The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-11-22
GREAT TASK F0R
TIE GEORGIA
BAPT1STS

The Baptists of Georgia are coming
| down to the home stretch OF very
remarkable money-raising campaign.
| 1t has been something like Y. NJ. c.
A. or Red Cross drive on small
scale, an it has been so quietly con-
Quoted that comparatively few peo-
pie knew anything about it. For a
! number Of years the annual conven
ton, made up of representatives from
all the missionary Baptist churches in
| the state, has been greatly troubled
about large debts resting upon its
properties, especially its institutions
of learning
In recent years the growth of Mer-
| Ger University, the college for men
at Macon; Bessie Tiff College for
women at Forsyth, and the Orphans
| Home at Hapevi1le has been so rapid
| ing buildings and in carrying on the
work. The needs of these institutions
were SO imperative that delay was out
of the question The money had to
, be raised at once if the work was to
, be kept up to the high standard upon
which it had been started. The credit
| Of the denomination was good for any
| amount, and the debts were made.
When the convention met in FitZ-
gerald in 1915 the delegates began to
agitatc the question of paying off
these debts. They ran all the way
from high school with debt of one
hundred and fifty dollars to Mercer
University with one of two hundred
and thirty thousand dollars. There
was debt of forty thousand dollars
on the mission board, one of one hun
bred thousand on Bessie Tit College
and one hospital, another II the or
phans' home. There were smaller
debts on number of high scohols
owned by the denomination in differ
ent parts of the state. The next year
at the Commerce convention the
debts amounted to half million dol
lars in round numbers.
After giving the question careful
consideration it was decided to raise
this money and wipe out all OF the
debts.
The Baptists have carried on their
regular work, costing about a million
dollars, have bought their share of
liberty bonds, have contributed lib
orally to the Y M. c. A. and the Red
subscriptions for this debt the sum
OF four hundred and fifty thousand
nine hundred and twenty-one dollars.
They have in sight money enough to
wipe out the entire debt, that was re-
ported to the Fitzgerald convention.
It had grown by the time the Com
mcrce convention met, and then some
of the subscribers have died and in
terest has accumulated which has re-
duced the amount to about three hun
! dred and fifty thousand dollars. This
makes it necessary to raise about one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars be-
tween this and the tenth of December,
when the convention meets at For
syth. This will free every institution
from debt.
Two thousand dollars day must
be raised The Baptist feel that they
are so near the goal, and fail they
will if the whole sum is not raised
1t was decided at the start that no
gift was binding unless the entire
amount was raised.
1t is a strenuous undertaking, a
heroic effort, but these are strenuous
times, heroic days, and people of all
religious faiths will watch this move
ment with more than the usual
ment with more than the usual
amount of interest. Every church that
has not given will be asked to con~
tribute, every association meeting wilt
be visited and the three hundred thou
sand white Baptists of Georgia will
repudiatc the credit system, which has
cost the South millions of dollars, and
will hereafter conduct their business
on a cash basis.
/