The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-03
.BAPTISTS LAUNCH
NEGRO SEMINARY.

Nashville. Tenn. Sept. Plans for
the launching Of Baptist theological
seminary for the negroes of America
IN this city were unfoldcd today ny
DR.. OIL. HALEY, secretary OF thescon-
mission Of the Southern Baptist con-
vention charged with the duty Of
esta bIishing such an institution. DR..
HALEY declares this will be the first
negro seminary in the world. tho
ministers Of that race having been
compelled heretofore to content thew
selves with such theological training
as Is afforded by the negro denomina-
tionol colleges or else accept tuition
in the seminaries operated by the
white people.
For the establishment Of this insti-
tuition the Baptist 7s-Million cam
paigD has apportioned 100000, Ahe
executive board of the national Bap1
fist convention. composed of repre-
sentatives of negro Baptist churches
of both the South and the North, has
propriated 500. 900, While DIR. HALEY
will raise 100000 from other sources.
giving the new institutions a fund OF
$500, 900 for initial equipment. A CO.
operative agreement has been reach
ed with the board OF trustees OF Roger
Williams university. a negro Baptist
institution here, whereby students of
the seminary in need of further gen
eral training may obtain It In that
institution.
II believe the launching of this
seminary that will train the preachers
to 10000 Baptist negroes in Amer
lea, Is one the the most far-r>aching
steps in the solution of the race prob
lem that has been taken anywhere"
II 1T ~
land | expect to see a
vast Improvement not only In the
relations between the races as a re-
suit of this movement. but a great
step toward the solution of economic,
social and political questions. which
hinge upon the race problem. The
relations between the whites and the
negroes now is strained in many
quarters.
This evidence of the good will for
the negroes on the part of the people
of the South who know them best
and are undoubtedly best prepared to
deal with them. will do much to allay
feelings of amin osity toward the
whites on the part of the negroes.
while the establishment Of the semi
nary will give white men of large
vision and proper ideals and larg :
sympathy Tor the negroes an oppor-
tunity to inculcate the right kind of
ideas of religion and right notions
on social, economic and political prob
lens into the minds of the negro
preachers and these preachers will
in turn ross these ideas on to their
peo"le through the spirit and through
their ministrations generally,
Then | believe the seminary will
he the instrument of the final solution
Of the mission problem for Africa; or
so much of Africa. as is inhabited by
negroes A negro with the right
spirit of evangelism can no doubt
be more effective in winning His broth
or in black in Africa than the white
missionary can. and | believe negro
missionaries will so out to Africa in
increasing numbers and finally he able
to care for the situation there"
Negro Baptists Of the North and
South will raise s3.o0D,n00 at the
same time the Southern Bapfists are
raising their SIS 900. 900 and a por-
ton OF the sum the negroes raise
will be apportioned to this seminary.
DR.. HALEY has been working on
the seminary project since 1919, when
the commission wa. established at a
meeting of the Southern Baptist con-
vention in ST. Louis.