The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-01-02
THE BAPTIST CHURCH.
What it Has Done to Spread the
Gospel.

iistt - L y AsiI 'N't
likened 10 the On yoke-wlrich exceed
ingly simple liz form and lacking bcauti-
full organization is nevertheless uneNccll-
ed III drawing power and economy. That
the BaptistS in North Carolina are 10 be,
reckoned with a prominent factors III the
religious, educational and political devel-
opmcnt of the State is generally and
readily recognized.
To omit from the reckoning the part
they have played and the contribution
they have made 10 the commons welfare
and honor Of the commonwealth is to
nliss-out Of our history more than il
becomes the writer TO claim. In war
they have always been at the front
dying for civil liberty. George Wash
ington during the Revolution publically
proclaimed the BaptiStS by name in the
following words: You have been
throughout America uniformly the per
sevcring promoters Of tho glorious Revol-
ution." In peace they have been cham
pions Of religious libcrty-good citizens,
md the most numerous body Of workers
in the construction Of the State. POLITICAL
" and industrially. IT is impossible for
one to appreciate the Baptist spirit
sometimes denominat"d "clannishnesS'
unless one knows what Raptists have sur
fered. The charge of bigotry and prcju-
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 unchallenged
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 1T the present time is
from the mountain top of fifty years
Of very remarkable achievement.
In 1910 there were 272 churches with
5000 members. The Baptists had no
schools except Il struggling manual labor
institute at Wake Forest. The spirit Of
cooperative missionary work was new.
The total mount contributed by all to
missions was less than $4,000. There
we're only four missionaries at work in
State missions. No Foreign missionary
had beer 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-
lists.
During the half century all this has
been changed. There are now in North
Carolina 1000 white Baptist churches
with a membership Of 10000. In
schools the Baptists are at the front with
Wake Forest College and its endowment
equal to 100000 i'll par funds, and its
enrolment Of students approaching 300.
The Baptist Female University with its
Sf5. 900 plant and its enrolment of nearly
200 young women and 40 academies and
high schools under Baptist control. Fifty
civ ri Ct riot occncjafJnnN .110 in rn-DnpJ9-
ton in the Baptist State convention in
Mission work. education and orphanagc.
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 III the State
with respect to circulation and influence.
And socially and otherwise the odds are
no longer against the BaptlSts.
The outlook may also be 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 1eno1ninated State mis-
sion work one hundred missionaries who
during the year supplied three hundred
and seventy four stations OF mission
fields in the State preaching 1,02S SER
mons. visiting 1920 families and per
sons religiously. baptizing 1,63O persons
into mission churches. organizing 81 new
Sunday Schools and collecting on their
fields for all purposes S44.99S.o For
the support Of these missionaries the
Baptists contributed S2G.0149S. an in
crease over any previous year Of $4,000.
For Home missions. By which is meant
missions in Cuba. Oh the frontier among
negroes and Indians, and in our large
Southern cities they contributed during
the year just ended So.31O.t2 in cash and
5000 in boxes Of clothing. &c, sent
frontier missionaries. This was an in
crease in cash contributions for this
cause Of S1.442.10. For Foreign mis-
sionS they contributed S1o.f40.34 for the
support Of Foreign missionaries under
the direction Of the Board Of the South
ern Baptist convention and $1,000 for the
| support Of Foreign missionaries sent out
under the Independent. Crawford plan.