The Era-leader. [volume] (Franklinton, La.) 1910-current, 1921-04-07
President Southern Baptist Theologl'
cal Seminary, Who Is Touring South.

cal Seminary, Who is Touring South.
Following the close of the second
year of the Baptist rs Million Cam.
palgn 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, 1905, 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
1905 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 2,961,34S, or gain Of 1,1Go,664'
The returns for this year are not yet
available, but inasmuch as 1t Is known
there were practically $4,000 addi'
tons to the local churches last year
bv 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 q
marked increase in the membership
Of the churches there has been a dis
tinct advance in all departments OF
local and UNCONVENTIONAL work, 1t Is
i, get out. The total number Of local
churches has grown from 20,129 in
1905 to 25,SoS in 1920; the total mum.
Der Of Sunday Schools from 1882 to
1883: and the number Of Sunday
School pupils from S57,244 to 1885,.
sSe. an increase Of more than 100 per
cent, The value Of local church prop,
erty has mounted from s4,501,122 In
1906 to s74,273,72S in 1920, an increase
Of more than 1900 per cent, while con.
: tributions to missions and benevo.
, lences in 1905 were $1,5O1, 369.67, as
compared to 1881, 1866 in 1920, an
advance Of practically 800 per cent.
> Fourteen years ago the contributions
} to all purposes In a year were $5,941,'
2S3.44, as against $21,s27,446.67 fol
1920.
Next Meeting important.
The approaching session Of the
3 Convention Is regarded as vitality i'm
porant to the future Of the denomina
tons work. 1t Is hoped that by the
Convention two-fifths of all subscrip
t lions to the rs Million Campaign viii
have been paid IN cash and that the
, program for the completion Of the
remainder Of the campaign task cat
be formulated at this time Dr.. ]. B
Gambrell, president Of the Convention
and DR.. z. Y. Mullins. who recent!
completed tour Of Europe, wher,
! they carried fraternal greetings to tn,
4 Baptists Of that continent, will CIV,
their impressions OF Baptist opportu
nifty in that country, while DR.. Georg
b ". Truet and DR.. J F, Love, who rep
q resented the Foreign Mission Boar
at the London Conference last sum
= tner when the missiod fields Of Europ
1t were considered, will tell Of the nev
territory Of Spain, Jugo.Slavia, Hun
: gary, Roumania and Southern Russia
s which Southern Baptists are asked t
Q occupy. This territory Is as large a
the Southern States and has a pop,
latiol Of 12s,0oo,00o.
All the boards Of the Conventio
: will report the largest years accom-
n pllsmments In their history, the HON
Mission Board being scheduled to r,
port the completion Of its million do
,, lar loan fund for church building,
addition to the aiding Of thousan
churches during the year with gift
and lans for the erection Of ne
"a houset Of worship. The Sunday, scho'
Board will report more than sl,o6a,bt
in sales for the year and with collie
lions as we'll as sales better than ,
leay prsylous time i g !ss history,