Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-10-27
(By Rev. R. L. Bivins. }

1 ne F1tty-fOufth Annual Session oil
the Friendship Baptist assoc alton
held with Shiloh church, Sumter coun
ty, was one of the most largely attend.
ed and interesting in the history OF
this large body of Baptists. The spa
clous church, located in a magnificent
grove of oaks, was crowded with peo-
pie from the first service to the close
o. the meeting. On Wednesday there
was such a crowd that the church
house vas filled to overflowing, the
school house nearby was equally full.
and in addition a great company who
could not find entrance to either. The
PEOPLE were there from Sumter Schley,
Macon, Taylor, Terrell, Lee, Webster.
Stewart and Marion counties. This
multitude were hountifully fed by tho
hospitable Shiloh peop e-the provis-
ons being seemingly ample for as
large a crowd again. The good folks
of this community faithfully upheld
/ the traditional Sumter county hospi-
tality.
The Introductory Sermon of the as
sociation was preached by the versa
tile and erudite pastor of the Dawson
church, Rev. H. T. Crumpton. The
text of this sermon was unique:
There is Death in the Pot" being
very strong plea as presented by the
preacher, for an unmixed, uncompro-
missed and stalwart presentation of
the truth of God In Jesus Christ. This
is the God-given remedy for sin AMI
for death by sin. This splend d ser-
mon followed a deeply spiritual de-
votional service of an hour conducted
by the sweet-spirited and devoted DR..
John A. Ivey, of Dawson Our hearts
did burn within us during this hour
of fellowship with God and each other.
At the afternoon hour of the first
day began the bus ness session. Your
scribe was reelected moderator, Rev.
Marion Greer, of Oglethorpe, was re-
elected clerk, and, of course, Bro ].
l.. Wells was reelected treasurer. The
treasurership has been in the Wells
family for about fifty years BRO.
Josie" has held this office for twenty
years.
The reports of committees on mis-
sions, education, temperance, Sunday
schoo's, orphans home, woman's work,
etc, through their respect We chair
men were interesting and instructive,
as we'll. We regret our inability for
lack of space to deal with these at
length. The discussions of these mat
ters by ministers and laymen were of
a very gh order, showing that the
brethren have these things very much
at heart One of the really great adj
dresses of the associational meeting
was the address on "Adoniram Jud-
son" by the scholarly. brainv and
learned pastor of the First Baptist
church, Americus, DR. Lansing Bur-
rows. This address was particularly
to the celebrat on of the
Judson centennial, and the beginning
of American foreign mission work. Dr.
Burrows talked at length of the life,
the character, the struggles and the
success of this hero of the kingdom.
Our hearts thrill ed as the preacher
told us how DR.. Jud-
son and his devoted wife (Anne Has
eltine) were led at great personal sac
rifice, convinced of their duty, to be-
come Baptists, and of the subsequent
struggles of these missionaries in
India.
The high tide of the whole session
in spiritual and heart power was
reached in the morning of the last
day when Brother H. T. Davenport, of
Americus, made the report on state
of Religion" and in earnest and fer
vid manner lamented the decadence of
the Family Altar" He referred in
tender manner to the memor es of his
childhood days when father and
mother and children gathered around
the family hearthstone to offer daily
thanks and petition unto God. Many +,
hearts were stirred by similar memo |
ries, and one after another spoke in
heartfelt and earnest manner along
the same line. Many eyes were tear
f led. Some one raised the old hymn
Sweet Hour of Prayer" in which the
joined and we felt that
surely God was among us, as
Heaven came down our souls to
greet,
And glory crowned the mercy seat"
One of the most gratifying reports
of the meeting was that Of "Woman's
Work" in which it was sais that
Georgia Baptist women contributed
last year seventy-one thousand dol
lars to missions, through the Woman's
Missionary union. The Woman's Mis-
sionary union of Friendship associa-
ton contributed more than two thous-
and dollars, of which upwards of If
4aav, hundAa1 dctIaruA x,,or e. -