Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-19
.BAPT|STs, IN MEETING,
QUICKLY RAISE s30,344
Southern Convention Seeks to Wine
Ont Foreign Mission Boards
Debt Of S1SO,O00.
WOMAN GIVES DIAMOND RING
Officers and Delegates Promise to
Obtain Full Amount by Friday
Night - Great Enthusiasm Dis
played Following Dr.. Loves Talk.
WOMAN GIVES DIAMOND RING

ASHEVILLE. y. C., May 1S.-Swept
by wave of enthusiasm that started
with gift Of s25. when Rev. j. F.
Love. D. D.. secretary Of the board OF
foreign missions. was explaining how
the board had piled up a debt Of
slso.000 this year. the Southern Rap-
ttst Convention in session here raised
&30.344 before adjournment. shortly
after midnight, towards clearing off
the debt and its officers and delegates
promised to raise the full amount by
Friday night. and said they then
then would seek 20 raise the S72,0
debt facing the home mission board
Texas delegates promised to try TO
raise $4,000 of the foreign mission
board debt, in addition to the $4,000
pledges announced from the platform
The money was raised without any
apparent prearranged plan after the
committees to whom the question OF
the debt had been referred had recon-
mended stringent economy for the en-
suing year. Delegates and foreign
missionaries home on furlouEh had told
OF their work and expenses. DIR. Love
then asked the privilege of explain
ing that the necessity Of keeping up
tho educational work in foreign fields
this year. The s2S contribution came
from n man whose name could not be
learned Joshua B. Levering. Of Bal
tmore. former president of the board.
offered $4,000. on the condition that the
entire fund he raised within sixty days
NJ. *. Wolfe. who was defeated for the
presidency. here with the Texas dele
cation, promised to try to raise $4,000
in all.
y woman sent q diamon ring to the
platform, and contributions ranging
from IS in cash to $1,000 pledges began
pouring in. Various State delegations
promised amounts OF from $4,000 to
$4,000, and il was announced that other
State delegations would announce their
pledge after meeting Friday.
Rev. j. l.. Gross, of Houston, TEX.
announced that kilograms would be
sent over the South tonight asking
aid and, in delivering the benedictlon
prayed that God may bless the wires
OF the Associated Press as they fash
this news throughout the country"
PLAN TO BRING RUSSIANS
INTO THE BAPTIST CHURCH
Plans to send missionaries to German
and Austrian prison camps, to attempt
to convert to the Baptist faith the
100000 Russian prisoners OF war
held there, were outlined TO the convcn-
tion late to-day at II session devoted
Chiefly to hearing experiences OF mis-
sionaries returned from foreign fields,
The idea OF converting war prisoners
was advanced by n native Russian,
known In the country as Fetler, who
told the convention that he had been
banished from Russia because OF his
religious activities after adopting the
Baptist faith in Petrograd.
After the war we can build churches
in Russia" Fetler said, "but now ne
must take advantage of an opportunity
we never may have again in n thou
sand years. and convert these Russians
in prison. II we can convert them to
our Christian faith. they will create
such religious awakening when they
go home after tho war as tho world
never has seen"
No formal action was taken on tho
suggestion. but many delegates to the
convention wept as Fetler described
religious prosecutions in Russia OF
Jews and Baptists alike"
FAvORS PLAN TO AID
JUDSOS MEMORIAL CHURCH
The convention went on record AS
tndorsing a project brought to II by
Rev. Arthur T. Brooks. OF Judson Me-
Continued on Third FaEa) =