Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1913-01-10

/ City Auditorium at Chattanooga, 7 nn.
one of the greatest in history. The
promoters of the plans for the con
vention anticipate an attendance OF
I 1000 laymen and 1000 ministers and
! they see no reason, realizing the
strength of the Southern Baptist con-
stituency, why there should not be
J 1900 delegates present in all, to join
in so great an occasion.
Chattanooga Baptists pursued an
aggressive policy to secure this con-
vention, which win be the first OF its
! kind ever held by Southern Baptists.
| No efforts were spared in the cam
paign to secure it. Not only the Bap.
fists but also representatives of other
/ Christian bodies, as Wei as civic Off
| Gals, joined in the effort. For days the
meeting place of the convention was
undecided upon, as other cities offered
such fiattering inducements, but finally
| the word was given out that Chatta.
nooga had been selected and immes
diately all concerned got busy making
preliminary preparations.
The president of the Southern Bap-
! fist laymens movement is DR.. J. Har-
ry Tyler, of Baltimore, Md, and the
secretary is DR.. ]. T. Henderson, OF
Bistol, Tennessee-Virginia. Both of
and other contssting cities, and at
| Chattanooga, the place finally select
ed, they were guests of the Baptist
| pastors conference, while they were
looked out after by the wide-awake
! manager of the Hotel Patten, one of
! the largest in the south, Houston R.
Harper, a Baptist, who was active in
the campaign for the securing of the
convention for Chattanooga.
After Chattanooga had been chosen,
then there began an active campaign
throughout the south to organize the
lay forces and impress upon them the
Importance of the convention and
what it will mean to the denomination.
An Ideal Location for a Convention.
No better place than Chattanooga
could have been chosen for the con-
vention. When the Presbyterian lay.
men held their convention in that city
last winter there was general gratifi-
cation expressed that Chattanooga had
.
success from every standpoint and
many of the delegates expressed de-
sire to return at some future date for
similar occasion, stating that they
hoped Chattanooga would again be
chosen as the meeting place for the
laymen of their denomination.
A systematic canvass of the whole
south is being made. Interest is now
at high pitch. Dr. Henderson, during
the convention season among the
states, visited practically all the state
conventions of the south and was as
sured of hearty cooperation on the
part of those with whom he came into
contact. The conventions he did not
visit we're visited by other prominent
Baptists with the same results.
The fact that the convention will be
the first of its kind ever held by the
Baptists gives Importance to it. Keen
interest is manifested as to the out
! come.
Delegates Are Organizing.
In many southern centers the lay
men have organized and the pastors
have pledged their hearty cooperation
, toward securing large delegations to
go to Chattanooga. During the day
and night preceding the opening OF
, the convention there will roll into
Chattanooga special trains from all
parts of the south and special cars
bearing delegates. For the time be
! ing Chattanooga will be the mecca OF
: all Southern Baptists and those who
can not attend the convention will be
!. much in prayer as to its success.
When Chattanooga entertained the
Southern Methodist laymen, success