The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1921-04-13

President Southern Baptist Theologl-
Gal Seminary, Who is Touring South.
Following the close of the second
year of the Baptist Is 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 we'll. 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 1885,, 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
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 a
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 2O,129 in
1906 to 25,303 in 1920; the total mum.
Der Of Sunday Schools from II, 1892 to
1855; and the number of Sunday
School pupils from S57, PA to 1885,.
936, an increase of more than 100 pei
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 1900 per cent, while con
tributions to missions and benevo-
lences in 1906 were 1901, 1861, 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 $5,941,.
2S3.44, as against s21, 1877, 1867 for
1920.
Next Meeting Important.
The approaching session of the
Convention is regarded as vitality i'm
portant to the future or the denomina
tion's work. 1t 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 car
be formulated at this time. DR.. ]. 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 DIR. ]. 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-Slayia, Hun
gary, Roumania and Southern Russia
which Southern Baptists are asked tt
occupy. This territory is as large a:
the Southern States and has a popu
Iation Of 12S,OOO. 900.
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, il
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 Schoo
Board will report more than $1,000, O0t
in sales for the year and with collec
tons as well as sales better than a
any previous time in its history.