Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-05-12
BAPTISTS MAY
AIR FEELING ON
CAMP PASTORS

ATLANTA, May 12.-(By Associated
Press AT the annual Southern Bap
fist convention. meeting here May IA
to 19, women for the first time will be
admitted as delegates on an equality
with men and busy sessions are indi-
Gated.
Southern Baptists were greatly dis
pleased at the ruling of the War De-
partment at Washington in connection
with camp pastors, feeling with other
evangelical denominations that they
were Disseminated against and it is
expected the convention will make
known its 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 convention at Hot Springs,
Ark, last year authorized its boards
to plan work on a basis of 81 100000
for the present years. 100000 for
home missions and $1,500,000 for for
eign missions. That is Is per cent lar
ger than the sum raised last year
Leading ministers and laymen through
out the south have been active and the
outlook is that the money will have
been raised when the convention
meets.
Breaks IS Year Precedent.
The admission of women as dele
gates on an equality with men is be-
ing watched with interest For more
than IS years the convention has main
tanned the policy that women should
be silent in the churches when men
were present. Last years convention
adopted resolution allowed the w0-
men to be admitted Many women OPP
pose the change believing their work
should be confined to the individual
churches. Many men oppose their adj
mission on the ground that the mem
bership of the convention already is
too large and should be divided.
A call for an all-American Baptist
convention at an early date probably
VIII NC dufONdtCu ny lAC IL
Baptists in view of the Widespread agi-
tation on the question of uniting the
various denominations and decorating
the churches. The opinion among some
Southern Baptists is that they cannot
conscientiously enter into any such
movement and that some authoritative
body of all branches of the denomina-
ton should be constituted to pass up
on the question and set forth the Bap
fist view
Final steps toward the establish
ment of a negro Baptist theological
seminary undertaken by a joint COM
mission from Southern, Northern and
Negro Baptist conventions, are expect
ed to be taken at the coming session.
Memphis, Tenn in all probability will
be the location of the proposed semi
nary and the initial cost probably will
be not less than $4,000.
Churches to Withdraw.
Indications are that large number
of churches of Missouri will withdraw
from the Northern convention and
unite with the Southern convention at
the coming sessions. There has been a
division among the Baptists o. Mis-
souri, where some churches bel ng to
the Northern ana some to the South
ern convention. \ movement has been
on loot for some time with a view to
having all belong to one convention
and the trend OF the movement has
been rowarj the Southern convention
with which, it is claimed, most of the
churches have been in closer touch.
The interest 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.