Cleveland County herald., 1921-06-02

Sai seminary WHo 10 iOU' i'5 SoNA"
 Following the close of the second year of the Baptist 75 Million Cam paign April 30, 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 a 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 l 1906 was 1,855,784, while last May fourteen years later when the body met in Washington, the total member. ship of the local churches as reported was 2,961,3 ,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 175000 addi- tions to the local churches last year by baptism alone, there is every req son to believe the showing for 1921 will be even larger
 Growth Shown in All Lines.
 At the same time there has been a 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 20,129 in 1906 to 25,3O3 in 1920; the total num- Der of Sunday Schools from 11,332 to 17,6S6; and the number of Sunday School pupils from S57,244 to 1885, 9S6, an increase of more than 100 per cent The value of local church prop erty has mounted from 4,501, 122 in 1906 to $74,273,72S in 1920, an increase of more than 1600 per cent, while con tributions to missions and benevo- fences in 1906 were $1,501, 396.67, as compared to $7331, ,266.55 in 1920, an advance of practically 800 per cent. l Fourteen years ago the contributions 1 to all purposes in year were s5,941,- i 2S3.44, as against $21, ,327, ,446.67 for i 1920.
 Next Meeting Important.
 The approaching session of the Convention is regarded as vitally i'm. portant to the future of the denomina. tions work. It is hoped that by the i Convention two-fifths of all subscrip. tions to the 75 Million Campaign will i have been paid in cash and that the i program for the completion of the remainder of the campaign task can be formulated at this time pr. 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 10 occupy This territory is as large as the Southern states and has a popu. iation of 12S,00G.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 it's 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 $1, 1000, 900 in sales for the year and with collec. tions as we'll as sales better than ct any previous time in its history.