The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-12

WHo is one OF the -FOUR vlCe-preSi-
dents; the Rev Drs. wilingham.
Mission Board; the Rev. DR.. w. L.
Hatcher. the Rev. Dr.. and Mrs. w. f.
I. Smith, the Rev. DR.. W. C.. James.
president +. w. Boatwright. of Rich
mond College; the Rev. DIR. George w.
Mcdaniel and the Rev. Victor I. Mas
ters. OF the Religious Herald. The
.d ,his ton Is Is, smaller smaller than usual
lance. Virginia is entitled to about
three hundred delegates. but probably
not more than fifty will attend. Six
teen States are represented in the con-
least 1900 delegates will answer the
roll call.
Election Of President.
One OF the first matters Of business
to come before the convention will be
the election of a president. Hon. E. W.
Stephens. OF Missouri. who has held
this office for several years, is now in
Asia. visiting mission fields. and will
not be at Hot Springs. 1t is proable
that Hon. Joshua lowering, of Balti-
more, will be chosen to succeed him.
The Rev DR.. II. w. Battle. OF North
Carolina, is to preach the Introductory
sermon. Though for from Richmond.
the place of meeting this year is
most attractive city, and noted health
resort. The citizens Of Hot Springs
delight to call the place "Amerlca's
thermal wonderland" The United
States Government owns the famous Hot
Springs, and has spent more than $2.-
100000 In improvements. The twenty
four bath houses on the government
reservation can furnish 5000 baths a
day. 1t Is said that 10000 people
sought these baths last year.
comm odate 1000 guests, will be con-
vention headquarters
Among the auxiliary associations
which will meet in Hot Springs at the
same time the Southern Baptist Conven-
ton are the Southern Baptist Educational
Conference. of which DIR. F. W. Boat
wright is president; the Baptist Young
Peoples Union. DR.. W. w. Hamilton,
president. and the Wonaan's Mission
airy Union. Miss Fannie Heck, presi-
dent. Attractive and interesting pro-
grams have been arranged for all these
meetings.
Work Of Convention.
The work OF the convention Is divid-
ed into four departments, managed by
standing committees or boards. These
are the foreign mission board. with
headquarters in Richmond; the home
mission board, located in Atlanta; the
Sunday school board. whose publishing
house is in Nashville. and the Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary board in
Louisville. The names of the boards
indicate their work. They all report
directly or indirectly to the convention,
and the volume and variety Of their
activities are indicated by the fact that
their annual statements of work ac-
complished I'LL several hundred closely
printed pages.
The reports of the two great mis-
sion boards show highly gratifying re-
suits for the year that closed on April
30. 1905. The foreign board collected
and disbursed over 100000. and the
home board collected $24s,ooo The
home board closed the fiscal year with
debt of $4,000 but this debt will
doubtless be paid before the conven-
ton adjourns
One Of the most encouraging reports
to come before the convention Will be
that OF the statistical secretary, DR..
Lansing Burrows, who shows that
white Baptists In the South have In
creased in numbers during the past
year from 1,s46.94s to 2.015.126. the
total number of regular Baptists IN the
United States at the present time IS
4.969.524. The grand total Of Baptist
.
Church members for the world Is
5.a1o,s9o. There are probably 10000
900 people In Baptist homes
Interesting Figures.
Interesting groups Of Baptist sta us
tics concern their educational WORK.
The latest report indicates that iast
year they owned IS colleges ana UNI u ! :
yersities. with 1850 professors, $685.
.tndonts so7 321 SS5 Invested in grounds
and buildings and s25,5os6so in en-
dowment. There We're in operation
also % academies and training schools'
with s36 teachers. 15,7os stuaenta ,
property worth s4,sl2.507 and sle,ses: .
added 10 theological seminaries, with
los los professors, 1854 students, prop,
erty to the value OF $1.a1s,o4s and
endowment of s4,1ss,s42. In these :, so o,'
educational institutions OF the United
states Baptists have invested soa'3a o =
. " It. f. y