Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-17
Baptists of State
Preparing to Hold
Annual Convention
Special Problems Will Be Dis
cussed and New Plans for
Mission Work.

After a campaign of publicity in the
form of regional conferences" held
in different sections of the State,
and a "Layman's Sunday" when lay
men occupied a number of pulpits, the
New Jersey Baptist churches are to
hold their eighty-fifth annual con-
vention in the First Baptist Church of
Atlantic City, making the official
headquarters at the Hotel Chalfonte,
October 26-2S. The regional con-
ferences" were held to interest lay
men in the local work of their own
churches and to awaken larger in
terest in the State convention.
The convention itself is missionary
organization and has no legislative
function. 1t cares for the new and
weak churches that have been planted
by it throughout the State. Allied
with the convention are the New Jer-
sey Baptist Education Society and the
Young Peoples Societies. Preced-
ing the sessions of the convention
pastors conference is annually held.
The general secretary of the con-
vention is Rev. Delevan DeWolf, of
this city. OF the education society
Rev. Frank A. Smith, pastor of the
Central Baptist Church, of Elizabeth.
is the secretary. The secretary of the
Young Peoples work is Rev. William
II. Bawden, pastor of the First Bap-
fist Church, Perth Amboy. The presi-
dent of the convention Is F. w. Aver.
Camden, also chairman of the State
Y. M. C. A. executive committee.
The State mission work of this con-
Vention includes the care of Hun
garian, Italian, Swede Norwegian.
German, Slavak, Polish and other
missions. The convention is to con-
slider subjects which have for some
time been under the survey of COM
mittees that are to make reports.
Five problems are to be brought
before the convention, the problem of
the country churches, suburban COM
munities, along the seaside, work
among the foreign population, and
work for the young people. Among
the speakers of the conference will
be Dean Smaller Mathews, of the
Divinity School of the University of
Chicago; Rev. DR.. Carl d. Case, of
Buffalo, formerly of Montclair; Rev.
DR.. Arthur Fowler, pastor of the
North Orange Baptist Church. Con-
siderable time is to be given to dis
cussion on the five problems of the
convention. Dean Smaller Mathews
is the president of the Federal Coun-
Gil of the Churches of Christ in
America. He has recently been
chosen to lecture before Japanese
universities the coming winter on
1.-THE Claims of Christianity"
Dean Mathews will be the principal
speaker and will speak three times,
first in an address at the pastors
conference, on 1.-THE Christian Min
lister, a Leader of Men" At this con-
ference papers are to be read by Rev.
Henry S. Potter, of the Bloomfield
Baptist Church, and Rev. ID. II. Clare,
of the First Baptist Church of East
Orange At the initial meeting of the
convention an address will be given
on THE Apology of Jesus Christ by
Rev. Arthur T. Fowler, of the North
Orange Baptist Church. and by Dean
Smaller Mathews, for the second time.
The subject for his third address will
be "The Modernness of the Bible"
Rev. DR.. Carl d. Case will have as
his subject 1.-THE Lure of the Impos-
sible." This will be a subject for the
young peoples session.
There are 374 Baptist churches in
the State, owning church property
valued at $6,956072. and spending for
current expenses $571,972 a year, ac-
cording to the last report Benevo-
lences last year were $144,747. OF the
number of churches, ninety-two are
of the total number are mission
churches, distributed among the nine
associations, or subsidiary organiza-
lions of the State.
The education society has the care
of about thirty young men in train
ing for pastorates. Some of these
will become the leaders of churches
made up of foreign populations. The
number of churches in the State has
- 80 49, gaIx
each year since 1903, and in the same
period the value of church property
has increased over 100000 Not only
is the convention to consider it's mis-
sion policy, but reports will be made
by commissions that will carry sug-
gestions and recommendations of a
character calling for the adoption of
new methods of work and larger
outlook.