The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-12-08
BAPT|STS HAVE
THEIR BEST YEAR
Livingston Johnson Gives
Valuable Figures.
INCREASED MISSIONS
History Of Baptist State Convention,
its Primary Object From 1880,
When ii was Organized,
Uuntii the Present
Day..

venticn was organized in the town OF
GreenviIle in 1880. The idea of organizing
the Raptists Of the State into a convell-
ton originated with Elder Martin Ross,
who died Just a few months beIOle the
organization took place.
The primary object in the organization
OF tie convention was the eVanSell1atiOn
of the State. The founders OF the conVen
ton were rot Indifferent 20 the claims OF
Foreign Missions, but they believed that
It was necessary to first form a "base OF
supplies" at home in order that th2y
might be more able to send the gospel
abroad. The history OF the convention
iustifes the wisdom of their course. Moth
ing has done so much to give Us dcaomin3
tional strength as has the work OF state
Missions. When the convention was or
ganized there were fifteen thousand Pap
lists in the State-Whlte and colored.
There are now a hundred and seventy-five
thousand white Baptists, and nearly as
many cOlored-
Before the convention was two years Old
the fathers saw that, in order to evange-
lie the State they must have a better
equipped ministry, and they founded
wake Forest College. This, however,
was never strictly a preachers school"
as is sometimes supposed. There was
never a day since it began its existence
when the ministerial students were Tot
in the minority. Today about one-slxth OF
those attending Wake Forest are minis
terial students.
About the same time Wake Forest was
founded the brethren felt the necessity for
some medium of communication through
which the denomination throughout the
State might be touched and to meet this
want Thomas Meredith began the publ
cation OF the Biblical Recorder. For sew
enty years these tW0-the paper and the
~college-have been mighty forces in build
ing up our Baptist Zion. At first the B2p-
lists did their mission work IN the u
try, and sadly neglected the towns. This
gave Us great numerical thought in the
rural districts, and for fifty years the
towns nave been drawing on the country
churches Tor material out of Which to
build Baptist churches.
In recent years, while not neglecting the
country, the Mission Board has given at
tenti0n to the towns. There is not an i'm
portant town in the State in which there
cannot be found one Baptist church, at
least, that stands as a monument to State
Missions. In the city OF Charlotte,
where the convention is to meet, the fruits
of State Mission work are plainly seen.
Tryon street church, with which the CON
vention meets, was one of the first points
aided by tne board. VIII lie Twelfth Street
and Prichard Memorial are now receiving
aid from the board. Both of these latter
churches are erecting beautiful houses OF
worship They Will soon be self-sustaining
and will stand as soulsaving agencies
through ali the years to come.
It must not be supposed for a moment
that tie convention has confined itself t,
doing State Mission work. Our denOmina-
ton has been a pioneer in many important
religious movements. The Baptlsss were
the first to organize for State Mission
work. They were the first to establish a
denominationaI paper. They founded the
fTs5 UNCONVENTIONAL college in the STATE
for the training OF tEe.r ministry, and for
eQuipptng al young men VIII would attend
it for greater usefulness. They establish
cd the first denominational orphanage n
the State. In the work of Foreign Mis-
sions the Baptists are taking a deeper in
terest than ever before. This is a brief
review of the convention which is to hold
It's s~aventy-third session in the city OF
Charlotte next week.
Our people have lone the greatest work
during the year which is now closing than
IN any previous year. The Board OF Is
slOnS and Sunday schools viii submit the
best report that they nave ever made to
the convention.
Nine years ago the convention met in
Charlotte. We can get some idea of BaD-
list progress by comparing the report to
be submitted this year with that of nine
years ago. We Will report as having been
raised this year twice as much for State
Missions, three times as much for Foreign
Missions, four times as much for Homo
Missions, and three times as much for the
-~orphanage as was reported nine years ago.
The total contributions to all objects OF
the convention Ill years ago amounted
to $3S, 0C0, while his year they reach $780,
eco. Nine years ago $4,000 had been paid
on the lot where now stands the Baptist
Female University. We now have a plant
in the very heart of Raleigh worth SIS. 900.
with an enrollments of $50 pupils. The
crplanage plant was then worth So. 600: it
IS worth $150,000 now. Then there were
f26 children at the orphanage; now there
are 260. Then we had one school in west
ern North Carolina, with $50 pupils and
property worth $4,000; now we have ter
schools IN the West, with a total enroll
ment OF LEGO and property worth $40, 900.
". 1
we nave gone forward this year in Our
contributions to Missions.
The trustees report this year will show
to State Missions, s26, 1902. so; Foreign Mis-
slons, $17,561.15, and to Home Missions
$7,762.15. This is an advance over last
year OF $3,700 to Foreign Missions, $4,000
to State Missions and $500 to Home MIS-
sions. Round numbers are given, the adj
vance is a little more thar the above.
From the best information at hand there
were probably ten thousand ADDED to the
churches last year.
Our denomination was never in better
trim tor aggressive work. There is not
the first vestage o. fractional spirit, but
IRON ore side Of the State to the othci
our people stand soIidly together. IL W.
continue to have faith in God, loyalty t,