Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-05-30
nEET OF BAPTISTS,
1HEAI NATIONAL GATHERINGS
HELD In BUFFALO,
convention Draws Attention to Thi.
great Branch of Christian Church
Main tains 44,S2o Churches .,d
$4,000 Ministers.

{ Ihe annual missionary meetings of
baptists held in Buffalo serve to draw
attention to this great branch of The
CHRISTIAN family. According to the lates,
oInclal returns there are in the entire
country 4,330,462 communicates of the
baptist belief. They are gathered into
4iS29 churches and are served by 3O.SO9
ministers. The gains last year were 376
churches, 64S ministers and 81 800 mem
Oers, net gain of about l II per cent
Inc baptlSms We're 233, O9S. Multiplying
the number of communicates by three, it
would be safe to say that the Baptist
adnerents are about 100000 in num-
Der-one-sixth of the population of the
natlon. The educational institutions es-
tapllShed and managed by Baptists in
the united States, including theological
senlnarleS, universities, colleges acade-
mes, etc, are PA, with property valued
at S-o,OOO,0O0, and endowments worth
9z4,OO0,OOO more. The students in these
institutions number 1900, of whom 81
SUI are studying for the ministry.
vi the total Baptist churches and
membership in the United States, more
than two,thirds are i'll the South, and of
those in the South more than half are
negroes. These have their own organ
lzatlOns for missionary and other work,
but 1t IS incorrect to speak of them as
differing denominationally from the Bap-
lists of the North. They are all one
body, and so regard themselves in every
respect. The fact that the Baptists are
purely congregational in government, and
recognize no ecclesiastical authority high
er than the local church, sometimes leads
to a Misunderstanding of their organiza-
tons and methods. With them voluntar-
ism in religious matters and church de-
tendency are carried to the highest de-
velopment.
The Baptists of the North number
100000 communicates and it is these
who are holding their meetings in Buff
falo.
Up to a few years prior to the Civil
War the Baptists of the entire country
met together for their missionary ami
versares. But the differences that grew
out of slavery led to a division in 1916,
) and after the war it was felt that the
membership had become too large to
make it's union in benevolent work prac-
ticable
The principal societies meeting in Buff
falo this year are the American Baptist
Missionary Union Foreign missions),
with headquarters in Boston; the Ameri-
can Baptist Publication Society of Phila-
delphia, and the American Baptist Home
Mission Society of New York City.
The Missionary Union carries on its
main work in the Philippines, Japan,
China, India and Africa 1t also gives
aid to some churches in continental Eu-
rope, in Russia, Sweden, Germany,
bo To-
has had much of encouragement and pro-
gress. The total receipts from all sources
We're S722, 76I1, in some respects the best
showing in any one of the 50 years Of
the society's history. There is a small
deficit of $4,000, made necessary by
enlargement of the work at some points.
The baptisms for the year were 1858 in
the churches of Asia and Africa and
1881 in those of Europe. and the present
membership in the churches i'll heather
lands is 113,41S. and in Europe, 10S.O61.
The Home Missionary Society has for
its field the United States, including
Alaska, Cuba. Porto Rico, but not in
Guiding the Philippines, which are still
regarded as foreign mission territory. 1t
has also gratifying work i'll Mexico.
It's operations include the planting OF
churches, supporting pastors. building
meeting houses and evangelizing tile COM
munities in the West and Northwest. 1t
also maintains schools of high grade
among the negroes of the South, and is
engaged in extended labOrs for the. for
eign population in our large cities and for
the Chinese. The gross receipts or the
society for the last year were $62l,o
The expenditures Slightly exceeded the
receipts The 1910 missionaries report,
in all, 1883 baptisms in the year.
The publication society, as IT'S name
implies, issues books and periodicals call
cd for by the churches and other socie-
ties in their Sunday school and evange-
listic work. Each of these three socle-
ties has permanent property. invested
funds, securities, etc, amounting to 81
OO0. 900 or thereabouts. They are great
business corporations. conducted on sound
business principles, as wen as large ana
effective missionary societies. seeking IN
every way to extend Christianity