The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-09
WOMEN
 AND THINGS

zation being appropriately celebrated at Montgomery.
 | Since that time the Baptists have grown wonderfully until today there are around 1000 Baptist churches, and~ more than 12o0 ordained preachers, with q membership of 225,O00 or more. l It is the missionary branch of the Baptists now in session here at the | 95th annual meeting of the body. The attendance is very much reduced on &C., count of the postponement from No vember, the flu" and the fact that it is on the pay plan.
 l However, there are enough delegates or as many preferred messengers pres- ent to transact the important business which is to come before it, and 1t is to be an epoch-making convention in a number of respects, because the leaders have determined to put onl an ampler programme for all the denominational work.
 r NOW, the BdptlSLS not ndVlnS any bishops or other church functionaries with power to direct, are more dependent upon | their conventions than some of the other denominations, for each church being in- dependent, it is the clearing house, or place where the churches come together for counsel and to map out the work.
 
 to bind or control any church in the state even though represented by accredited delegates or messengers. Its function is merely advisory, but through years Of working, it's acts have a moral power and what it does is largely accepted as being right and proper by the majority of the churches. A The state executive committee, made up of 36 members from various parts of Alabama, is the active working body of the Baptists during the year, when the convention is not in session. This committee includes pastors as well as laymen, and the clerical and lay mem- bers thresh out their problems and sub
  There are a few sections of Alabama in which BapGsts do not affiliate with the Alabama Baptist state convention and those not doing so are called Cos pei Missioners." that is, they, do not be- lieve in boards, but prefer to send their mission gifts direct from the local church t, r,ic oria ha aIJ hut point of numbers they are negligible quantity in the state
 I suppose it can be said without contra diction that 95 per cent of the Baptists of Alabama are in sympath thy with the work of the state convention and report through it and adopt its programme, though the "Hardshells,' of course work through their own associa tions, and do not cooperate with the Missionary Bao- lists; but there is saying among the latter that there are many "Hardshels' whose names are enrolled on the church roster of the Missionaries.
 I am making no effort here to revive any controversy between the Mission aries or the Hardshells, but am merely trying to set forth the scope of the body now meeting in Birmingham. The Alabama Baptist state convention fosters denomi- national education, Sunday schools, or phans' homes, hospitals, and, of course, the missionary enterprises, both assoca- tional, state, home and foreign
 The convention stands behind Howard college at East Lake, the Judson at Ma rion, and the Newton Collegiate institute, a preparatory school located in south Alabama. One of the vital questions to be tackled by the convention at this sit ting will be to try to map out a worthy programme for it's educational enter prises and the raising of substan- tial endowment to put them on sound financial basis. The Baptists have always believed in and promoted education.
 A number of the states have already established hospitals and it has been whispered that something tangible in the way of Alabama's undertaking work along this line will come up for settle ment. It has been discussed for a num- Der of years but so far nothing has come out of it. There has been a grow ing sentiment that it is high time to go into it at no distant date
 The Baptist Orphans home at Ever green comes to the convention free of debt for the first time in years, and there is movement on foot which will take shape at this convention to add material ly in the way of needed buildings to the present equipment and bring it thorough ly up to the pressing needs of the denomi- nation. The institution is justly proud o. the fact that some of the boys out of it won commissions in the army and saw overseas work.
 One of the livest assets of the con- vention is the Womans Missionary union, which year by year has been setting and breaking records in the way of Christian giving The Layman's Missionary move ment is also coming to the front. The work for the aged and infirm ministers begins to grow on the Baptist constitu- ency 1 have only mentioned part of the activities, but hope enough to show that the convention has it's hands full. and is good place to attend if you care to know what the Baptists of Alabama are trying to do through the organized