Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1927-05-26

there during much Of the year, re-
ports that were gratifying to large
degree were presented by the various
agencies and institutions of the Con-
vent1on.
Missionaries Do Effective Work
The Foreign Mission Board re-
ported 531 American missionaries
and 2,644 native helpers in it's en-
ploy. A total of 12,085 baDtlsmS
were had on the foreign fields during
the year. Today the Board reports
1.215 churches with 140,48S members
and 1918 Sunday schools with 49,
991 pupils on the foreign nelds'
along with 3,247 preaching stations
other than churches, and nine hos
pitfalls in which 69,683 patients were
treated during the year. The For
eign Mission Board believes order
win be restored in China soon and
that larger mission opportunities
than have ever existed before will
soon be presented there.
By the Home Mission Board S23
missionaries were employed during
the year. These reported 36,233 ad-
ditions to the churches, the organ1-
cation Of 1853 new churches and 4O6
new Sunday schools, and the build
ing or repair of 278 houses of wor-
ship.
From its current receipts of ST.
SOC, 6,416.27, the Sunday School Board
was able to put $444,02S.41 into gem
eral denominational work, while its
Educational Department reported
1O3,145 teacher training awards
given to Sunday school workers, and
the Architectural Department gave
assistance to 1,476 churches in plan
ming their buildings.
Aid in the sum Of $156, ,252.07 was
given to aged or disabled preachers,
or dependent members of their
families by the Relief and Annuity
Board, the total number Of, benefi-
ciaries carried by the Board now be-
ing 1,145.
The promotional work of the Con
| ventton for the support Of its mis-
(, sionary, educational and benevolent
interests was continued, though un-
der the direction of a somewhat diff
ferent and enlarged personnel. Mem
bers Of the new executive commit
tee will represent the several states
on the promotional body; the state
and general secretaries are retained
as before; while the editors Of the
several Baptist state papers are
added to this group this year. The
total financial objective set by the
several states flor 1927 Is $8,096.66o
and il this amount is realized II
distributable cash it will net approx
.mately $3,SS7,000 for the various Cd
jects of the Southern Baptist Con
vention, the remainder going to the
various state enterprises of the de
nomination. Every effort will be pu1
forth to attain this total objective
Expenses Will Be Controlled
In an effort to bring the fisca
affairs of the Convention into bette
shape, the Convention voted to estab
Hsh the policy of budget control
whereby each board and agency o
the Convention will be required d
bring it's expenditures each yea
within its cash receipts. thus pre-
venting the accumulation or deOta
Indicating the progress in the sev
ersl churches during the past aasc
ciational year, the report Of th
statistical Department shows $500
white Southern Baptist churches VIII
q total Of 3,7O8,253 members; 21,77
Sunday schools with 2.724,S67 pupils
1s,775 B. Y. P. US, with 49S. ~
members; 21,66O W. M. U. organfzs
tions which made contributions Il
the sum of $4, ,3S3.59; local ch9rcl
property with a valuation Of $1S4
719,3S7, and total contributions 70
the year to all objects in the sur
of SAC, JOG, ,S52.31.