The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-12
BAPT|STS MEET
IN CHATTANOOGA
IS
Three Sessions s v.ieId Dur
ingosS, Day
PRESIDENTS ANNUAL ADDRESS
Report of Board of Foreign Missions
Shows Effective Work During the
Past Year-Stevens Is Re-
Elected President

Chattanooga. May 1.-THE first day Of
the Southern Baptist convention consist
ed of three sessions. Formal welcoming
addresses were. delivered at the morning
session by Mayor w l.. Frierson and DR..
Luther Freeman of the First Methodist
church responded to by numerous men,
bers OF the convention.
Election of officers and delivering of the
presidents annual address occupied the
afternoon session. E. w. stephens of CO.
lumbia. Mo-, was reelected president by
acelamation. In the evening the feature
of an interesting business session was ali
impassioned plea by DR.. l.. G. Broughton,
the noted Atlanta evangelist, for the set
ting aside of $4,000 per year for special
evangelical work. This question will be
the subject of deliberation tomorrow.
A sensation was created when the Rev.
Manley j. Breaker Introduced a resolution
directed at the Roman Catholics, in which
he sought to have the convention protest
against any suggestion by President
Roosevelt as to papal appointments in
America.
The convention voted the resolution
down.
Rev. Breaker stood entirely alone in
its support.
The convention will probably adopt
strong expression in denunciation of
lynching. A committee has been appoint
ed to draft resolutions on that subject.
Meets In Auditorium.
The Southern Baptist convention met
this morning In the City Auditorium for
its ffty-fourth annual session with an
unusually large attendance 1t is estimated
that there are 5000 deega tes and visitors
present.
The Southern Baptist convention is
synod, conference or presbytery, nor does
it have charge of any of the affairs OF
the various churches The convert Son Is
purely missionary organjzation. .s-nd lids
only to do with the home and foreign mis-
sonary work of the church, The varied
churches have been organized into state
organizations which has associations and
missionary boards and these In turn form
the southern association.
The convention was called by the pres-
dent, DR.. e. w. Stephens of Columbia,
Mo After devotional exercises the en-
rolment of delegates by states was made.
An address of welcome on behalf of the
city was made by Mayor w. L. Frierson.
Rev. Luther Freeman of the First Meth
odlst church. welcomed the visitors in
behalf OF local religious denominations.
Presidents Address.
At the afternoon session President
Stephens made his annual address in part
as follows:
President E. w. Stephens in his annual
address, declared that the past year had
been the greatest In the history of the
Baptists, and that the prospects Of the
denomination were never so bright.
The convention he said comprised Bap-
tsists from fourteen southern states COW
ering an area of MILAN square miles,
with a population of over 30,000,000 Of
whom 100000 are Baptists. When the
convention was organized in 1864 the pop
ulaton was 100000 and the denomination
250,OOO.
The contribution to foreign missions
during the sixty-one years have been
over 81 25O 900 and to home missions over
ss25O.O0O. There are now 1877 missionaries
in the employ of the foreign board over
700 in the employ of the home board and
about 1000 engaged in the state, district
and CITY mission work. Mission work in
the large manufacturing centers in the
mountain districts and among the inn
migrants was strongly urged and also
that vigorous work be done among the
negroes by the Improvement of their min
istry and a general evangelical work
among them.
Attention was called to the rapid growth
of the south and to the urgent necessity
Of a strong evangelical movement In that
section.
The importance of improvement in
church architecture and of more eligible
ocatjons for churches was suggested. and
good roads mentioned as bearing most
closely on the prosperity of churches in
the rural districts. vigorous work was
advised in the great cities and 1t was
also urged that more attention be paid
to the development of the country
churches to the end that they may have
preaching oftener and more vigiant pas
toral services. Baptists We're urged to
stand everywhere for civic righteousness
for the sanctity of the home, for tenn
perance for the enforcement of the law
and against the growing tide of Sabbath
desecration.
The President closed his address with a
glowing reference to the prospects of the
south and its opportunities for it's reg-
ious work The inflow of immigration,
the opening of the Panama canal, the deep
waterways, and the splendid resources of
the south, he said. afforded reason for the
prophecy that at no distant date the south
is to be a great center of influence and
that the work of the convention was to
bear an important relation TO the progress
of that section
After addresses of welcome. the Rev.
DR.. Porter of Oklahoma City, responded.
President e. w. stephens was unani-
mously reelected; II. r. Pollard OF Rich
mond Va; Charles A. Emith of South
Carolina. and II. H. Stallup of Indian Ter
ritory were made vice presidents.
Dr. Lansing Burrows and o. r. Gregory
were reelected secretaries. George w.
Norton was made auditor and W. +. Har-
very treasurer. The convention then took
a recess until p. m
Foreign Mission Report.
The Rev. DR.. Dillingham; read report of
board of foreign missions as follows:
The report of the foreign mission board
stated that the churches have contributed
more than ever before. the aggregate of
the gifts being 5.24s. against s2s3. Ais last
year and ,629 the year before. few
years ago only a very limited number OF
our churches gave per annum the salary
of missionary $500 or $500: now IL is COM