The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-05-29
GROWTH OF BAPTISTS
orv W. L. PICKARD GIVES STA
r1cTICS OF DENOMINATION.
,,tbo,p White Baptists Number
. 522 .633, of Which Georgia Has
oe- O79. With 2,423 Churches.

y
oszO79, With 2,423 Churches.
Rev. W. L. Pickard, writing of the
recent Southern Baptist convention
IN Nashville, says:
oAnd as We go preach, saying, the
tirgdom of heaven s at hand"
Matthew 1927.
nur Lord sent His disciples forth
% nreach 1.-The kingdom of heaven is
At hand" They were to be kingdom
hriIders by preaching the message of
tho kingdom and doing the work of
+bo kingdom. After a time the dis
oinIes made report of their work.
roIIowjng their example | wish to
make to you a report of the work of
Southern Baptists last year. 1t is
more thrilling than a novel and has
in il the note of triumph.
The convention at Nashville,
Tenn. which met May 10, was a no.
table one. There were present, in
ronnd numbers, about 1000 dele
gates The "Woman's Auxiliary"
and visitors brought the number up
IN at least 5000. 1t met in Ryman
Auditorium, building seating 1900
persons, and this was, at times, too
small for the great audiences that
gathered to hear the reports of the
work from the world fields.
The Baptist Forces.
These are now among the great
christian forces of the world. and
never we're they more united and
aggressive than now. The Baptist
forces of America are 5,799,253 by
the latest reports. Our total increase
last year was 493,2O1. And our net
increase was 10000.
Of these Southern white Baptists
number 2,522,633. Southern white
Baptists have 24,171 churches. Of
these Texas leads the list with 1915
churches and 326,357 members,
Georgia comes next with 2,423
churches and 2S7, O79 members. The
total number of Georgia Baptists,
white and colored, is 5S7,640. Alto
gether Georgia leads the world in
Baptist members.
Baptists are no longer a weak peo-
pie. They have in the South church
property valued at $4S,604,13S. The
Baptist churches of the South con-
tributed to missions last year ST.
696,335. And to all purposes they
gave $12,158,586. OF this Texas
leads with $2,1S4,648, and Georgia
comes next with $1,127,157. Many
of the individual states are doing
more for missions than the whole
South did forty years ago.
Baptist Mission Work.
Southern Baptists have set their
mission task next year at a great fig
ure. Foreign missions are set at
S65S,250, and home missions at
$461, 250, a total of 1,120,500 for
these purposes. In addition to this
they propose to finish the million dol
lar fund for the Judson centennial,
100000 of which is already raised,
and also 10 press the raising of ST.
100000 as a church building and
loan fund to help in the building OF
weak churches.
Our seminary at Louisville had 4Ol
students this year studying for the
ministry and mission work. Ot
these 50 per cent. are college and
university graduates before going to
the seminary for a three-years'
course there. The Texas seminary
follows close behind this in mem
0ers. When it is remembered that
We have nine great theological SEM
naries in the United States, with
more than 100000 endowment,
and about fifteen young men study
Ing for the university, it will be seen
mat our people are among the great
religious leaders of the world and
IN this regard the leaders. Besides
these, we have theological schools in
Italy, South America, China and
Burma, in which we are educating
many native preachers for preaching
the gospel in their own TONGUES.