Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-02
BAPTZSTS IN
CONVENTION
THIRTY-NINTH ANNUAL SESSION
Is OPENED
SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK FORMS
MAIN TOPIC
Today Will Be Busy One for Delegates.
Many Services PIanned-Ap-
pointing of Committees
to BE Effected

The thirty-ninth annual session of the
Los Angeles Baptist association was
opened yesterday with a gathering of the
Sunday school teachers at the East Los
Angeles Baptist church.
Rev. F. G.. Cressey, pastor of the
church, opened the convention with
prayer and praise service. The sessions
during the day were devoted to Sunday
school work.
W. B. b. Taylor of Sawtelle made the
opening address, speaking on Young
Men and the Sunday School," He said in
part
Men are but boys of an elder growth.
The work of the man is foreshadowed i'll
the play of the boy, and the spirit OF
manhood finds its embryo in the spirit
of boyhood. To ascertain the spirit OF
boyhood, then, let us analyze the spirit
of manhood.
mans life is one of warfare in some
field of action; a physical, mental or
spiritual strifei struggle for existence,
family, country and God; or a fight
against all these, dependent upon the
character of the man. The spirit of man,
then, is best typifed in the spirit of the
soldier. Man, therefore, is a soldier upon
some battlefield of life, whether that be
physical, mental or spiritual 1t must
naturally follow that the dominant spirit
of the boy is, the spirit of the soldier in
its rudimentary conception.
Wants to Fight
This conclusion is supported by OBJ
servation. The boy naturally wants to
fight, wrestle and to excel in all manly
sports and exercises that develop his
physical capabilities to struggle. His
bright eyes fairly bulge at the sight of
gun and sword and a pistol, and he
loves the military drill. 1 am, of course,
lit, Of ha
learns to play soldier, and how often, in
his study of history, when reading Of the
strategy of a great general or the cour-
age of brave soldier, deep down in his
boyish heart has thrilled the sentiment
that some day he would grow TO be
man, and soldier and hero!
Having ascertained the dominant Spir
it Of the young man to be that of the
soldier, it would be we'll to turn our at
tention to the young man in his relation
to the Sunday school and to Christian
work 1t is needless for me to tell this
body of ministers and lay Christian
workers that the lack of boys and young
men In the ranks of the Sunday school
and the church today is one that deeply
concerns all Christendom.
How are we to account for this state
of affairs and for the fact that as our
youths reach the age of young manhood
they disappear from our Sunday schools
and church services?
Offers Solution
MANY solutions have been advanced,
but permit one who has experienced the
change from boyhood to young manhood
to venture a reason. Bearing in mind
that the spirit of the typical boy and the
young man is that of the soldier, either
from an erroneous teaching within the
Sunday school and church or from mis-
representations of the enemies of the
church, the young man is led to have the
impression that the Sunday school and
the church are the places for women,
children and weak specimens of the male
type. somewhat of a nursery and hospital
for those afflicted with spiritual ailments
or needing spiritual assistance. Con-
ceiving young manhood to be the syno-
nym Of strength In every sense of the
word, they naturally conclude that the
Sunday school and the church are no
place for them. Their soldierly instincts
drive them to seek the keen edge OF strug-