The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-12
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION.
DR.. BLACKWELL TALKS INTERESTING
LY OF SESSION AT ASHEVILLE.
|'Education the Keynote -Four new
Collegiate Institutes Established
Great state and Home Mission Work
ofthe Conventfon-Bfg improvements
for Female University and the Dr.
phanage-''Echoes oftheConysntion''
To-day.

Rev. Calvin S. Blackwell, e. D., pas
tor of the First Baptist church, and
Rev. r. H. Herring, of the South Side
Baptist church, returned yesterday ey-
ening from Asheville, where during the
past week they have been in attend
ance upon the North Carolina Bap-
fist convention.
In conversation with a m of
the Messenger staff last night DR..
closed was one of the most notable
ever held by North Carolina Baptists.
The work of the convention was closed
yesterday when they adjourned to old
their next session in Raleigh. DR..
Blackwe1Is subject at the First Bap-
fist church this morning will be
"Echos From the Convention" He will
review briefly the most notable fea-
lures of the session.
EDUCATION THE KEY NOTE.
To a Messenger representative he
said last night that education was the
key note of the convention and that
the coming year will be distinguished
for especial activity in this direction
by the Baptist denomination as a re-
suit Of movements either inaugurated
or given fresh impetus during the con-
VentiOn.
The Baptists have determined, for in
stance, to establish additional collegi-
ate schools in various sections OF
western North Carolina, n at Fruit
land, neal Hendersonville; another at
Bakersville, Mitchell county. Still an
other at Sylvia, Jackson county and
the fouth in Cherokee county. Very
recently a school with $50 students
was established at Mars Hill. OF
course these schools are, as it were,
stepping stones to Wake Forest college
and the Baptist Female university,
both of which are in a most fourishing
condition.
1t was determined during the con-
vention to make material additions to
the Female University at Raleigh be-
fore the opening of the next school
year, the institution being already
overrun with 200 young women.
The convention also provided $4,000
for the erection of industrial shops at
the Thomasville Orphanage in memory
of the late J. H. Mills, the founder of
~orphanage work in this state.
THE HOME MISSIONS WORK.
The missionary work carried on I'M
der the direction of the convention is
especially noticeable. In the regular
state missions department $40, 900 was
raised during last year., a gain of $4,000
over the year previous. For home mis-
sions S., 900, an increase of 81 LOO over
last year.
AS a result of the expenditure OF
these monies raised 374 churches and
stations in this state which could not
otherwise have regular preaching SER
vices are supplied with missionaries
These missionaries alone baptized dur
ing the convention year just CLOSED
1860 people. There are 104 missiona-
ries employed in the state.
For the foreign mission work the
convention contributed last year $4,000
a gain of 50, 300 over last year and IN
addition to this amOunt the Woman's
Missions Society raised SIS, ZOO, a galr
Of 81, 700 over last year This was also
donated to the work in foreign fields
Then, too, the Woman's Missions So
ciety makes an annual Christmas Of
fering which ~accumulates an extra
fund sufficient to support Miss Brit
ton, the present yates MemoriaI' mis-
sionary in China.
During the past year there were 81
new woman's missions societies or.
ganized.
Messenger readers will remember
that early in the progress of the con.
vention DIR. Blackwell delivered an ad'
dress on the Baptist Young Peoples
Union work.
There was a general reorganization
vi IllC WIN NllNIA IN SA
convention, regular state officers being
elected for the B. Y. P. u. department
Editor J. w. Bailey, of The Biblica
Recorder, was chosen president; Mr.. j
Fred Watson, a travelling salesman
also from Raleigh, corresponding sec
rotary; and Mr.. Walter Durham, O.
Raleigh, treasurer.
SOME INTERESTING NOTES.
There are 215,O00 white Baptists
about 1000 churches and $50 pastors il
the state.
Three problems which the convention
is especially dealing with are THE re
ligious and educational development o
the remote regions of western Nortl
Carolina "Cultivating the spiritua
life Of the operatives of the more thai
$50 cotton. factories in the state" ant
work in the destitute regions of cas-
Carolina" where as it has been aptl.
expressed isms and cisms prevail t
a large and increased degree.