The Columbus commercial., 1916-11-16
MEETING OF GREAT RELIC.
lOUs BODY BEGAN
HERE YESTERDAY
MORNING.
l70i CHURCHES REPRESENTED
Pastor't Conference In Session
al the First Baptist Church
on Tuesday.
BYRD ELECTED
NEW PRESIDENT
Listen to Address by DIR. j. 3.
Lawrence in College Chapel
Monday Night.


ton did not begin until Wednesday,
delegates commenced to arrive Mon
day. and since that time the city has
been rapidly filling up with men of
ecclesiastical appearance who are to
attend the deliberations of the great
religious body, which represents l.
704 churches, with total member
ship Oh more than 10000. The fe-
male sex is always well represented
in religious work, and among those
in attendance are many women, most
Of whom came here to attend the
annual meeting of the Baptist Wom-
ans Missionary Society of the state.
The missionary workers held their
first session in the chapel of the Mis-
sissippi Industrial Institute and Col
lege Monday evening. The session
was presided over by the president,
Mrs. NJ. NJ Lackey, Of jackson, and
a feature of the program was an
address by DR.. j. Benjamin Law
renee, secretary of the Baptist State
Mission Board DIR. Lawrence was
for several years pastor of the First
Baptist Church in this city, and the
eloquent talk which he made was
listened to with genuine pleasure by
many Of his former Pensioners.
Another meeting to proceed the
regular convention was the pastors
conference, which began at $50
o'clock Tuesday morning. This con-
ference was held at the First Baptist
and various problems pertaining to
The country church formed the prin-
cipal theme of discussion, among the
collateral topics discussed having
been the following
"The Country Church Denomina-
tional Asset" ]. P. Williams, Col
Inns, "The Problems of the Country
Church" J. A. Rogers, Amory; "The
Country Church as Related to Com
munity Life" W. |, Hargis, Oxford ;
"The Proper Attitude of the Town
Church Towards the Country
Church" w. NJ. Bostick, Columbia.
In addition to the above program
addresses were delivered by DR., A.
T. Robertson, of the Southern Bap-
tist Theological Seminary at Louis
vile, KY, and Dr.. L. f. Scarborough,
of the Southwestern Theological
Seminary at Wort Worth, Texas, the
later having spoken Tuesday night.
The initial session of the conven-
tion proper began at the First Bap-
tist church at 8 o'clock yesterday
morning, having been presided over
by President j. l.. Johnson, of Hat
tiesburg. Devotional exercises open.
ed the program, after which the ad
dress of welcome was delivered by
Hon. H. L. Whitfield, president OF
DR.. ] l.. Vipperman pastor of
the First Baptist Church. Dir
Vipperman made an eloquent and
delegates that not only adherents t
the Baptist faith but all Columbians
regardless of creed or denomination
aifiliation, were glad to have then
in their midst. Response to this ad
dress was made by DR.. w. T. Lowr!
of Blue Mountain, who spoke of tn
fame which Columbus enjoys as ;
center of religion, culture and hos
pitality, and assured his hearers tha
il was pleasure to the visitors :
be entertained by such gracious an
affable hosts. Following these ad
dresses, the convention began tn
transaction Of routine business, an
the remainder of the morning ses
sion was devoted to reports from tn
committee on publication and fror
the hospital board.
Reports of committees also con
sumed the afternoon session, state
ments showing the work accom-
plished during the past year havin
been submitted by the trustees o
the State Baptist Orphans Home. tn
committee on laymen's work and tn
committee on ministerial education
1t T::2o o'clock last night the cor
vention sermon was delivered by d
Martin Ball of Hattiesburg. who
one Of the leading divines of th