The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-24
THE BIBLE INSTITUTE
RELIGIOUS WORK AMONG NEGROES
 ORGANIZED.
Convention is Attended by Many Col- 0red PreacherS--Dr. Miller, General Superintendent, Arrives With
 Message From Mir. Martin.

l ganized in Montgomery at the Dexter
 Avenue Baptist Church yesterday
 Promptly at 10 o'clock the meeting was called to order and Rev. E. M. | Jones of the Methodist Episcopal l George Sale of Atlanta Baptist College 1 led in the rehearsal of the ten com mandments. and made the opening The welcome address was delivered | by Rev. w. W. Colley, pastor of the church. He said that the colored peo-
 pie had been greatly helped since they had been in this country, but that there was yet more room for improvement. He referred to the condition of the Africans as he saw it when he was
 q missionary there under the Southern Baptist Convention years ago, and that the American negro needed to do much for his own improvements, in order to be able to help the African out of heathenism and bondage.
 < Rev. M. NJ .Ponton of Atlanta, Field Superintendent, in making introductory remarks, referred to the fact that there are thirty thousand negro preachers in this country; that most of them were uneducated; that notwithstanding this appalling fact. the negro preacher was still in the lead for the race, and great ly needed elevating in order to be sure of leading safely and wisely. He said he was struck with the remarkable pie
 ture presented on the streets of Mont gomery, in that white and colored are walking these streets together day in and day out in perfect safety; that this
 was due. however. to the fact that both races were living under the same government, taught from the same Bible, singing the same songs, and praying the same prayers. He said this points after all to the fact that the old time gospel story, the morality and religion of the Bible would be the only solution of the race problem as 1t is seen and studied In this country, He said further that this was MT. Mar tins notion of it; the reason he was willing to dedicate his fortune to tnis work--he did so in the interest Of both races.
 Rev. S. c. Miller D. D.. of Phiiadel- phia, the General Superintendent of the Fund, did not arrive for the ses- sions yesterday, owing to the fact that he missed connection in Birmingham. He reached Montgomery last night, however, and addressed the convention. Dr. Miller was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Little ROCK, Ark, for a number of years, and was of his friends in that church to resign and take charge of the educational fund for the education of the negro ministry Dr. Miller's plan for a gen erai forward movement is, first of all, to organize local institutes Tor Bible study In every town and country dls- trict throughout the Southern States. Then let them converge into great State institute to meet once q year. At the back of these local and State in- stutes he aims to p1t as least t,tRes independently or in conn ection with some school already in existence; There will also be free summer school in each State, holding eight weeks in
 His plans so far have been carried out only in the State of Arkansas, kansas Baptist College, Philander
 @ Rock and Haygood Seminary ol schools have not been in operation more than three or four months this years, but they have already made tell ing effect on the negro ministry Tn Arkansas. The State of Alabama com ing next in order, will very likely be thoroughly organized in the same man
 Dr. Miller is a close personal friend and was a classmate of Rev. G. w. Pat tersoh, D. D., of Montgomery.
 The afternoon session was session of unusually marked interest, as every body wanted to hear from the John c. Martin educational fund and the negro ministry This address was paoGe- de- of Little Rock, Ark. He undertook toI show that the fund meant certain in vested fund, an organization or men and women to do the work and num- Der of institutions associated together to increase the facilities for negro ed- ucatIon, and especially the negro min
 At the close of his address. quite number of questions were asked him pertaining to the use and distribution of the fund, which he explained
 Rev. D. w. Boatner of Little Rock read quite a scholarly paper on Truth" or the Importance of Study
 X good number of local institutes re- ported before the close of the meeting. l
 The night session began promptly 9t 80 o'clock pr. N: Ni Neiaiy or , Momto .!1,ho Importance of the Bible School in the Church. Rock closed the meeting. with an ad- dress on The State President and His Work" He showed that the State President of q John c. Martin Bible in- breadth of mind and heart, capable of exercising interest in ministers or all denominations. sented to the institute, and in a few remarks he repeated the invitatlon from Booker T. Washington for the conference to visit that institution be- fore It's sessions close.
 At late hour pr. 8. c. Miller of Philadelphia, the General Superintend- ent of the work. came in and was greeted with rounds of applause: He had been delayed by washouts and late trains, and hence could not be in the meeting. He brought written mes sage from Mir Martin. greeting the ln- stitute. The letter in part was as loI- lows:
 did program prepared for the State Bible Institute Consideration has been given to the needs of the home, the family the pulpit, the pew, and the school, as the means Of spreading re. Iigious Knowledge for the benefit of
 iG;The whole burden of this movement is The Bible in the Spiritual life The church is ordained of God to destroy the works of the devil. The great head of the church, while here upon thts earth. the Lord Jesus Christ, taught that the supreme question was saliva tion and redemption. and this must be the burden of his followers today
 Permit me to give you an extract ence held at Atlanta in March of last year, in speaking of the needs of the fund, I said: The object of this fund Is to inspire among rFeachers and members Of their ongreg 4tions the de- sire to live higher lives, and to be righteous. sober and industrious. so that they will find favor with God and their fellowmcn. It Is very humiliat- ing to have to admit that the Gospel has been and is now Shorn of It's power more by the defects In morals and hab- it's of the professed followers of Jesus Christ than from all other causes com- bined The world is ready and gD'c l to detect the sad discrepancies of the protesting Christian. Ii Is expected of the preacher. the Sunda%,school super intendent teachers and church officers, i that they will put into practice during l the rest of the week the Gospel they preach ard teach on the Sabbath day. X life of growing likeness to Christ is both prophecy sRnd the fulfllment of prophecy Of all modes of inculcating | Christianity, .cXemplifying 1t is the best. The best commentary on the | Bible the world has ever seen Is a holy l life The most eloquent sermon the | world has ever heard In behalf of the 1 Gospel is a uniform, active plety: The | hest version of the written truth that | fe n "a