The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-20
GREATEST OF
ALL SESSIONS
Present Convention One OF Most
Remarkable in History Of
Body.

The fifty-second annual meeting of
the Southern Baptist Convention, which
will come to un end tonight has been
IN many respects the greatest the con-
vention has held In the sixty-two years
OF its existence as a church organlza-#
ton. 1t Is true that the number Of
enrolled members proper Is not quite
as large as 1t was last year when the
body met In Chattanooga. AT that
time there was the greatest attend
ance Of regular delegates In the his
tory Of the denomination. This years
enrolment is the second largest.
There are two classes OF delegates
those who are named by the States on
the financial basis; that is according
to contributions Of the churches In
each State to the mission boards, and
the assoclational delegates who are
elected by the district associations
The States are entitled to 2,477 IL
nancial delegates and b1b associat1onal
delegatee: total, 2,99a. The books OF
the secretaries show that there have
been enrolled at this session.: financial,
1915; assocIational, l62; total. 1873. At
Chattanooga last year there was q
total attendance of 1,452. just "a more
| than this year.
SOma Other Figures.
Though the actual figures to show
the number of persons who are In at
| tendance upon the auxiliary bodies, but
who are not members of the convention
proper, cannot be obtained, and 1t is
| Impossible to get tho number or Vlsl-
tors OF various kinds, 1t Is believed
by tho officers of the body that there
are many moro this year than last
year or any previous year. A very con-
servative estimate places the number
| of people drawn to Richmond by the
i Southern Baptist Convention and Its
auXllinrles at 5000.
| The attendance OF regularly enrolled
delegates at the various sessions fol
! the past nineteen years has been a:
| follows: 1906, Chattanooga, !, ,4b2; 1904
| Nashville, 1,O05; 1892, Atlanta, 97O
! 1896, Washington. $40; 1898; Norfolk
s57; 1905, Kansas City. SIG; 1898, Nash
/ ville, roo. 1894, Dallas. 756; 1897. WI
mington, 724; 1900. Hot Springs, GAG
| 1909, Savannah, 1.136; 1902. Asheville
4 1893: 1891, Birmingham, SOS; 1893
5Louisville. $50; 1896. Chattanooga, sl9
| 1890, Fort Worth, 70l; 1901, New Or
leans, 7s7: 1883, Richmond, 731: 1887
Memphis, 6o3
During this period the convention
l has met lN9IklCnlIluIlu tIWASG, 4HSluuiHs
i 1907; Chattanooga twice, and Nash
VILE, three times.
There have been seven sessions II
/. the States bordering on the Atlantic
four In the trans Mlssissppl terri
4 tory, and eight In the States lying be
i tween these two sections,
i The only States III which tho conven
! ton has never met arc Florida am
Oklahoma.
/ The Work Done,
1. The work done by tho body this yea
is declared to be tho most ilnportah
ever performed by the Baptists, IN
interesting reports furnished ~ ~
boards show that the past years con
! tributions to foreign missions were
s4Oa,sl1.54. that more converts wer
mado in foreign fields, and that ther'
we're more buptisms than in any pre-
yious years. The reports show fnrthe
that larger work has been done by IN
Imisslon schools In foreign lands; tina
: a greater advancement has been mad
! in the worl, OF the medical department
, of the foreign work. and that NOR
! churches and sohoolhouses have bee
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