The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-13
MAY CONSOLIDATE
 MISSION BOARDS Baptist Committee Urges
 Such Action OFFICERS ELECTED Meeting in Houston Inaugurates Movement to Withdraw Young
 People From World
 Wide Glasses

Houston. Tex, May 12-Committee recommendations against the proposed consolidation of the home and foreign cards, inaugura tion of movement 10 withdraw Baptist young people from the world wide Baraca and Philathea classes and election of officers were features of the opening session here to- day of the sixtieth annual session CT the Southern Baptist convention. The Woman's Missionary union, an auxiliary to the convention, appointed various committees, and received re- ports from It's officers. This organi- 2ation will elect officers Saturday. There were 1905 registered delegates to the convention and 360 to the meet irg of the auxiliary body. Those who attended the opening of the convention included representatives of southern Baptist churches in every southern state and delegates from southern Hi nois. where many Baptist churches are affiliated with the southern convest'on Representatives of the National Zap st convention (negro) also were pres cit.
 The convention sermon was delivered l.night by pr. J. W. Porter of LexinE- ton, Ky. In his sermon Dr. Porter pro- tested against universities becoming secular organizations.
 strangely enough our universities have proven our religious storm cen ters.' he said. From them have come | the heterogeneous heretics whom Tor sweet charitys sake, we call higher critics. but who are in reality che l nies of the cross
 al1 fad htr convention provides for the principal busi-
 ness sessions to be held in the morning and at night Reports read to the con vention late today or distributed in print ed form which will be taken up for dis l cussior later, included those from the commission on efficiency, the Sunday
 school board, the foreign mission board, | the womans' missionary union the lay mems movement and the home mission board, and that from pr. E. C. Dargan of Macon. Ga. chairman of the commis- | sion to arrange for a world conference on faith and order The report Of the executive committee on Baptist Young Peoples Union and the report of Dr
 Burrows, who also is statistical secretary will be delivered later.
 l The recommendations against suggest ed consolidation of the foreign and tn home mission boards of the convention | vas made in the report of the commis sion on efficiency which declared tha all hut one member of the board believed such a move would not be wise. This I commis sson. taking up the suggestion tha | Home Field and the Foreign Mission, tw' | Baptist magazines. be consolidated. de | clined to make recommendation on this | s,fbject suggesting that the convention | consider the matter at length and aci upon 1t at the next annual meeting. Nc | recommendations were made on the mum l her and salaries of, the seoretSYies of th' lyarious boards the comipissioh deciarini this was matter for the board
 Sunday School Report
 Dr. J. M. Frost of Nashville presente, the report of the Sunday school board in which objections were voiced to Bap
 tist young people being members of thu | Baraca and Philthea cla sses which ar' found in many Baptist Sunday schools These classes are interdenominational ant the report recommended that all Baptis classes, regardless of class name, shoul, be grouped and affiliated in the conven tion's adult class department with tn
 motto, "The Bible and the Church. Thi
 report was set for discussion Saturday.
 The foreign mission boards report mad
 a plea for more, missionaries and exten
 sion of Baptist activity in foreign fields
 It told of progress made during the pas
 year.
 The report of the woman's Missionar,
 union showed that organization. to hav'
 a membership of S00.000 and told of tn
 unions efforts for the Baptist cause q
 home and abroad. It 'challenged tn
 laymens movement to take up the Sun
 day school training of boys of 12 year
 of age and older.
 In the report on the laymens move ment it was urged that a avman's con
 vention be he dearly next year, the tim
 and place to be decided by the executiv committee of the movement. An increas in tithes. or those who have promises
 to pay 10 per cent of their earnings [ the church. was announced. in man cities the tthes being doubled.
 Urge Rural Development
 ! The home mission board announced tn addition of some 63,000 Baptsts since tn last annual convention and urged develop t ment of Baptist rural churches. fun for this purpose having been started. | was stated this boards deficit had bee 9 reduced since it's report was printed. frof 5 s22,oo0 to s13.00o, several donations havin l been late in arriving.
 l Dr. Dargan in his report of the Soutl