Washington telegraph., 1921-04-08

cal Seminary, Who is Touring South.
Following the close of the second
year of the Baptist 10 Million Cam
paign April 80, several thousand mes
sengers from the local churches are
expected to assemble at Chattanooga,
Tenn, for the seventy-sixth annual
session of the Southern Baptist Con-
venton. The Convention met in
Chattanooga last in May, 1906, and
during the interim there has been a
marked growth in every department
of the Conventions activities and in
the numbers and work of the local
churches as we'll The total number of
Baptists reported to the Convention in
1906 Wa 1,S55,7S4, while last May,
fourteen years later, when the body
| met in Washington, the total member
| ship of the local churches as rep6-h
was 1861, ,34S, or a gain Of 1,1O5,564.
! The returns for this year are not yet
/ available, but inasmuch as it is known
| there were practically 17500O addt
/ tions to the local churches last year
/ by baptism alone, there is every rea-
son to believe the showing for 1921
will be even larger.
Growth shown in All Lines.
At the same time there has been
marked increase in the membership
of the churches, there has been a dis
tinct advance in all departments of
local and denominational work, it is
set out. The total number OF local
churches has grown from 20129 in
1906 to 25,3O3 in 1920; the total num-
Der Of Sunday Schools from 1882 to
1856; and the number of Sunday
School pupils from S57,244 to 1885,
936, an increase Of more than 100 per
cent. The value Of local church prop.
erty has mounted from S4,501,1 ,122 in
1906 to $74,273,72S in 1920, an increase
Of more than 1900 per cent, while con-
tributions to missions and benevo-
lences in 1906 were S1,5O1, ,369.67, as
compared to 1881, ,266.55 in 1920, an
advance of practically 500 per cent.
Fourteen years ago the contributions
to all purposes in a year were S5,941,-
2S9.44, as against $21,327446.67 for
1920.
Next Meeting Important
The approaching session Of the
Convention is regarded as vitality i'm.
portant to the future Of the denomina-
tion's work. It is hoped that by the
Convention two-fifths Of all subscrip-
tions to the IS Million Campaign will
have been paid in cash and that the
program for the completion of the
remainder Of the campaign task can
be formulated at this time. DR.. J. B..
Gambrell, president OF the Convention,
and DR.. Z. Y. Mullins. who recently
completed a tour Of Europe, where
they carried fratarGJl greetings to the
Baptists OF that continent, will give
their impressions Of Baptist opportu-
nifty in that country, while DR.. George
W. Truet and DR. J F. Love, who rep
resented the Foreign Mission Board
at the London Conference last sum-
mer when the mission fields OF Europe
were considered, will tell Of the new
) territory of Spain, JugoSlayia. Hun
gary Roumania and Southern Russia,
which Southern Baptists are asked to
occupy. This territory is as large as
the Southern States and has a popu-
lation of 12S,0Oo0OO.
All the boards Of the Convention
will report the largest years accom-
plismments in their history, the Home
Mission Board being scheduled to re-
port the completion Of its million dol
lar loan fund for church building, in
addition to the aiding of thousand
churches during the year with gifts
and loans for the erection of new
houses Of worship. The Sunday School
Board will report more than 81, 900, ,00C
in sales for the year and with collec
tions as wen as sales better than al
any previous time in It's history.