Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-14
pELEcATEs FROM MANY STATES
AND MISSIONARY FIELDS AS
sEMelE.
.opT,mism cHARAcrERlzEs
REPoRTs ON MISSIONS
Werk Of Church Extended to Many
Ferejan FisIds- Christianity Credited
With Establishments Of Chinese Re-
ipub,,e-sundsy school Board Pleads
For peotrinaI Conviction and En-.
phasixins Of Greed.

\ st. Louis. May 1.-THE annual con-
vention OF the Southern Baptists. with
deleeates present from all the south
ern states and returned missionaries
from Asia, Africa and Spanish Amer
J lea. were scheduled to meet this after
noon. Committee meetings incident to
: the meeting Of the Women's Mission
ary Union, was held thruout the day In
preparation for the formal convening
of the union tomorrow morning.
The opening session Of the Baptist
convention today was scheduled to
elect officers. appoint committees and
hear the reports of the boards of for
eign and home missions and Of the
Sunday school boards.
The convention has no legislative
powers and its work will revolve
around the reports Of the administra-
tive boards Of the church.
Optimism In Reports.
!. optimism characterizes the annual
report OF the foreign mission board Of
the Southern Baptist church submitted
TO the convention today by Rev. T. B.
Ray. Of Richmond. Va. educational
secretary.
.Baptists were awakened to wbrld-
Z wide responsibilities, and at the same
time to greater opportunities before
them in the home land" says the re-
port.
The Southern Baptists now have 11s
men and 157 women missionaries In
! foreign. fields, 139 ordained native min
| listers and A47 native helpers. The
\ membership in foreign fields totals
/ mora than $1,000 and nearly $500 are
enrolled in schools and colleges.
Missions are located In China, Japan,
{ Africa, Italy. Mexico. Brazil and Ar
xentina. The total receipts of the for
eixn mission board for the year ex-
ceeds $5O0,O00. The present mission
debt is $4,000.
Conditions in Msxieo.
Considerable space is given to con-
ditions in Mexico as reported by mis-
sionaries there.
"The year 1872" reports A. n. Porter
in charge Of the south Mexican mis-
sion, will go down in history as one
OF the most trying in the history OF the
Mexican people. Thousands Of bandits
have over-run the rural districts ana
smaller towns and have left ruins and
distress everywhere. Such conditions
have made It almost impossible to do
missionary work"
r. H. Norman, of the Morelia field.
says the revolution has its compensa-
ton in the work Of native pastors
who have shown by their fidelity in
the midst of great dangers that they
irt IL, the saliva
ton Of their people"
.It also seems certain" he con-
tinued. that we are facing greater op-
nortunity than ever before. the con-
ditions are changing and the people
are reading and thinking for them
selves as never before"
The revolution in China received
much attention. Telling Of the years
work in the south China field, p. H.
Anderson reported:
"Tha recent revelation resulting In
the establishment Of the Chinese re-
nublic was the greatest single event in
the political history Of the world. 1t
was christianity that made 1t possi-
ble.''
Would Emphasize cr0sd.
The emphasis of the doctrinal char
aSter OF christianity is urged IN Sun
day school work. In the report OF the
sunday school board submitted to the
southern Baptis. convention.
In this connection the work OF the
Sunday school lesson committee OF the
church IL commended and the work OF
that committee in graded lessons for
the intermediate department is
praised.
The report concludes:
1--WE need to give emphasis to
creedal character and doctrinal con-
viction as having practical virtue and
value on every day christian living
A lack Of this is our deficiency and
w.akness and leaves the present day
christian subject to every kind of doc
Z .-...,. ..s~.,, a. avey. fad or fancy IL onlv