The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-11-01
TRAINING SCHOOL
BROUGHT TO CLOSE
Present Session Most Sue
eessful Ever Held
BANNERS AWARDED
"Avondale Builders" Have Largest
Number of Men in Parade-Mrs.
Ramsay's Class Wins
Banner
By CHARLES II. MANDY


With the singing of God Be With
You TIL We Meet Again" and an elo-
quent benediction pronounced by DR.
w. j. Williamson. the fourth annual
session of the Bible Training school of
Birmingham was brought to a close
last night after a most enthusiastic
and successful session The training
school was in session five days, COM
mencing Monday afternoon at $3.50
o'clock and continuing until Friday
night, with periods of study every day.
1t is the opinion of those in attendance
that the present session in actual work
accomplished in the high character of
it's faculty, and general zeal and en-
thusiasm of its members surpassed any
of the previous meetings.
i Largest in United States
The Birmingham Bible Training
school is three or four times larger
than any similar class in the entire
United States. This Is illustrated by the
fact that the Birmingham school has
1900 members. the next largest Is the
school at Asbury Park. N. j., which
numbers 800. The wonderful success
of the school is due to the well organ
lied and persistent efforts of the great
teachers and Sunday school workers.
1t might not be fair to specialize but
1t seemed to be the general opinion
that to Miss Minnie Kennedy, the in
defatigable general secretary of the
Birmingham Sunday School association,
is due much of the credit for the sue
cess of the movement.
The purpose of the Bible Training
school is to properly equip the teach
ers and workers in the Sunday school
and other church work by the same
practical methods of preparing teach
err or worker in the public schools. The
most noted and widely known teachers
were secured for the faculty as a glance
at the programme viii show, as well as
those who have made Sunday school
teaching their life work. The school is
also designed for training for Chris
tian service in all its many branches.
At the closing meeting last night DR.,
w. j. Williamson was the preacher. He
is the pastor of the Third Baptist
church of st. Louis and one of the most
learned and gifted divines in the Bap-
list church His subject last night was,
Arise. Let Us Go Hence" BY elo-
quent and forecful application he urged
his hearers to Ego hence" and spread
the gospel of Christ. He dwelt at
length on the virtue of Christian friend
ship and stated that a true friend was
the greatest blessing a man could en-
joy He compared earthly friendships
with that of the Master, whose friend
ship, he stated. would never change
and that once Christ was accepted as
a friend he was a friend always.
DR.. Williamson Much Impressed
Dr. Williamson has been one of the
hard workers during the session, rem
dering valuable assistance to the work
10 hi
last night he stated that he was great
ly impressed with the city of Blrming-
ham. it's beautiful homes and civic
pride. He said he had been impressed
by the strength of character of the
men and women he had met and that a
city with such people was bound to
prosper. He stated that the residential
and other sections of the city would
compare favorably with any city in the
United States and he predicted that IN
the next 10 years Birmingham would
easily pass the half-milion mark in
population.
W. C. Pearce of Chicago, assistant
general secretary of the international
Sunday School association, and inter-
national adult superintendent, was one
of the leaders that contributed so much
to the success of the training school as
was Dr. r. ]. Bateman of Troy; Miss
Myra Batchelder of Montgomery, F. H.
Brigham of Neenah. Wis. Mrs George
Geyer, of Xenia, l. c. Palmer of Mont
gomery and many others.
A feature of the closing meeting last
night was the presentation of banners
to the prize winners of the contests
held during the session as follows:
First banner to Mrs. ]. E. Ramsay's
womans class. First Methodist church.
Second banner, largest number of
men in parade. "Avondale Builders"
Third banner, largest adult class,
First Methodist church.