The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-12-12
Communicated
INTERESTING LETTER FROM REV
ANDREW BRoADDUs, OF
CAROLINE
He Discusses the Movement For New
Bapust Association
OlIlnlllnlcatet


sparta Va. Dee .. 1901.
To THE FREE LANCE:
knowing that Tn FEn Lance Is
widely read in the territory that would
be- embraced in the new association. 1t
formed. ask permission through IT.
columns to submit a few facts for the
consideration Of the churches
] First let us take a look at the Go
shen. the Dover and the Rappahannock
az now constituted They
comprise respectively tiity.two. sixty-si
and seventy churches. and the territory
within their borders is vast 1t must b"
npuarcnt To those who will impartinlly
consider these facts that II il utterly i'm
practicable for the churches any where
near the borders 10 be represented regu-
larly in the meetings Of these assocla
tions We may say what we please
about our duty to our churches and the
higher obligation Ot this duty, the day
is past when our people are going to
leave their homes and travel sometimes
a hundred and fifty or two hundred
miles across country to attend the meet
ings of the associations They are not
going to do il. and don't blame them.
DO the facts bear me out in this asrer-
ton let M look for example AT the r.
cord of the meetings of the Rappahan-
mock For the past eight years there
have been on anayerage twenty churches
unrepresented by delegate at every meet
ing of the body How much influence
can the association have on the life OF
these twenty churches? And what shall
we say Of the influence OF the churches IN
these large associations on one another
II isalmost nothing Why the churches IN
Caroline are utterly ignorant OF the con
dition and membership OF the churches III
Gloucester And the same may be said
of the churches in Orange and those IN
Hanover. Now what are our district
organized for2 II seems To
me that the prime object is to develop
the churches within their borders in mis-
sionary spirit. Christian beneicence, or
derly life and large-hearted fellowship. |
How is this to be done unless the asso-
Citations keep in living touch with the
churches, and how can this bedone when !
so many churches are unrepresented in the |
meetings by delegates and when these
meetings so seldom come within the |
reach Of the membership Of the churches
,. I'm the second place let me say some
thing about the new assOsiation.. IL would |
be composed of twenty-five churches
most of them active. influential organi- !
zations and all of them seli-supporting, |
not a dollar being drawn from our mis-
sion boards to help them do their work.
The contributions Of these churches to |
benevoence will average larger than
in any association in the state,
with the possible exception of two
Others. 1t will occupy a territory |
so compact and so moderate in size that |
every church, with comparative ease,
can he represented at every meeting OF
the body, and there is no church within
its bounds whose congregation would
not come in contact with the meetings
at least once in three years Should the
association be formed it would he one OF !
the very best in the State.
3. And now in the third place, what OF
the Dover, the Rappahannock and the
Goshen associations after the withdrawal
of the churches. necessary to the fOrma-
tion of the new body? Surely no one can
think for a moment that the with
drawal OF four churches from the
Dover would in the slightest degree
weaken that historic body with its
sixty-six churches and fourteen thou
sand members. Nor indeed would the
Rapphannock feel the loss OF the ten
churches. for she would still have sixty |
left. She was organized with about
thirty five churches; surely she ought to
feel quite independent with sixty. But
what of the Goshen? 1t is true she would
losc some of her most influential churches,
but she would have left forty one churches,
many of which are active, vigorous
bodies. Are we TO believe that the life
and prosperity ofthe Goshen Association
are dependent on the eleven churches
or on any two or three Of
them? Are we to believe that such men
as the Deckers. Winston. Haley, Quarles,
Ryland. Davis. McCOmb and scores Ol
Others are incompetent TO conduct the
work within their territory? Surely not.
The truth is that the Goshen Association,
bv concentrating it's work on fewer
churches, would be able to do more for
their development and activity than it
does now.
One OF the best pastors in the associa-
ton recently complained to me that il
the new association were formed it would
draw off much OF their financial strength.
In reply said Brother d., don't you
think the churches remaining would give
as much as they do now" "Why, yes"
said he more than they do now
"Well," said |, you have answered your
own complaint !
What is the history in reference to this