
and extends to the Pacific. The society was
organized in 1892 to prosecute missionary
work 1t had limited resources, but exer-
cised wisdom. Twenty years before the
railroad went to the West. the society was
there. Then came the civil war, by which
the negroes were set free with only their
hands to work with. and the society started
an educational work. There are now thirty
schools and over ssO00.OO0 has been ex-
thousand pupils. More than fifty thousand
young men and women have gone out of
the schools. To the minds Of the leaders
came the necessity for buildings in which
to ho1 services and the church edihce
branch OF the work was undertaken. There
are now 1,500 churches, and 100 of these
are In the West. Most denominations have
three societies for these three branches.
but the Baptist has them all I'm one. AS
early as 1895 work among the different
tionalities began Now there are twenty
thousand Germans. as many Scandinavians
and not few French enrolled. The work
extends over all the States and Territories.
Alaska and six States OF Mexico over &c.,
100000 has been expended.
There are grsat problems before the So
ciety. There are more persons unreached
by the gospel than ever before. Mr. Woods
asked the question "a to whether the so
territory over which he has control there
In "A population OF over four million and
vast mineral wealth; There VIII come a
poulated as Indiana and 10 In OF vast Inn
portanee that the millions be evangelical
and religious institutions be planted ainons
them. among the six Protestant denomina-
lions there are 3,02s churches and a member
ship OF iss.tes. In 1900 the Baptists had 3ji
500 churches and 40.605 members. Mr.. Woods
said that the most OF the mines and other
sources or wealth !. We're owned by Eastern
taken out from these mines could be given
to tho society tho work could be- doubled.
One cause Of slownesa Of the mission work
Of the emigrnnts who come to THE coun-
try 20 TO the West and thus the missionaries
OF the West encounter pasanism aH mo-
where else I'm the land
In 1919. on account OF the panic. some OF
the churches had 10 be abandoned, The
Presby terians went out and bought the
churches. and Mr.. Woods said Presbyterian
missionary had told him they were simply
building, on the foundations laid by the Bap-
fists. He spoke OF the Mormons. who ARE
a strange people and have "A strange faith"
The Baptists are the only ones who have
had access to them. He told OF one belief OF
the Mormons. which is TO the effect that
person may be baptized vicariously for the
dead. one woman was baptized two hundred
times. and one man was baptized for every
President OF the United states and saved all
but two, and one OF these was the man who
turned gun on the bee hive"
The Chinese at our doors need more than
the Chinese in China" said Mr.. Woods. He
told OF Rev. G.. B. Allen. formerly OF this
city, who has church In Montana, I'm which
gregation.
Following the address was a discussion.
Rev. y. =. Rairden, OF Omaha, spoke first.
the West In danger OF extinction on account
OF money stringency, three years OF drought
ana the l need Of the people for help 10 tide
Morehouse spoke OF the value OF the church
edifce branch OF the work and OF the gift
fund, established in 1881. to which 100000
have been given. Churches have been erect
ed to the value OF more than s., 600 OOO He
recounted the story OF mission work in Ok
lahoma twenty-five days after the country
was opened and while there was not a single
place In the town in which to hold meeting.
Dr. Dobbs. who was a missionary I'm Okla
homa. had church OF six.y-six members.
representing twenty-five States and nations
He emphasized the need OF Baptist home
mission work Rev. Dwight Spencer said
that the reports of the work done ought to
be stimulus. He once attended services at
the great Mormon temple and heard the ell
der say that his people would not obey the
laws OF the United States because they in
terfe-ed with the Mormon laws. The credit
OF the great change which has been wrought
he gives the work or the missionaries
The last speaker was Rev. Mr.. Thomas, OF
Vincennes. He expressed the thought that
enthusiasm for work awakened by the
speeches heard. The meeting then adjourned
till the evening session
4 Lecture ON the Negro.
Last night the convention listened to an