The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-16
BAPTIST CONVENTION
HOLDS A MOST INTERESTING SeS-
SION IN CHARLESTON.


A Largo Gatheripg-A Generous Welcome
and BouutIful Hospitality Gratifying
PROGRESS In DenominationaI Work In the
State During the Year.
The following proceeding Of the
Baptist State Convention. which was
recently held in the city OF Charles
ton, we Gull from the Greenvllle
Mountaineer:
: The session of the Convention began
on Wednesday night with the preach
ing of the Introductory sermon by
Rev. &. S. Gardner. After the SER
mon delegates were enrolled and the
organization completed by the cleo
tion of Hon. J. Fl. Hudson, OF Ben
nettsville, as president. vice Rev. T..
w. Sanders, who declined election
Rev. G.. T. Gresham was reelected
secretary, with Rev. G P. Erwin, as
assistant.
Thursday mornings session was
opened with addresses of welcome to
the body by Dr.. D NJ. Ramsey, on
behalf of the Baptists of the city, and
Mayor J. A. Smyth, on behalf OF the
city. At the cali of the president DIR.
G. Manly made response to these ad-
dresses. Invitations to the body to
visit the Charleston Museum, the
office of the News and Courier and to
90 upon an excursion around the har
Dor on Saturday afternoon were ten
defed and accepted.
The body now settled down to bust
ness, and the leading interest OF the
denomination, the State Mission Board
presented through DR.. T. NJ. Bailey It's
annual report. The report OF the
treasurer showed that $9,924 a had
been received and $11 147.73 expend..
ed during the year, and that the Board
wasstill burdened with debt OF So, 500.
Rev. J. L. Vass, as superintendent.
presented the fifth annual report OF
the Connie Maxwell Orphanage show
ing among other things that there
were now one hundred d children in that
institution, and that about S., 900 had
been received, in cash and donations,
for their maintenance. This report
was referred to special committee.
In connection with this work came
the report of the president OF the board
of trustees, declining to recommend
the present superintendent for re.
election, and requesting that this mat
ter and the revision Of the rules Tor
management of the Orphanage be re-:
: ferred to special committees, one OF
which committees was nominated.
The report elected an animated dis
cussion, after which the whole matter
was referred to a special committee,
composed OF one member from each
association.
A pleasant talk followed in the in
terests of the American Baptist Pub
lication Society by DR.. r. G. Seymour,
its representative, in which he spoke
of the Soclety's new buildings, the
publishing work done by it, its Gospel
car work by Rev. A. j. Diaz, and its
general missionary work in distribut-
ing literature. A very suggestive
statement as to the great work to be
done was made to the effect that there
were in our country 100000 of
young people and children who were
outside Of church or religious influ'
ences.
The report on the Relief Fund for
aged ministers showed that the inter
est in that work was growing, and
that twenty two benefciaries were
now being aided by that board. The
report of the board of ministerial edu-
cation showed that twenty-four stu
dents had received aid. Heretofore
this board has been providing for the
support of students for the ministry at
both the Seminary at Louisville and
the Furman u University. But it was
decided to so change matters as to
commit to this board the care of the
University students only, and give to
the representatives of the Seminary
the opportunity to solicit direct con.
tributions for its Students Fund on
the floor of the Convention. A very
gratifying result of this change Of
method was seen when, at q later
stage Of the proceedings, DR.. Kerfoot,
of the Seminary. presented its claims
and received pledges for its Students
Fund, amounting to somewhat more
than 81, 900.
The session of Thursday night was
devoted to the interest Of the Sunday
School and of the Foreign Mission
work. The report of the committee
on the first subject was presented by
its chairman. Rev. o. L. Martin, and
was followed by presentation of the
claims of the Sunday School Board of
the Southern Baptist Convention, at
Nashville, by DR.. JIM. Frost, its sec.
Rev. G. P. Erwin, of Bambsrg,
whom by the grace of the board of
trustees of Furman Uni 7ersity we
must henceforth address as D. D., pre-
sented the report of the committee on
Foreign Missions. The gifts of South
Carolina Baptists to this cause were
pointed out as being about one-third
only of what had been hoped for from
them. Rev. n. R. Moseley spoke on
the subject, and was followed by Rev.
r. j. Willingham. D. D., secretary of
Foreign Mission Board of the South
ern Baptist Convention. In connec,
tion with the subject the report of the
central committee of the Woman S
Mission Society was presented and dis.
cussed. The body by rising vote
adopted q resolution to try to raise
$4,000 during the convention year to
carry on the foreign mission work and
to pay off the debt of the board. Be.
fore the vote could be announced one
of the delegates began to sing, DRAW
ma naarar hlasse2 ord y in which he