Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-05-08
BAPTISTS WILL
ADMIT WOMEN
AS DELEGATES
Equality of Women Innova
ton Being Watched
With Interest.

Atlanta, Ga, May Sat the an
nual Southern Baptist convention,
meeting here May ID to 10, women
for the first time will be admitted as
delegates on an equality with men
and busy sessions are indicated.
5. Southern Baptists were greatly
displeased at the ruling of the war
department at Washington in con-
nection with camp pastors, feeling
with other evangelical denominations
that they were Disseminated against
and it is expected the convention will
make known it's attitude toward the
policy of the war department
Much interest is being manifested
by the denomination as to the out
come of the drive for missions under
taken after the convention at Hot
Springs, Ark, last year authorized it's
boards to plan work on basis of
$2,50O,000 for the present year, ST.
100000 for home missions and ST.
100000 for foreign missions. That is
rs percent greater than the sum
raised last year. Leading ministers
and laymen Throughout the South
have been active, and the outlook is
that the money will have been raised
when the convention meets.
The admission of women as dele
gates on an equality with men is
being watched with interest. For
more than rs years the convention
has maintained the policy that wo-
men should be silent in the churches
when men were present. Last years
convention adopted resolution al
lowed the women to be admitted
Many women oppose the change be-
lieving their work should be confin-
ed to the individual churches. Many
men oppose their admission on the
ground that the membership of the
convention already is too large and
should be divided.
A call for an all-American Baptist
convention at an early date probably
will be advocated by the Southern
Baptists in view Of the widespread
agitation on the question of uniting
the various denominations and fed
Grating the churches. The opinion
among some Southern Baptists is
that they cannot conscienciously en-
ter into any such movement and that
some authoritative body of all BRAN
ches of the denomination should be
constituted to pass upon the question
and set forth the Baptist view.
May Establish Seminary.
Final steps toward the establish
ment Of a negro Baptist theological
seminary, undertaken by joint COM
mission from Southern, Northern and
negro Baptist conventions are ex-
pected TO be taken at the coming ses-
sions, Memphis, Tenn, in all probab-
ility, will be the location of the pro-
posed seminary and the initial cost
probably will be not less than $780,
900.
Indications are that large num-
Der of churches of Missouri with
withdraw from the northern conven-
ton and unite with the southern at
the coming sessions There has been
q division among the Baptists of
Missouri where some churches belong
to the northern and some to the
southern convention. A movement
has been on foot for some time with
view to having all belond to one
convention and the trend of the move
ment has been toward the southern
convention, with which, it is claimed,
most Of the churches have been the
closer touch.
The interests Of the country church.
es will be given careful consideration
this year.
Among the speakers will be men
who have served in the great war.
DR.. George w. Truett, of Dallas,
Tex: DR.. Henry A. Porter, of Allan
ia; Dr. M. E. Dodd, of Shreveport,
La, as well as large number of
men who have been in service in the
trenches and with the Young Mems
Christian Association, will be pres
ent. Between 5000 and 5000 people
are expected to attend the sessions.
DR.. j. B. Gamble, of Fort Worth,
Tex, it is expected will be reelected
president and DR.. Hight C. Moore, of
Nashville, Tenn, reelected as one of
the secretaries. Another secretary in
place Of the late DR.. Oliver F. Greg
DRY will be elected. Dr. Gambrell, who
was a confederate soldier and SER
we'd on the staff of General Robert E.
Lee, will preside and address the
opening session.
DR.. L. r. Scarborough, a Texas,
chairman of the committee appointed
last year to work for the filling of
the large; number of vacant pastor
ates and to stimulate interest among
young men to study for the ministry,
will report to the convention.
MAY REFUSE To