The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-09-28
3,1S7 Members Added in Past
Eight Years, Averaging
Nearly 400 Yearly-Mission.
ary Giving Increases During
Past Eight Years - New
Buildings Completed

year was recounted here today by
DR.. Fred E. Stockton Of Fargo, su.
perintendcnt Of the denomination I
churches.
DR.. Stockton. a speaker on tcday's
program Of the North Dakota Bap.
tist convention, reviewing the
growth Of the church during the past
eight years, pointed out that 3,lS1
members have been added to thu
churches in this state by baptism
an average of nearly 400 a year and
All increase Of 30 baptisms per year
over the preceding eight years. The
net increase in membership during
these years is about 1000, DR.. Stock.
ton said.
Although the current expenses OF
the churches have gone up from
$4,000 to $68,OOO, the missionary
giving has increased from $1l,70O to
$17,70O and $1O5 900 has been spent
in improvement Of church properties
it was pointed out by DR.. Stockton.
For missionary work in North Da-
kota alone, the Baptist Home Mis-
sion society appropriated $8,792.65
in 1926. as compared to $14,3O2.6S
in 1920, but the state churches are
today carrying a larger percentage
of the total cost Of the work done,
DR.. Stockton said.
Missionary Giving Encouraging
"The missionary giving of the
Baptist churches during the past
year has been encouraging" the su-
perintendent said. "Twenty-eight
churches paid their missionary
quotas in full during the year. -Four
Of these were Swedish churches, five
were Norwegian, one was negro and
18 were American. So far this year,
"a churches have accepted definite
missionary quota for the year. Many
OF these churches are now paying
one-twclfth Of their missionary
quota each month.
"Thc outstanding achievement in
our work during the past year has
been the completion and dedication
Of the splendid new Sunday school
plant Of the First Baptist church Of
Fargo, of which DR.. H. r. Best is
pastor. The building represents an
expenditure of over 100000 and is
one of the best buildings of its type
in the state"
Other outstanding events of ths
past year, detailed by DR.. Stockton
were:
The ordination of two pastors:
Rev. o. H. Hallgrimson, Glendale
November l, and Rev. C. E. Wake
lam, Calvin, June ID.
Appointment of Mr.. and -1rs. Fred
G.. Leasure, members of the Fargo
First Baptist church, for missionary
service in Congo, Africa, where they
now are; appointment of Rev. and
Mrs. Roscoe Bailey of Crystal and
Grafton, who are to sail for the
French Equatorial settlements.
Africa, October 20.
Details Work
Detailing the work of the church
workers, DR.. Stockton said:
"Rev. o. S. Jacobson of Bismarck
one of the convention missionaries
is now completing IL years of serv-
ice in the employ Of the denomina.
tion. Four years he has spent as
cOlporteur-missionary in the south
western quarter Of the state; the last
seven years in his present position.
REV. B. H. Thorlakson Of Stanley
has served the state convention as
colporteur-lniss:onary since May |
1924. His time is given to the north
western quarter of the state. Rev.
erend Thorlakson travels by auto.
mobile, visiting rural and neglected
communities.
"Rev. w. H. Bayles Of Huron, S
Dak., is completing his first year OF
work as joint director of religious
education for North and South Da.
kota. He is planning for . series
Of Sunday school and YOUNG people,
conferences throughout the state
during the coming year.
"Miss Ethyl G. Mentzer Of Grand
Forks is our Baptist student secre-
tary at the State University. She
began her work at the University
year ago and has won the coopera-
tion Of the Baptist students and the
local Baptist chu-c.
"Rev. John Bucknell Of Max is oul
Russian missionary. He has charge
Of the work over vast field which
reaches fifty miles east, 12O miles
south, and 100 miles west from Max.
where he makes his home.
'Our newest state worker is Rev.
E. MONIES of Minot, who was for 13
years pastor of the Bethel Baptist
Church of Powers Lake, N. D. He
began his work January l. He is
giving his time almost entirely to
evangelistic meetings.
rs. C. Hendrickson of Grand
Forks is the convention treasurer.
He has the honor today Of serving
for . longer period Of time than any
other convention officer. He is COM
pletin1 his twelfth year Of service.
In his first annual report rs trea-
surer Mr.. Hendrickson showed IN
expenditure Of $11,271.67. His re-
port given today shows an expendi-
ture during the past year Of $751;
0s7.66."
The program of work for the COM
ing year calls for four outstanding
missionary conferences in As many
centers during the month Of Nov
ember, Rev. Stockton said. January
is to be given over to missionary
information; February 10 to be
known as "Quota Acceptance Month"
when each church will be asked to
definitely accept an adequate mis-
Bionary quota, and March will be the
month for following the Every
Member" plan, when the churches
will conduct their annual canvasses
for subscriptions to the local work
and the denominational missionary
program.
The total wealth Of the United
States is about $3S9. .0OO. .OO0. 400.