The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-31
THE BAPTIST CHURCH.
What it Has Done to Spread the
Gospel.

The Baptist church machinery has been
likened to the OK yoke--wllich exceed
ingly simple in form and lacking beauti-
full organization is nevertheless unexcell-
ed in drawing power and economy. That
the Baptists in North Carolina are to be
reckoned with as prominent factors in the
religious, educational and political devel-
opment of the State is generally and
readily recognized.
To omit from the reckoning the part
they have played and the contribution
they have made to the common welfare
and honor Of the commonwealth is to
nlss-ont of our history more than 1T
becomes the writer TO claim. In war
they have always been at the front
dying for civil liberty. George Wash
ington during the Revolution politically
proclaimed the Baptists by name in the
following words: You have been
throughout America uniformly the per-
severing promoters of the glorious ReYol-
ution." In peace they have been cham-
pions of religious liberty-good citizens,
and the most numerous body of workers
in the construction of the State, political
~ and, industrially. Ii is impossible for
one to appreciate the Baptist spirit
sometimes denominated "clanniShness''
unless one knows what Bapists have sur
fered. The charge of bigotry and preiu-
dice is sometimes still made against them
by some who do not know their history in
North Carolina and through what pains
and labor they have come to secure for
themselves and others the mchallenged
right to think and speak their conscience
To Baptists the present day is the best
day of history because this liberty is the
heritage of all.
The outlook before the Baptists in
North Carolina at the present time is
from the mountain top of fifty years
of very remarkable achievement.
In 1910 there were 272 churches with
$4,000 members The Baptists had no
schools except a struggling manual labor
institute at Wake Forest. The spirit of
cooperative missionary work was new
The total amount contributed by all to
missions was less than $4,000. There
were only four missionaries at work in
State missions. No Foreign missionary
had been sent out. The idea of an ed
ucated ministry was unpopular. The
Biblical Recorder had just been estab-
lished and its circulation was limited and
difficult. The odds socially and other
wise were against the people called Bap-
fists.
During the half century all this has
beeu changed. There are now in North
Carolina 1900 white Baptist churches
with membership of 10000. In
schools the IBaptists are at the front with
Wake Forest College and its endowment
equal to 100000 in par funds, and its
-
The Baptist Female University with its
$50, 600 plant and it's enrolment of nearly
200 young women and 40 academies and
high schools under Baptist control. Fifty
six district associations are in co-opera-
ton in the Baptist State convention III
missions work, education and orphanage.
From Baptist churches IN North Carolina
since that date have gone 81 missionaries
to the heather. The Baptist ministry
ranks with other denominations in the
number and quality of educated preach
ers. The Biblical Recorder with nearly
1000 subscribers read by not less than
10000 people every week is perhaps the
foremost religious journal in the State
with respect to circulation and influence.
And socially and otherwise the odds are
no longer against the BaptiSts.
lHe outlook may also DE taken from
the mountain peak of the most prosper
Gus years work Baptists in North Caro-.
lima have known Last year they MAIN
tanned in what is denominated State mis-
sion work one hundred missionaries who
during the year supplied three hundred
and seventy four stations on mission
fields in the State preaching 7,02S SER
mons, visiting 1920 families and per
sons religiously, baptizing 1880 persons
into mission churches, organizing 81 new
Sunday Schools and collecting on their
fields for all purposes $44, 1850. For