The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-16
.Thc flfty-second Kesston Of the
Southern Baptist Convention will
be in every way the greatest gath
ering thnt the church in the South south.
hns ever known

tcr1uK thNt tile CnurCu NuS SOAAu
hns ever KNOWN
Z This is what Rev. DR.. Q. f. Gregory,
Of stanton, one OF the secretaries to
the general convention. said last nj ght.s
AT Chattanooga last year " hen the
fifty-first convention was held from
NAV 11th to May 14th there were
present 1851 delegates from the six
teen States represented in the South south
ern district, but here IN ri cnmond,
when the convention Is called to order
This evening at the Auditorium. there
will be not fewer than 1900 delegates
seated. In Chattanooga there were ali
told. $500 Baptists on the conventio on
proper. and the various allied associa-5
tions, but there will be fully 10, ooO,l
Baptists who will take part IN the
meetings here ginning tonight and
ending on Monday evening.
Advance Gunrd Here.
For several days past the advance
guard of the great army OF. religious
workers of the Southern BAPTIST 8Church3
has been arriving, slowly at first, but
ever increasing, until yesterday prob
ably 1000 Baptist men and women
reached Richmond and quietly began
the preliminary work of Christian en-a
ideavor, which must be accomplis shed
before the great general convention
opens. &, x &.
At the hotels the Hobbies wern
crowded with persons wearing the red
badge OF delegates and workers, while
In four Baptist churches last night and
one yesterday morning, large audiences
assembled. heartily to engage IN re-
ligious work III. s {
GSAtTthe Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation Building, where the local COM
mittee has it's headquarters, the actlv-
ity is liveliest. for here 1t is that the
delegates and their friends are Wel-3
coined and assigned to hotels anl
lodglug- houses; here questions are ans
swered, directions are given, and the
crea ture needs of the visitors are cared
for.
OR this committee, Mr.. z. D. Starka
Is chairman, and the success OF the
business end of the convention be-
lings in no small degree to him and
his associates, Rev. DR.. Ryland knight.
secretary, and Mr.. ]. B. Wood, treas
urer OF the committee.
The other chairmen OF local CONS
mittees are:
Places of meeting. ". j. West"ood;
finance, j, B. Wood; press. r. II. Pitt;
hotels and boarding-h houses. w. D.
Duke; transportation, H. l.. Lorra1ne;
reception. DR., E. L. Grace
AT the Jefferson Hotel, DR.. Lansing
Burrows, Of Nashville. Tenn. whose
father was so long pastor OF the First
Baptist Church. OF this city. and Rev.
| DR.. o. r. Gregory. of Staunton, the
| secretaries of the convention. have
their office in the lobby near the Main
| Street entrance. and here the dele
gates are required to register. Despite
| the fact that there are more than
$500 Baptist visitors In the city. many
| OF whom are delegates, not more than
$50 have so far registered
"They are always slow In register
ing" said DR.. Gregory last night, 1'but
we have had more success to-day than.
ever before. BY Tomorrow night near
lly all will have appeared, and this will
be something entlrely new. Hereto-s
fore we have met on Friday morning.
| hut so great was the demand for an
earlier date that this year for the first
Democratic Body.
The Southern Baptist Convention is
a democratic body. in which sit both
ministers and laymen. In fact. ths
president. Dr, Edwin William Stephens
of Columbia. Mo, is a layman. tho eii-
tor OF a newspaper, and no fewer than
three OF the four vice-presidents ara
Ilaymen. among them being Hon. Henry
Robinson Pollard, of Richmond.
The purpose of the convention Is to,
carry into effect the benevolent inten-
tions of its constituents by organic
ing plan for eliclting, combining and
directing the energies OF tho whole
Baptist denomination in one sacred
effort for the propagation OF the gos.s
lnal@H Tha wnrr Ia diVided into TWO