Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-11
GEORGIA BAPTIST
CONVENTION MEETS
TUESDAY IN MACON
Next Financial Campaign
and Future of Mercer and
Bessie Tiff Colleges Para
mount Questions
BY LOUIE ID. NEWTON
editor of The Christian IndeX.)

In6 Georgia bdptISC CONVENTION
will assemble in the one hundred
and second annual session Of that
body at 2 o'clock, eastern time,
Tuesday afternoon of this week. at
Macon.
DR.. John D. Nell, of Athens, for
the past twelve years president of
the convention. will call the gather
ing to order. Following a devotional
service, the convention will organize
with the election of officers and
appointment Of committees. 1t is
expected that DR.. Nell will be chosen
AS president by acclamation and
that DR.. E. d. Ragsdale, of Macon,
secretary Of the convention for the
past twenty-seven years, will like
wise be reelected.
The convention elects four vice
presidents. These officials do not sue
coed themselves. The vice presidents
for this year were J. H. Carmichael,
Jackson; c. D. Graves, Dublin;
John B. Payne, Blue Ridge; Clifford
Walker, Monroe. DR.. f. j. For
restor, OF Sparta, is treasurer and
Rev. w. T. Granada, of Statesbor;
is assistant secretary.
Three Major Questions
There are three questions that
will hold the attention of the con-
Vention this year. The first is the
matter of the allotment of the funds
in the next general campaign of
the denomination. 1t will be remem.
bered that the Baptists Of the south
launched a campaign in 1919 to
raise seventy-fiVe millions of dol
lars in five years. This campaign
was very successful and resulted il
subscriptions amounting to approx
mately ninety-two millions of dol
lars. That campaign will terminate
November 80, 1921. It is likely that
by the close of the campaign
minimum Of the original sum of
seventy-five millions will be collect
ed. With the closing of this cam.
paign next year has arisen the gen.
eral question of the next financial
program of the denomination and at
the state conventions this fall
throughout the south, the denomina-
ton is taking tentative position with
regard to the next campaign.
The question of the allotment
of the funds Of the next campaign
to the agencies within the states
and those outside the state boun.
darles is II very vital one and is
proving a serious problem in a NUN.
Der of states. In the present cam
paign. the general basis of distribu-
ton was fifty-fifty, that is, half of
the money was expended within the
states and half beyond the state
bounds for what is generally termed
world wide missions In Georgia,
there is a disposition to give forty
per cent of the next campaign to
outside interests and keep sixty for
the Georgia interests. At the same
time there is a vigorous feeling that
the old basis of fifty-fifty should be
maintained. This question will come
up for final settlement. so far as
Georgia is concerned, at the con.
VentlCn in Macon this week.
Mercer and Bessie Tiff
There will also be keen interest in
tE e allotment of the funds within the
state. Each agency of the Georgia
BAPTIST convention has submitted a
tentative budget of needs for period
OF five years, and the appeal for each
institution will be made by its friends
passed on the needs for present op-
Grafton and reasonable expansion.
There will be a. recommendation to
the convention by a special commit
tee appointed last year touching the
allotment of the funds to the Geor.
gia interests. This report will be
made early in the convention ses.
sions and will be awaited with the
greatest interest.
A second question in the conven.
ton at Macon which holds the at
aention of the messengers and the
denomination at large is the proposal
to abolish the holding commission in
10 far as it relates to Mercer univer.
slty and Bessie Tiff college. This re.
quest is made by friends of these in
stitutlons on the ground that the
present organization of the conVen.
sion providing for a commission of
seven men to hold all titles to the
properties of the convention pre-.
Cludes certain gifts that otherwise
might be had for Mercer university
and Bessie Tiff college.
This holding commission was estab.
hshed some years ago by the conven.
Non with the purpose of further safe.
guarding the properties of the de.
nomination against Indebtedness and
loss. 1t was thought wise at that
time to have such restrictions. The
proposed changes will neceSsitate a
change of the constitution of the con.
Vention and will require a tWo-thirds
vote of the convention. There is a
difference of opinion touching the
ACCESSIBILITY of this change at this
time, and it is not possibl, to predict
the vote on the proposal. The men,
bers of the holding commission at
this time are: u. V. Whipple, Cor.
dele; Howell Cone, Statesboro; J. B.
Hart, Macon; Frank Pidcock, Moul-
trie; A. w. Evans, Sandersville; f.
S. Ethridge, Atlanta, and C. j. Hood.
Commerce.
Secondary Schools
A third question that will likely
come up for discussion at the con.
vention this week is the future policy
of the denomination regarding the
present secondary schools of the Mer-
Ger university system of colleges and
schools. There are twelve of these
secondary schools at this time, and
it has been suggested that the de-
nomination settle the question which
has for some years been pending as
to the number CT schools that should
be included in the permanent pro-
gram of education on the part Of
the denomination. A special COM
mittee of five men has been at work
on this matter for practically year
and will make a report at the con-
vention this week. 1t is not known
Just what their recommendations will
be.
The convention will be preceded by
the Pastors and Laymens confer
ence, which meets in the First Bap-
fist church of Macon Monday eve-
ming at 1880 o'clock and will hold
second session on Tuesday morning
in the same building. The program
for the conference follows:
LayInen's Conference
Monday vening-Devotion CON
Quoted by w. Russell Owen, of Ma