The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-05-21

HOT SPRINGS, Ark, May 1s.-How
war activities have directly affected
the work of the church was empha-
sized in the report which the Board OF
Home Missions made today to the
Southern Baptist Convention here.
The report called attention to the
fact that last year the convention
pledged the property, lives and sacred
honor of the Baptists Of the South to
the President of the United States in
the prosecution of the war with Ger
many and said that despite large sums
given the Red Cross and Army Y. NJ.
C. A., and the purchase OF Liberty
bonds, the Baptists Of the South have
done the largest church work in their
history in the past year. A total OF
100000 was given for this work, and
increase of more than 100000 over the
preceding year. Texas Baptists gave
the most, Georgia was second and
South Carolina third. The report
added:
1.-The war has altered many condi-
tions. There is little need for work
among immigrants as few are coming
into our country. Other centers how
ever, have arisen that demand atten-I
ton. The army camps, the ship build
ing enterprises scattered from Balti-
more to Galveston and employing
thousands of workmen, the munition
factories in Alabama and Tennessee,
some of them doubling the population
of the places where they are located,
present opportunities that cannot be
overlooked"
The report stated that IN the army
camps, in conjunction with the State
Mission secretaries and the Northern
Baptist convention, much work has
been undertaken. One camp pastor has
been sent to every cantonment in thel
South to work in harmony with the
" NJ. C. A. men and the chaplains.
Rev. George Green who was captain
in the Spanish-American war has been
put in charge of this work.
"Baptists have responded In large
numbers to the call Of their country"
said the report. Many preachers are
fighting as privates in the trenches,
while others are doing Y. NJ. c. A. work
or serving as chaplains or camp pas
tors. So patriotic have the mountain
section been that a number of thel
counties sent in their full quotas be-,
fore the draft law went into effect
and the mountain schools OF the del
show a shortage of five
young men. At the same time
the number of girl students has in
creased. In the boys dornitories inl
several schools there are many vacant
rooms but the dormitoria for the girls
are all overcrowded."
The convention was asked to author
ize an enlargement in the EvangelisticI
department. Fifteen. years ago the
board received s125.000 for current ex-I
penses and evangelism. For the pastl
year the receipts were s5s5.000. FifteenI
years ago $500 baptisms We're reported
and this year $1,000 The board esti
mated that at this rate the Southern
Baptists will be raising within the mex
fifteen years s2.630,Oo0 and that tner
will be $4,000 baptisms.
The report. setting forth athe needs
Of the twenty-Six mountain schools o
the denomination. said that the army
conains 5000 soldiers from the noun
tain sections Of the South who can
neither read nor write. III tn
churches will contribute half a mil
lion to carry on this work the peopl''l
among whom 10 Is located will rails
not less than two million dollars a year
to help in its prosecution" said the
report.
Tho board reported the purchase forI
100000 Of the Sophie Newcomb Col i