The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1913-08-01
BAPTISTS make
GREAT ADVANCE
Growth In Numbers Reaches
Into the Millions.
INFLUENCE OF Or. MORRIS.

oP0OsoS VO9S0r0 ~ Somtu0 "ooSinS
sf the National Baptist Convention
In ssptsmbsr-busy Life Of Or
Charles stswart.
Helena, Ark.-This Ii the year Of
celebration among the members Of the
race, and great are the efforts being
put forth In the various departments
Of racial agencies. The churches Of
the country are calling upon the people
to show appreciation in some way to
God for directing the hand which
wrote the emancipation proclamation
fifty years ago. Educational institu
lions are asking for endowments. and
some are calling upon the race to come
together In thanksgiving services.
Perhaps the most elaborate planned
celebration by any religious body Is
that Of the national Baptist conven.
tion, in shape Of an exposition to be
conducted during the session of the
convention Sept II to 20, in Nashville
Tenn. Arrangements are being made
by the Nashville people to entertain
10000 visitors, and the various boards
Of the convention are at work on de-
tails for the celebration.
Rev. Elias @. Morris, D. D.. of Hele-
ma, Ark, has been at the head Of the
convention for almost quarter Of a
century and has the confidence Of the
Baptists throughout the country. For
q number Of years DR.. Morris has been
a recognized leader among his people
throughout the country and has been
foremost in every movement that
meant racial development. He has
been the pastor of one church thirty
years, having celebrated the thirtieth
anniversary Of his pastorate in July.
which was a great event, and brought
together 1000 people from all parts of
Arkansas and visitors from other
states. The anniversary sermon was
preached by DR.. Charles Stewart of
Chicago, the veteran newspaper CORE
spondent
It was at the 1912 session of the ma
tional Baptist convention that DR.. Nor
ris recommended that the $500, 900
Baptists show to the world the prog
ress made by the race in the past fifty
years and recommended that an expo
sition be held In connection with the
convention. This was unanimously
adopted. and already fifty commission
ers are at work collecting data, charts
and inventions made by members Of
the race. Encouraging reports are be-
ing received by the president from all
parts of the country.
President Morris Is among those ben
Gifted by the emancipation proclama-
ton, and he is laboring night and day
to make the exposition feature a sue
cess. The Baptists Of the country are
rallying to his support
feature Of the conventions work and
the progress Of the race has been made
by the board, and some Of the ablest
men Of both races will deliver ad-
dresses. It Is expected that $4,000
people will attend this meeting Of the
convention and that it will be the
greatest gathering Of Baptists ever as
sembled at any one time.
One Of the marvels Of the age Is the
wonderful advancement made by the
Negroes in the last fifty years, and
yet there are many people in our own
country who do not know of this won
derful advancement, and It Is proposed
to show in limited way, by means of
q celebration of the fiftieth anniver-
sary Of the emancipation Of the race.
that the race has made good" In
these fifty years. Especially Is It true
In q religious sense Blessed Is that
race (nation) whose God Is the Lord"
In giving reasons for such celebra-
tion the Hrst and perhaps the great
est one Is the fact God has been with
the race In all the days Of its freedom
and has raised up friends in the
stronger and more advanced race, who
have been constant in their efforts to
help the Negro rise, and for this rea-
son the principal religious organiza-
lions among the people Of our race
should celebrate with thanksgiving
and praise the success which has come
to them In these ffty years.
A second reason Is that the harder
the persecution heaped upon the race
In some sections Of the country by
those who would prevent its growth
the greater has been its progress ma
terially. Intellectually and religiously.
Third, to convince the world that the
Jimcrow legislation and other pro-
scriptive and unjust laws enacted In
many Of the states with a view to dis
courage. humiliate and retard the prog.
ress Of the race have failed Of their
purpose and that the race can show by
correct statistics that no race In any
time has made greater advancement
under similar circumstances.
Fourth. the celebration will be a
means Of giving encouragement to
those Of our own race who have lost
courage and will inspire In them
hope which will make the future
achievements Of the race far greater
than they have been In the past and
will serve to unity the efforts In the
future advancement Of the race"
The largest auditorium In Nashville
has been secured for the meeting Of
A. and Craanwnnd narIr