The morning news., 1899-05-21
MILLION AND A HALF BAPTISTS.
EIGHTY THONSAND INCREASE IN
THE SOUTH LAST YEAR.

The Membership of the COlored Bap-
tist Church as Many More-Snvan-
nah Pastors Return From the
Louisville COnVention-Rev. Drs
Jordan and Chapman VIII Review
the. Conventions work To-day
Services in other Churches-Rev
&. II. Strong to Preach on the
City'S Charities.
Az the First Baptist Church this morn
ing Rev. John D. Jordan will tell his
congregation of the work of The Southern
Baptist Convention at Louisville, Ky.
which he recently attended. DR.. Jordan
returned yesterday morning, having stop
ped over in Atlanta on his way. back. The
Savannah party scattered at Louisville,
and several of the members have not yet
returned
The convention was one Of the most
successful that We have ever held" said
DR.. Jordan. THE reports from all lines
of the work were very satisfactory, in
deed. The year has been most prosper
Gus one with the Baptists of the South,
and they have every reason 10 feel CRATE
ful over $1,000 baptisms Of white persons
were reported. The reports of the mission
boards were the best we have ever re-
ceived from these boards. The statistical
report shows that the Southern Baptists
now have 1883 churches and 15S6, 100
members. These arc all white. There are
about as many colored Baptists as white
in the South"
AS has already been announced In the
Morning News dispatches, ex-Gov. Nor
then of Georgia was unanimously elect
ed president Of the convention. This re-
suit was forecasted by Mr.. Jordan in an
interview published in the Morning News
on the day of his departure for the con-
vention. The Texas people were desirous
of presenting the name of DR.. Gambrill
and several other prominent men among
the Southern Baptsts were mentioned, but
all were withdrawn in favor of Gov. Nor
then Dr. Cambria, who was elected vice
president, was formerly president of Mer-
Ger University.
The Whitsett controversy which has
troubled the church for the last several
years, was settled by accepting the res,g-
nation Of Dr. Whitsett as president of the
Theological Seminary, and electing DR.. j.
r. Greene, of Mississippi to the position
Many of the trustees favored the election
of Dr. F. II. Kerfoot, but he magnani-
mously declined TO enter the contest
The convention was largely attended,
there being S69 delegates in attendance. be-
Sides about 2,000 visitors. The sessions
were held in the splendid auditorium of
the Warren Memorial Church
Special attention was given to the sub
ject of MISSIONS" said Dr. Jordan The
reports from the mission boards were very
satisfactory indeed both as TO the amount
of funds raised and the work
accomplished in the field The
mission work in Cuba received a
large share of attention, and it was de-
cided to push the work there as fast as
the men and the means will allow. All re-
ports show Cuba TO be the ripest mission
field we have ever had opened to us. In
the division of the island between the
Southern and The Northern Baptists the
western half with the city of Havana was
allotted to the Southern Baptsts the work
being under the direction of the home
board"
AS has already been announced, the con-
vention decided to observe the year 1900 as
a centennial year, and to conduct a spe-
clal campaign in behalf of missions, edu-
cation and Baptist doctrines.
Other members of the Savannah party
VINO have returned from attending the
convention are Rev. j. d. Chapman, pas
Spi vi NIiS i}GiAS RstiVNf DapliSt GuurCn,
Mr. and Mrs. W. f. McCauley and Miss
Maria Sanneman.
The subject Of Paster j. d. Chapman's
morning sermon at the Duffy Street
Church viii be the Southern Baptist Con-
vention," which was perhaps the greatest
session in the history of the convention.
Faster Chapman win meet his congrega-
tion morning and evening, and his sun
day school class in the afternoon.