Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1921-04-09
BAPTIST REPORT
GAIN In NUMBERS
In Last Fourteen Years They Have
Added Over A Million Mem
bers In The South.

Following the close of the second
year of the Baptist rs 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-
.vention. The Convention met in
Chattanooga last in May, 1906, and
during the interim there has been
marked growth in every department
Of the Conventions activities and in
the numbers and work of the local
churches as well. The total number of
Baptists reported to the Convention in
1906 was 1,S55,7S4, while last May,
fourteen years later. when the body
met in Washington. the total member
ship of the local churches as reported
was 1851 ,34S, or a gain of 1,105,564.
The returns for this year are not yet
available, but inasmuch as it is known
there were practically $4,000 addi-
lions 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 UNCONVENTIONAL work, it is
set out. The total number of local
churches has grown from 20129 in
1906 to 25,303 in 1920: the total num-
Der of Sunday Schools from 1882 to
1856; and the number of Sunday
School pupils from 857,244 to 1885,
1885, an increase of more than 100 per
cent. The value of local church prop
erty has mounted from 45G1 1872 in
1906 to S74,273,728 in 1920, an increase
of more than 1900 per cent, while con-
tributions to missions and benevo-
lences in 1906 were $1,501, 1861, as
compared to 1881 ,2G655 in 1920, an
advance of practically 500 per cent
Fourteen years ago the contributions
to all purposes in year were $5,941,-
2S3.44, as against $21,327, 1867 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. 1t is hoped that by the
Convention twofifths of all subscrip-
lions 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 DIR. J. B.
Gambrell, president Of the Convention,
and DR.. E. Y Mullins, who recently
completed a tour of Europe, where
they carried fraternal 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, Jugo-Slavia, 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,000,000.
All the boards of the Convention
will report the largest years accom-
plishments 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 a thousand
churches during the year with gifts
and loans for the erection of new
houses of worship. The Sunday Schooi
Board will report more than $1,000, 0G" |
in sales for the yeasr and with collct.
tons as well rs sales better than q
~ previous time IN its history.