Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1919-09-04
The Three Forks Association.
BY r. M. 3.

forty churches and nearly as ma
ny licensed preachers in the
county. 1t ows its supremacy
in numbers, perhaps, to the ap-
peal of it's democratic organiza
ton to the early settlers in the
mountains rather than to any .ag.
gressiveness in recent years. 1t
numbers among it's members
many of the most substantial and
progressive citizens of the. coun.
ty; it includes alsothe great mass
who drift with the crowdin creed
as in other things. Its leading
pa seachers have been men of limi-
ted education, self-made men. As
a denomination the Baptists have
been conservative little prone
to go after strange gods, slow to
adopt new ideas or new methods.
But a change is at hand. The
Three Forks Association held its
annual meeting at Mabel last
week. This association is com
posed of thirty-six, l believe, OF
the Baptist churches of the coun
ty. Within the last few years
group of young men-laymen-
have become prominent in its
counsels. They saw certain
things that they thought needed
doing, and with the courage Cor
if you please, the rashness- of
youth, they setabout doing them.
They won their first point last
year when they instructed the
executive committee of the asso.
citation to secure an evangelist or
field mani am not sure what
they call him-tO work through
out the association. This year
they returned with larger plans.
And they secured for them the
approval of the association. In
fact from the moment they elect,
ed their candidate for moderator
to the hour of adjournment they
were in control. A few of the
FOLDER leaders joined them hearti
ly. The others with the masses
followed, somewhat hesitatingly
but they followed. There were
moments when a break seemed
imminent, but by skillful leader
ship and vehement earnestnesS
the progressive group bore theil
more hesitant brethren forward
with them. Today, measured by
the ordinary standards of churcl
advancement, the Baptists have
by far the most progressive ani
the most aggressive program O.
any denomination in the county.
They have already secured a.
their tield-man a good organize
a I'd a tireless worker Rev. Nj. A
Adams. They have under wa,
a plan for the forming of fields
composed of two or three church
es with a pastor who will giveh
whole time to the group. They
are makingdefini Encouragement
for a series of Institutes to b,
held in the various churches TO
the training of Sunday SchoC
workers. These institutes will b
held by the best talent from tn
= ranks of the Southern Baptists.
l have said that the younge
men were in control; but, the
did not hold the center of t h
stage all the time. The report o
temperance provoked an intere.
ting discussion. The tobacco hal
y it was strongly condemned in
discussion led by old men, seve
:, al of whom confessed they wei
u tobacco users. The weed foun
v but one defender, or, rather
y apologist. One had visions of IL
y time when, if a certain prom
" nent candidate for Governor. f,
instance-, should start to an ass
! citation, he might be met on Il
Il outskirts of the crowd by h
u sheriff and firmly led away init
~ other direction because he had
quid in his mouth. These are Il
Al happenings of the first day.
The second was to be the b