The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-24

1,7s0 baptisms. This is a wonderful ad- vance. The convention at Savannah in- structed the Board to lay out the work .s year on a basis of s3o0,0O0 Of this amount Alabama agrees to give $20,00o. This Is a small amount for 10000 Bap- lists to give. But thousands of our peo- pie are giving nothing for missions. How to get them to give Is the question? The great need of the masses of our people is information. They do not give because they know little or nothing about the work. We can't expect people to give to objects that they know nothing about. We ought to SOW this state broadcast with missionary literature, talk and preach missions until the people are i'm pressed that 1t is the greatest work in all the world. The matter of informing the people rests largely with the pastors Many of our people have wrong impres- | sions about the expenses of the board l The expenses of the board last year, in- | cluding interest on borrowed money. ex- penses of the 'Womans' Missionary Un- ion,' and expenses for state agencies, were about ten and half cents on the | dollar. In other words. of each dollar given, s91k cents went to the missiona- | ries."
 l The report on Home Missions contained | the following:
 AS with all the other departments of | our denominational labors, the work un- 1 der our Home Mission Board has been unusually successful during the past year. More money has been contributed, more work has been done, more results achiev- ed. and a higher standard set for the future than in any pr avious year; and for this we return thanks to God. Upon | this Board, as the great equalizer of Home Missions. turning the abounding | strength of some States to meet the l needs of weaker ones have pressed some of the profoundest questions of our times for solution. The negro race problem, im- | migration, and the congestion of popula- | ton in unevangelized cities; to say noth- ing of the condti1 IS obtaining in noun tain districts, and practically foreign | work in Cuba, all weigh heavily upon pr. McConnelrs heart and engage the atten- ton of his Board. To bring Christs so- lution to these difficulties they had given it during the year ending with April. $110.- 2204, which amount, Dr. Mcconnell de- clares. could proftably have been spent in any one of half-a-dozen different direc- tions. This was gain of nearly $10,000 over the previous year.
 Among the negroes institute work Is
 being done in four States, and some gen.
 eral missionaries are receiving a cooper
 ative support, which is quite profitable.
 They are reported as exerting themselves
 very commendably in independent efforts.
 Increased work Is being done among the
 immigrants in Baltimore. Galveston and
 the State of Missouri. This gathering of
 foreign population in the South is re-
 garded as one of the menaces of the fu-
 ture. But the bulk of the work of the 61
 home missionaries Is done in needy dis
 tricts all over the Southern States in CO.,
 operation with the State Board of Mis-
 sions. This includes the frontiers and the
 mountains. Besides this the Board is do-
 ing the best it can to evangelize Cuba,
 which Is really in the nature of foreign
 work. such as that in Mexico and Brazil.
 During the year there were nearly
 1S,7O0 additions to the church by letter
 and baptism. and 2S0 churches built and
 improved. An increase of 1,500 additions
 and forty-nine churches over last year.
 The unfortunate complications which had
 arisen In Cuba are now almost entirely
 wiped out so far as missionary efficiency
 is concerned; and a committee of the Home Board which has called into its councils
 several of our leading brethren. will shortly make public such facts as it Is deemed wise to publish at this time. In connection with the main work of the Board. we mention three subordinate phases of Its activities One is its publi- cation work. whereby tracts. leaflets, and | Our Home Field the organ of the Board. are distributed. Another Is the Church Building Loan Fund. This has been a powerful factor with some bodies of Christian people for the extension of their denominations. with us 1t is yet In It's infancy, and has hardly had a begin | ming.
 l Lastly. We mention the denominational schools fostered by the Board in moun- 1 tainous and needy districts, which are proving leavenlng force among the people both for Christianity and the general cause of | education Tn conclusion your Committee would suggest that 1t be recognized as the l wish of this conventon that our Secre- | tary of Missions shall again apportion l among our Associations the sum desired | from each during the year in order that Alabama may do Its share toward raising | the %e0oOOO general fund for home mis- sions.' The Convention opened this morning | with devotional services conducted by Rev. T. V. Neal of Tuscumbia, A collection was taken for the purpose of raising $JOO to furnish and equip tho | kitchen and dining room at Howard Col | lege. The great audience responded llb- | eraTy. and s576.67 was soon raised. A collection was also taken to furnish ] forty rooms of the College with fur niture, the estimate being $35 to the room | Enough was.readily subscribed to furnish | fifty or more rooms al that estimate The |
 
 authorities in order to have the furniture l uniform. The first torty-one who pay their subscriptions will be entitled to fur | nish the rooms. the idea being that the | rooms may be named by these donors | | whether they be churches. societies or | individuals. Rev. 1T. w. Williams of Opellka preach l ed very able sermon at the il O clock services. Rev. J. A Mapes of Texas de- | livered splendid lecture on temperance on the lawn in the church yard at ? o'clock D. m,. Illustrating his subject. Dr. Montague of East Lake. Dr. Pat | l rick representing Ju1son Female Insti- | tute. and Dr. Horton delivered eloquent | and impressive addresses on the JudsOn | | Female College. ] This evenings session of the Convention | was opened with devp onal services con ducted by Rev. T. V. Neal of Tuscumbia Rev. w. Y. Quisenberry of New De- | catur. and Rev. w. W. Howard of Scotts- | boro. delivered eloquent addresses on tho subject of the Scottsboro Institute. Hon. G. l.. Conner of Eufaula Is in al tendance on the Convention.
 The sessions of the Convention are