The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-05-14

l. mas been layman.
10 SO far as known at present there
Ie no matter to come up at Ashevill
E. which will be sensational or exciting
D. unless it be that of Diaz, the Cuba
}, missiona y, and his relations with tn
g. Home Board. Yet many items Of in
g terest besides the regular routine vii
d be considered. For several years th
Il question of the organization of ne,
> board TO carry out the work of the con
# vention has been discussed. The pro
g ject was virtually killed last year a
d New Orleans by reference to com
Q ndttee. 1t Is not probable that the re
l port of this committee this year will
8 preclpitate a battle royal, yet sur
Y prises are always in order. This com
Y mittee consists of j. B. Gambrell, A
: j. Barton, II. II. Eaton, w. Il. Hatch
! er, George Hillyer. Last year com
4 mite of five was appointed-viz j
, l.. Cross, w. w. Landrum, @. S. Gard
ner, Il. w. Boatwright, Carter Helm
Jones-to arrange series of specla
, addresses to be delivered at this session
on subjects of doctrine, devotion and
duty. This scheme, if carried out
: will be new feature in the session OF
, the convention.
The main work of the convention is
the consideration of the reports of the
three boards of the convention and of
the Theological Seminary. These
three boards are the Foreign Mission
Board, the Home Mission Board, and
the Sunday School Board. Last year
the Baplists of the South were asked
to raise 5000, 900 for foreign missions.
1t remains to be seen whether this
mark has been reached.
In connection with the Southern
Baptist Convention several other
meetings are held. The Woman's
Missionary union, which is auxiliary
TO the convention, meets at the same
time as the convention. The union
has it's president and other officers and
a given number of delegates from each
State, all being women. No men are
admitted to the sessions of the union
except those invited to make addresses.
The Young Peoples Union is another
auxiliary body, which met at Ashe-
vile one day ahead of the convention
proper. Rev. l.. o. Dawson, ID. d.,
is the president of this union. The
American Baptist Education Society
meets one year in conjunction with
the Southern Baptist Convention and
the next year with the Northern Bap-
tist Anniversaries. This year the So
ciety holds It's session at Asheville. IL
is through this society that most of
Mr.. John ID. Rockefeller's splendid
gifts TO the cause of education, as car.
ried on by Baptists, are made. This
is true of his great gift few years ago
of over million dollars, which set the
University of Chicago on it's feet.
Almost every Baptist College in the
South has been helped by Mr.. Rookie
feIler through this society; naturally
the society is at home n the South.
The constituency of the Southern
Baptist Convention il large one.
There are in the South 752 district as
sociations and 10, ,559 churches, with a
membership of 1867 1896. These are
the figures for last year for the white
Baptists. The colored l}aptists of
the South are estimated to number / =
593 JOG. The colored people have
their own missionary organizations;
which, while on friendly and frate nal
terms with the Southern Baptist Con-
ventiOn, have no official connection
with it. OF all the Southern States,
Georgia has the largest number of
white Baptists, the figures being 190,-
$40; Texas is close upon Georgia's
heels, having 190,098, and Kentucky,
with 1877 ,2l3, is not far behind.
FIRST DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
The convention was called to order
on Friday morning, May 9th, by Pre-
sident w. j. Northern, of Georgia,
and the audience sang How firm
foundation with grand effect.
The venerable DIR. Il. S. Dunaway,
of Virginia, read the Gid chapter of
Isaiah and made the opening prayer.
Then came the hymn, "Come thou
fount of every blessing"
President Northern said: "I do not
know that the Southern Baptist con-
ventlon has ever been better provided
for in all its history than in Asheville,
and we are indebted to our brethren
in Asheville for this spacious and
beautiful hall. Yet it has some dis.
advantages in being 30 large, because
the brethren being so far from the
stage are inclined to talk. But we
have sergeant-at-arms on the stage
and he is very formidable looking
person and he has policeman under
him, and they will remind those who
talk"
President Northern announced that
the secretary would read the roll of
messengers or delegates. DIR. Lansing
Burrow, the secretary, read the list
from each State. The total number OF
delegates elected in class one, which
consists of those who contributed funds,
or representatiy of bodies which con-
tribute, one delegate for each $3.50 con-
tributed, is 1046. In class two, COM
posed of associations, that is, groups
of churches, 472 are entitled to partl-
cipate. The total possible delegates
number 1913, of which about 1000 are
in attendance.
President Northern asked the audi
ence to indulge him q few minutes.
He has been honored with the presi-
dency three times, he said, and as this
was more honor than he deserved, he
wished the convention to be free 10
choose his successor and therefore sur.
rendered his high trust, thanking the
convention for its honor. He then
called for nominations for president
DIR. Junius L. Millard, of Baltimore
J was recognized. He nominated Joshus
: 1.evering, of Baltimore, a business
, man, a lay man, Sunday school super
t,.NA