The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-13


for the Sunday schools a childrens day
programme, embodying an illustration of
Sunday school teaching, and such essen
tial lessons as are now greatly neglected.
WORK FOR THE YEAR.
We employed one General Superinten-
dent, one Bible woman and sixteen COL
porters. Days OF service. 400; miles
travelled, 4l.O02; families visited. 1i,6S6;
families prayed with or conversed with
on the subject OF religion. 6,2Os; persons
habitually neglecting preaching. l,s6s:
families destitute OF the Bible, Sl; fami-
lies destitute OF all religious books except
the Bible. 1921; sermons preached, BIZ;
addresses. 400: Sunday school addresses,
2iO; prayer meetings held. 32S; Sunday
schools organized, "a: Sunday school con-
ventions. Z; baptisms. q; other CONVEX
slons. s.: one church organized.
Sales: 1546 Bibles. sl,3lt66; 3ll5 Tesla
ments. si6s. 20; 1856 books. sl.60l.4; 1882
pages tracts and periodicals, $l,69l.o9; total
s5.075.29
donations: Sss Bibles. s15.75; 75S Tesla
ments. So. 80; COS books. sll6.57 59,Sio pages
tracts. $50 q: total, s29O7s. Total Of sales
and donations, s5.s66.e5.
The delegates visited RivermOnt CoAege
late this afternoon.
STATE MISSIONS.
Mr.. William Ellyson. secretary OF inc
state Mission Board, read his annual re-
port tonight
With THIS report your board closes
three-ouarters OF n century Of work. AND
n Is with profound gratitude TO God
that we contemplate His signal faVors
which have been vouchsafed 10 US IN
all OF these years of evangelical enoTt.
n has not been BY might nor by power
but by his spirit that we have been en-
abIed to accomplish such g0lrlous re-
suits. II materials were available IL
would be interesting and inspiring 10 give
a synopsis of the evangelical work zone
BIZ this agency OF our denomination our
ing this period, but unfortunately our
records were destroyed In 1860, so tnat
prior 20 that time only scant data Is oo-
tainable for such a review. The subject
Is one rich in facts and figures ana
prolific OF results and influences.
In 1923 we were few in numbers, weak
In social and moral power. and lacking
i'm a strong and numerous ministry. Tnen
our membership was some twenty thou-
sand, now we number about one hundred
and twenty thousand. Not only have we
auCented our numbers. but in culture,
moral influences and Christian activity,
have we developed in a more marked de-
gree. A lively interest in missions, edu-
cational and benevolent work IS mani
Tested in most OF our churches. II has
been we'll said that the State Mission
Board "anIgonlzed no other board.
but cooperafed with and gave efficiency
to all others. Its missionaries were as
active and efficient in support of Foreign
Missions, Home Missions. educational.
Sunday-schools. and every other interest
OF combined effort as they were Of their
own. A beautiful harmony pervaded
the whole work"
FOUNDATION WORK.
In these years we have largely laid the
foundation for our UNCONVENTIONAL work
in what is now West Virginia, and the
earnest and aggressive spirit which ami
mates the 1000 Baptists I'm that State
to-day speaks well for the wise and eff
fective work done in that part of old
Virginia by your State Mission Board.
In your own State nearly three-fourths
Of the churches have either been orga-
nized. or fostered in the years OF their
weakness. by this agency. A large ma
jority OF the churches OF the Shenandoah,
Augusta, Valley. Blue Ridge, Lebanon
New Lebanon, Clinch Valley, New River
and Powelrs River Associations have
become debtors 20 State Missions. And
east OF the Blue Ridge in East, Middle
and Piedmont Virginia hundreds ot
churches have been planted and devel-
ooed by the missionaries of your board.
While your board has always had a ma
jority OF it's missionaries in the rural sec
lions, we have not neglected the cities
and towns OF our State In the Kappa
hammock. AccOmac Concord. Appomattox,
Shiloh and Goshen Associations, which
consists almost exclusively of country
churches. We have had most successful
work. While IN Richmond. Norfolk,
P'rtsmouth. Roanoke, Petersburg, DAN
vile. Bristol Suffolk Newport News,
Hampton. Martinsburg, Waynesboro,
Lexington. COvingtOn, Clifton Forge.
Winchester, Blueheld and many other
towns, we have organized or sustained
churches, which have become self-sus-
tanning and are among the most effec-
tive and liberal churches connected with
our General Association.
VISIBLE RESULTS.
In the past thirty years our misslona-
ries have baptized twenty-five thousand
two hundred and sixty-elght converts
into the fellowship OF their mission
churches: and have aided pastors In
other meetings in which forty-three
thousand seven hundred and eighty-fvo
persons professed faith In Christ; and
have organized two hundred and twenty
conception OF the visible results OF our
work. But as grand and glorious as they
are. they do not adequately indicate the
power and the far-reaching influence Of
the work. Who can measure the effects
upon the lives OF our fellow citizens OF
the tens Of thousand Of visits for relig-
ious conversation and prayer by these
servants OF God. What wonderful deyel-
opment in the betterment OF church
homes In these thirty years, by the efforts
of our missionaries. who built one hun
dred and eighty-seYen on their fields OF
labor.
Who can estimate how much Of the mis-
sion spirit that is in our churches to-day
Is due 20 these servants OF the Most
High. Surely these tokens OF the divine
favor upon our work is cause for devout
gratitude TO our God and should call for
enlarged interest In and contributions
to this evangelical agency Of our denomi-
nation.
THE PAST YEAR.
For the past year we have had seventy
nine missionaries under appointment, who
report that they occupied 226 stations;
preached 1926 sermons: baptized 1863 con-
verts; aided pastors in meetings in which
1459 persons professed faith in Christ;
paid 1851 visits for religious CONVERSE
ton and prayer. organized Is Sunday
schools, seven churches; were building
eleven houses OF worship and completed
four. In the building and improvement
OF churches and parsonages they had
collected SeS0.45 and ali this was raised
on their own fields except s2os.6o.
The new churches organized were as
follows:
BY Rev. J. G.. Council, Delray. Alex
andria county; by Rev. j. f. Fletcher,
Gold Hill, Grayson county; by Rev. j. s.
Poteat, Ninevah: by Rev. w. b. Loving,
Orisksry. Bottetourt county; by Rev. w.