The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-03-30
BIBLE CONFERENCE
CLOSED WEDNESDAY
Most Successful Gathering
Ever Held Here-Blg
Attendance.

The fourteenth annual session Of
the Southfeld Bible Conference clos
ed on Wednesday night.
Rev. l.. S. Chafer, founder of the
conference and who has been a lead
iEg worker at every session, seemed
greatly pleased with the work. 20
quote his own words: 1T Is tnt !.
season of work the Southte.I Blue
Conference mas ever provided.
"Ihis Conference" SAID he, "has
been marked by several new features:
The time was extended to thlrty-slX
days, whereas no previous meeting
has lasted beyond 10 days. The at
tendance has been upwards of one
hundred who came from all parts of
the United States. This places this
Conference on par with several well
known gatherings Of the same char
acter in the North. All conferences
are less attended than ten years ago.
Another feature of this season in
Crescent City has been the enthusi-
asm on the part Of all attending.
Everyone proposes, if possible to re-
turn next year az many have vol
unteered to bring others. One prom
inent minister from Denver, Colorado,
is quoted as saying 81 intend to bring
twenty next year from Denver
From this and other indications as
well as plans of advertising it is prob
able that Crescent City will be called
upon to open all available rooms by
another season.
"This conference has been charac-
terized by its gifts to missionary
work. No public offerings have been
taken other than the regular church
offerings on Sundays; but about
$550.0O has been given to three mis-
sions in response to a simple notice
from the platform that such offer
ings could be given-$102.OO to the
South African General Mission, S225.-
90 to the Central American Mission
and about $225.00 to the Sculpture
Gift Mission of London" which is
giving the gospel to the soldiers in
the trenches.
"Some very remarkable prayer
meetings have been held In the morn
ing hour. Few conferences will offer
this season a list Of better known
Bible Teachers. 1t is thought by
some that the effect would have been
just as good if the speakers could
have continued longer even though
there had been fewer in number.
"No conference in Crescent City
has ever had such q wealth Of sa-
cred song. The congregational sing
ing has been most unusual and the
special singing far beyond that heard
at the large gatherings OF the north.
The conference closed with Doctor
George H. Dowkontt and Rev. l.. 5.
Chafer as the teachers. And the in
terest and deep fellowship continued
to the last. Mrs. Dowkontt's singing
has been great feature Of the clos
ing days.
at was pointed out from the plat
form that the teaching of this con-
ference is the pure doctrine of the BIZ
BILE. Just such well founded conclu-
sions and beliefs as are held by all
the expositors in the Bible Institutes
of the world. 1t would, therefore,
be most unjust to conclude that some
"fad" of doctrine was being pressed
in this Institute. The Bible is al
most one fourth in prophetic form
and no true expositor of the entire
text of scripture can ignore these
great themes, though they might not
receive their due proportion OF en-
phasis by the rank and file of faith
full pastors. Far better that these
great subjects should be rightly
taught by the best fitted teachers
than to leave the Christian public to
drift with some of the false sys-
TENS that are now misleading so ma
nv and only because they do not know
the whole testimony of God.
"About one hundred dollars worth
of books, bibles and tracts were sold
from the literature table during this
conferences"