Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-09
Past Year Greatest IN
History OF State Bapt1StS,
C0nventl0n Report Shoes

Reports showing the past year to
have been the greatest in the history
of the Baptist denomination in the
state of Georgia were presented on
Tuesday at the opening session of
the ninety-ninth annual meeting of
the Georgia Baptist convention. De-
spite the inclemency Of the. weather.
the main floor of the Baptist tab
ernacle, where the convention is
meeting, was filled to capacity with
fist associations in the state and Wis
itors from all sections of Georgia.
The convention will be in session I'M
til Thursday evening.
Coming to a vote just before the
luncheon adjournment of the Geor-
gia Baptist Convention early Wed
nesday afternoon, the plan to amend
the constitution of the convention
was decisive1y defeated.
Spirited debate preceded the vote.
The proposal was to amend the con-
stitution so as to enlarge the ex-
ecutive committee and thereby give
each of the affiliated Baptist asso-
CldLlOIlS III the SLdle d. 1ee'SI Oho
member on the committee. which
now is composed of So persons.
When the matter came up for dis
cussion on Wednesday substitute
amendment was proposed by DR.. L.
r. Christie, of Savannah, providing
that the executive committee should
be composed of twenty-four men,
5ers, two from each of the twelve
congressional districts in the state.
The original amendment was intro
duced by DR.. T. c. Burrell, Of Lii
thonia. Both propositions were the
subject of extended debate.
Another matter before the conven-
ton was the plan to establish a COM
mission of seven persons to operate
the Christian Index. the weekly de-
nominational paper now owned by
the convention.
ed by the convention through it's
executive committee almost q year
ago. 1t is now operated by special
committee composed of DR.. G. w.
Daniel, DR. Henry Afford Porter, DR.
w. H. Major. DR.. F. c. Mcconnell
and DR.. Arch c. Cree, with Louis D.
Newton as managing editor.
DR.. John D. Nell, Of Athens, was
unanimously reelected president of
the convention, this being his ninth
consecutive term. The vice presi-
dents are: DR.. A. Chamblee, of Hawk
insville; DR.. John w. Ham, of At
lanta; B. S. Thompson, of Madison,
and w. W. Brooks. of Atlanta. DR..
b. D. Ragsdale, of Macon. was re-
elected secretary; DR.. w. 7. Ora
made, of Statesboro, was reelected
treasurer. The name of DR.. w. A.
ed as a nominee for president. but
he declined to allow the use of his
name. .-.-.-,.------s.r., .-.-- 4,->--.~-,-
The devotional services which
opened the session were conducted
by DR.. j. M. Haymore. of Waycross.
in the absence of DR.. James Orme
Smith. of Albany. Then came the
report of the committee on the order
Of business, presented by DR.. w. w.
Gaines, of Atlanta. who submitted
the program for the three-days' ses-
sion. The program was adopted
without change.
Substance of Report
The report of the executive COM
mittee and the review of the past
years work done by Georgia Bap-
fists was presented by DR.. Arch c.
Cree, the executive secretary of the
committee and of the state mission
board. 1t was shown that the re-
ceipts for the past year were $l.774,-
1914, which were over $1,000.00O
over the receipts of the previous
year. The purchase by the denomi-
nation of the Christian Index and
the campaign to place it in every
Baptist home was explained by DR..
Cree, VIII oalso described the devel-
opments of the book department.
which, he said, is in better condi-
ton than ever before, but must be
further developed Attention was
called to the evangelistic work done
during the past year, which resulted
in 1875 additions to the Baptist
churches Of Georgia. against 5.268 in
1919.
Among the achievements Of Georr
gia Baptists during the past twelve
months, DR.. Cree pointed out the Ii
quotation of the debt on the Baptist
Tabernacle in Atlanta, the develop
ment of the Sunday school organiza-
ton of the state, and arrangements
for Baptist Sunday school conven-
ton next April, the remarkable de-
velopments of the educational de-
partment, and the growth of the
Mercer system, the enlargement of
the Georgia Baptist hospital, the in
crease in the B. Y. P. U. organiza-
ton, and the development Of the
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