Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-05-25
BAPT|STS RAISED
PRACTICALLY HALF
MILLION DOLLARS

NEW ORLEANS, La, May 25.-Near-
ly half million dollars-$47G,075 to-
be exact-was raised last year by thv
he me mission board Of the Southern
Baptist convention, according to it's
report to the convention in session
here.
Churches in the South contributed
$S62,61S From the department OF
evangelism $34,1O0 was secured. The
church extension department raised
$5S,691. In cash and contributions this
department raised $156,O00.
A debt Of $4,000 was reduced to
$S6,S3s by reason Of the smallest adj
ministrative expenses in the boards
history.
The boards work added 60,202 new
members to the church and had l,7IO
volunteers for ministry and mission
work.
In the enlistment department work
was done in six states where 266 in
stitutes were held. Eighty churches
were grouped into seventy-six pastoral
fields and % churches were led to in
crease the number of preaching SER
vices. Sixty-four pastorless fields we're
served The sum raised in this de-
partnent was $5s,524.
In the mountain regions two new
schools were opened. The cost for con-
Quoting the schools in which over five
thousand pupils are being taught was
$1S3,000, of which all but $3S,O00 was
given by the mountaineers. These
schools have graduated 149 students, OF
whom ia have gone to college
AS result of the work done by the
schools not single vote has heen cast
against prohibition in single town
ship in which these schools are To-
Gated.
The board maintains seven mission
cry workers among the Indians and
four churches for the Blanket Tribes
and also is rendering service in twelve
government schools. among the five
civilized tribes the board co-operates
with the Oklahoma state board in main-
tanning ten missionaries and superin-
tendent who have baptized during the
year 1876 converts and raised for all
purposes $s.720.
Thirty eight missionaries and three
evangelists have been at work among
TIE negroes. From them 4.S4S addi-
tions have been reported to the
churches, 2,627 by baptism.
During the year 80 missionaries
have been engaged in working among
foreigners.
Notable progress was made during
the past year in the work of carrying
the GOSPEL into foreign lands in spite of
war conditions in two of them, Italy
and Mexico. The report of the foreign
mission board. presented to the con-
vention shows there were 6,47S bap-
tisms, an increase of two.
The board maintains 45S churches
with total membership Of
147,161 Sunday schools number Sos,
with an enrolment of 1,575 scholars.
Last year the number of self-support-
ing churches increased from 50 to 115.
Eighty-two new stations were opened
and 81 new Sunday schools were or
ganized. Twenty-one new schools were
opened with 500 students. The med
ioal missionaries treated 29,36S more
patients than the year before.
Mission work abroad is being done
by 800 missionaries and 609 native
workers, seventeen medical missiona-
ries, six trained nurses, twelve native
physicians and "a native nurses. The
board has is hospitals in which 1894
patients were treated.
Marked advance has been made in,
Brazil, where money from the Juason
centennial fund enabled the board to
erect building for a college and SEMI
mary at Rio de Janeiro at a cost of
SIS 1000. and to purchase I 1-2 acres
for college and seminary at Pernm-
bueo at a cost of $4,000. In north-
ern Brazil there are Al churches own
ing their buildings, and in soutaern
Brazil %.
More than 100000 copies of the BIZ
bIe and the New Testament were dis
Iributed among the soldiers in the
italian army Two missionaries in Ja-
ian have sold enough Bibles within the
asst Eve years to make stack 75.6o0
'eet high.