Carthage courier. (Carthage, Tenn.) 1913-current, 1921-03-17
Fifty Years in the Ministry
No. VIII.

mo. VIII.
The first meeting of the Southern
Baptist Convention l ever attended
was at Nashville, Tenn, in in 1878, in
the old first Baptist church on Fifth
Ave, now occupied by Lutheran con-
gregation. This was 43 years ago in
May. B. H. Carroll, then a young
man, preached the sermon from this
text: 1.-THE regions beyond" 1t was
an appeal for foreign missions. That
was the first time / ever saw John A.
Broadas. M. Y. Yates of China was
there. Justin D. Fulton of New York
was there. At that time the wounds
of the civil war had not healed. Full
ton, however, eased matters off when
introduced by saying this was his sec
ond visit to Nashville and at his first
visit in the sixties he received very
warm welcome on account of the color
of his clothes and was now happy to
receive still a warm reception as
soldier Of Jesus Christ. That was a
happy solution of an embarrassing
situation At that meeting L. B. Fish,
the sweet singer in Israel, sang
Sweet Bye and Bye" as a solo, That
was the first time l ever heard the
song for it was then new. 1t swept
to glory. We all wept tears of joy. /
like a solo when l can know what is
being sung. God save US from solos
where the only object of the soloist is
to exhibit a cultured voice. About one
out of a hundred care a copper about
"a cultured voice-so cultured that not
a word of the song is understood. At
that session there was a delegation of
only about $50 and the old church held
the audience well. The offerings for
missionaries were then quite small.
The passing of these 43 years has
shown a wonderful improvement AT
the last session in Washington City,
as / looked at the thousands of mes
sengers and visitors, said what
change for the better. There were
5000 messengers present, 100000 the
convention subscribed for Christian
education, preaching the gospel to the
lost at home and abroad, building
homes for the orphan children, hospi-
tails for the sick and dying and help
ing worn out and poor ministers of the
gospel More than 700 missionaries
and workers in the foreign field with
numerous hospitals, schools and writ
ing presses all for the lifting of souls
toward heaven What the world needs
is the gospel and the old time religion
Iy used are to be commended.
/ noticed in the Courier some days
ago the serious sickness of J. B. Hub
bard near Hogin's Greek church which
reminded me that / baptized him AZ
years into the Fellowship of Ho-
gins Creek church / was pastor two
years and received for my services $50
for the first and $23 the second year.
/ baptized Lowell Carter over there
and also Willie Sayles, whom | mar
ried to Jennie Carter Oct. IL, 1881,
thirty nine years ago. Willie told me
a real good Joke on himself regarding
his marriage. He popped the question
on the way to hear me preach at the
church and his girl said she would an
swer on their return. Accordingly,
lust before reaching Esq. Carriers
home, she said: 81 answer in the affir-
NATIVE" Sayles went up in the air
for he said he didn't know what af-
firmative meant and when they reach
ed the horse block, for everybody then
rode horseback, he hitched her horse
and stuck spurs to his nag and burned
the wind for home to see dictionary
to learn his fate. He said mountain
load rolled off his heart when he turn
ed to the word and found it meant
yes. Afterwards Willie had stroke
of paralysis and they thought it best
for him not to touch meat at all. One
Sunday / was dining at his fathers
in-Iaw and a large boiled ham with
large juicy slices piled on top of it
was on the table. Willie was brought
in on a chair to the table and of course
the ham was tempting. During the
meal young cyclone hit the neighbOr-
hood and blew things in every direc-
ton. 1t struck Esq. Carriers house,
blew the doors open and piled the
chairs and everything topsy-turvy in
the dining room and for moment
everything was lost sight of but the
storm. Everybody at the table was
taking care of himself the best he
could. ! happen to look at Willie who
could not get away from the table and
everybody else gone he had made a
dive for the ham and never saw two
big slices disappear so quickly. All
thought it meant his death in few
hours but no harm came of it. Well,
many have been the changes over
there since then. Old Bro. Leroy
James and wife and John tastes, dea-
con, James Lyon and wife, the Bal