The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-11
BAPTISTS ARE ID
 MAKE F|NE REPORT.
At Southern Convention Open
 ing Thursday at Richmond
GOOD WORK IN MISSIONS
$27, ,5s2 Collections for Year Shown By Report of General Secretary of Ala bama-The States In-
 crease of $70oo.

Montgomery, May 1O.-tspecia1 )-Ala- bama Baptists will be able to make a fine report at the Southern Baptist con- vention which opens next Thursday at Richmond, Va, all departments show ing increases in returns and results There is especial pleasure at the good work that has been done in the service of foreign missions. The state will show an actual increase for the year of over s7000 though the amount reported Is less.
 Rev. W. C. Crumpton general seere- tary of the Alabama mission board, is getting the figures in shape for the final report, that report, in fact. being in the hands of the printer It will show that the membership which was last year i50,945, has increased coco to 10000, with quite a number of new churches to be added to the 1891 reported in 1906 Ala bama will have in the neighborhood of 200 delegates though the state is entitled in all to 256. Like other large church organizations now, the delegates pay their way.
 1t Is shown by the report of Dr. Crumpton that the mission collections for the present year are for foreign work, $-,,5S2 as compared with $30,205 in 1906. However, last year one man, J. c. Bush of Mobile, gave S1O0OO to this cause, the largest single contribution to the foreign work of the church ever made Leaving that out, the church returns for last year were $20.2O5, or less than in 1906-7 by S7,367. The Alabama officers have taken great pride in the fact that the state has the honor of the greatest sim gle gif. of this kind. I
 Home and State Missions.
 Home and state missions have also shown great gains. For the former, which means the work of the church in this country and nearby states, like Cuba and Porto Rico, the collections were S17637, an increase over the year before of $2766. For state work, $14,S4S to May 1. The in- crease is not worked out, because the mission year does not end until June 30, at which time, Dr. Crumpton thinks, the total for all mission causes in the state will not fall far short of s75OOO.
 The gratifying fact is being sent out to the members of the church that the debt of S15,000 on the foreign mission board of the entire church last year has been lifted and that the collections will show at least 25 per cent advance. While there will be yet a small debt on the home mission board, 1t is because of largely increased work and outlay the facts showing that the increase in this department has been wonderful Much of the work in Cuba has been expen- sive and Dr. B. D. Gray of Atlanta, sec retary of the board will have to report the greatest year in the history of the work in many respects. Dr. Gray, by the way, is an ex-Alabama pastor, hav ing served the First Birmingham church several years ago.
 Schools Prosperous.
 There will be many things to be pleased with outside of the collections and in- creased noted above. Not the least will be the good work done for Howard col lege at Birmingham. The year will show the largest support in money and the most general attention in sympathy in the history of the school. The president 1 Dr. A. P. Montague, who has Just be- | come a husband to one of the popular | Birmingham women, will have not only | this to make him happy but the fact that | his school is more upon the hearts of the Baptists of the state than ever be- l fore.
 The same thing will be true of the Jud- son at Marion. the school for girls. Re- gently Dr. R. G. Patrick has been the re- | cipent of renewed evidence of support | and sympathy and he has received more l money than ever to pay the expense &C., count His rport will show an increase in | attendance and betterment in equipment l that will make 1t banner school in the 1 whole of the church territory. The Jud- | son Is one of the oldest schools in the | south and it's memories are as illustrious l as those of the state and the section. |
 There will be reports of scores of new | church edifces. Among these will be | the handsome marble temple going up | in Montgomery, one of the most elaborate | and beautiful churches in the south of | any denomination. It Is being erected by | the congregation of the First church, now l worshipping in an old structure built so many years ago that the business section | of the city has wrapped itself about 1t like the enveloping folds of a shawl.