The Washington herald., 1911-10-15
THE TREND OF THINGS
1 Union that Unftes.

Baptists rejoice just now over an actual
union, which they say really unftes. They
refer to the coming together of Baptsts
North and Baptists Free, the last named
a body of $1,000 members, transferring
nearly $4,000 of invested funds, and con-
tributing hereafter to the combined mis-
sionary work of all. The separation or
Free Baptists has existed since 1850, and
grew out Of doctrinal differences that
have now disappeared.
Leaders in their rejoicing point out ef-
forts of Presbyterians in Scotland and IN
America, where respectively a Wee Free
and a Cumberland remained, with suits
at law not yet ended. They also point
out the widely heralded union OF Con-
Eregationalists, United Brethren, and
Methodist Protestarts, which held not a
few conferences covering two or three
years. all of which came to naught.
Northern and Free Baptists are not,
like even the Federal council, increasing
the number of organizations. Instead.
;hey are markedly decreasing them.
Neither body asks the other to conform
precisely to its standards. The names,
Baptist, Free Baptist, and United Bap-
list, are regarded as equivalent State
organizations are free to unite or re-
main apart Local churches can do the
same. 1t is believed that in many vii
lagos, two Baptist churches, rivals in the
past, and sometimes bitter ONES, may
now come together, but that is left to
them to determine. The newspaper or
gan Of Free Baptists is to be merged
with Boston Baptist paper. This union
affects three great societies.
In the early part of the nineteenth
century American Baptists, few in num-
bers and limited in resources, had little
unity as a denomination. When, how
ever. it became known that two young
men, Adoniram Judson and Luther Rice,
who had gone as foreign missionaries un-
der the Congregational board. had be-
come BaptistS and were in need OF sup
port, Baptists in this country quickly got
together and took concerted action. In
May, 1914, at Philadelphia. the ''Triennial
Convention" rs II was popularity called
was organized. In 1916 this became the
american Baptist Missionary Union. and
N 1908 entered into a cooperative rela-
ton with the Northern Baptist conven-
ZION In 1909 1t was decided TO take steps
10 change its name to American Bap-
tist Foreign Mission Society, the name
i now bears. Its work has so expanded
that il now has missions in Burma, As
sam, South India. Siam, China, Japan,
Africa. and the Philippines. 1t also as
sists Baptist work in many countries of
Europe.
The American Baptist Home Mission
Society is entering upon the eightieth
year Of its history. Its work is of triple
importance. 1t is an evangelizing agency
on the frontier and among the foreign
popula tions of our great cities, and does
similar work on behalf of the Indians
and negroes, as well as the natives of
Cuba, Porto Rico. and Mexico. Church
building is a necessary cOrOllary TO mis-
sion work as conducted by the Home
Mission Society. and during the last fiscal
year over one hundred churches were
aided in securing houses of worship.
Since the organization Of the church
cdifCe fund 1862 churches have been so
aided. The society maintains schools,
which are primarily for Christian edu-
ration. Seven thousand students in twen-
weight schools among the negroes and
Indians and in Cuba and Mexico is the
record for the past year.
Tho work of the American Baptist
Publication Society, in part, is to pro-
ducc and distribute denominational liter
ature through its four branch houses in
-Boston. Chicago. St Louis. and Atlanta,
as we'll as the home Office in PhIladel-
phia. 1t deals in all kinds of books
and there is no society in the country
which has a larger trade in Bibles. This
BAPTIST literature has nodded and fash
toned the faith of Baptist churches.
Wholly unique parts of its work are the
chapel car missionaries. II was in 1891
that the first car was built. There are
now six cars in operation. These cars
are virtually churches on wheels They
seat about 100 people ana are furnished
with every appliance for worship. The
cars go into destitute towns, where they
are side-trackad, and the people are
caIled TO service. Tho missionaries re-
main in a community long enough to
leave some kind of permanent results be-
hind them.