The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-11
SEVENTEEN ANNUAL MEETING CON-
VENES IN RALEIGH
A REPRESENTATIVE GATHERING
OF This Denomination I'm North Caro-
lina-Great Increase in This Church
Since the Last Convention-The Con-
yention sermon by DIR. w. NJ. Vines.
All Old Officers Reelected Pro-
gramme Of Work submitted by
Committee on Order OF Business.
Especial to the Messenger.)

Raleigh, ". c., December 5.-The sew
entieth annual Baptist state convention
met tonight at 7:3O o'clock in the au-
dience room Of the First Baptist
church. 1t is a great gathering. fully
worthy Of the great denomination it
represents, which now musterS in
North Carolina 167. 900 communicates. a
gain OF 1000 over last year.
Over 700 delegates were in their seats,
by far the largest attendance in the
history Of the convention.
Rev. DR.. r. II. Marsh, OF Oxford,
called thu convention to order After
opening, the convention sermon was
preached by Rev. DR.. W. VI. Vines, of
Asheville. His text was THE Great
Commission" Go ye TO All the World
and Preach the Gospel to Every Crea-
ture." His theme, The Gospel for the
Twentieth Century" The essential
thought was that the Did gospel is the
gospel for the twentieth century, the
gospel for the age of doubt and unbe-
lief, Of sin.
After the sermon the convention was
organized by the reelection of the old
officers-Dr. Marsh, president; N. b.
BrOughtOn, secretary; Rev. Hight G..
Moore, assistant secretary; vice preSi-
dents, G. s. Vann, of Edenton; w. N.
Jones, Of Raleigh; T. NJ. Honeycutt, of
Sparta, and A. Z. Covington. of Wades-
bOrO; treasurer, Walter Durham, of Ra-
leigh; assistant treasurer J.. NJ. Stoner,
of Asheville; Trustees, w. c. Tyree, of
Durham; G. NJ. Cooke. of L%ouisburg;
Livingston Johnston, of Greensboro; T.
h. Briggs, Of Raleigh; L. r. Mills, of
Wake Forest.
The address of welcome was by Rev.
DR.. A. A. Marshall. of the church in
which the meetings were held. 1t was
hearty n in admirable spirit and
taste.
Response on the part of the nven
ton was by Rev. A. E. Brown, of
Asheville, and was well worthy of him
in language n sentiments.
Cary ]. Hunter. on behalf of commit
tee on order of business, submitted a.
report, which was really a summary OF
the work to be done during the sessions
of the convention and this was adopt
ed.
In brief, the special objects claiming
attention will be the cause of foreign
missions, to be presented by Rev. DR..
r.. CT. Seymour, Of Philadelphia; work
of h Sunday school board of Nash
willie, to be presented by Rev. DR.. j. NJ.
Frost, of Asheville; interest of the
home mission boar@, by Rev. Dr.. F. H.
KerfOOt, of Atlanta; interest of south
ern Baptist theological seminary, by
one of the faculty. In addition to these
interests, the claims of Wake Forest
college and the Baptist female univer-
sity will be strongly presented by lead
ers in the denomination.
Great interest is felt in the. election
of a successor to Rev. John z. White
as assistant mission secretary. Among
the candidates chiefly mentioned are J..
W. Bailey, ]. F. Love. Livingston
Johnston and J.. Thompson.
Rev. j. n. Prestridge. of Louisville,
is present in the interest of The Bap-
fist Argus, also Rev. DR.. Harvey
Hatcher. of Atlanta, representing the
American Baptist Publication Society,
and Rev. DR.. r. H. Pitt, editor of The
Religious Herald. of Richmond.