The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1936-09-26
HIGHLIGHTS
OF BAPTIST
CONVENTION
(By Rev. l.. Il. Clay

In keeping with custom, we are
giving to the public an account Of
the trip and the highlights of the
National Baptist Convention, as
seen by the Michigan delegation.
The delegation left Detroit Mon
day, September Z, at Has a. m
over the Michigan Central, arriv-
ing in Cincinnati around 900,
From there to Jacksonville and
back, the l.. and n. Railroad gave
us our service. There were twenty
three (239 in the Michigan dele
CATION among whom were Revs. E.
L. Todd, President of the State
Convention, S. ID. Ross, p. l.. Her
rod, l.. J. Benson, j. III. Mastin, f.
G.. Melvin. B. II. Wright, L. I.
Clay, f. A. Williams, and F. o.
Jones of Saginaw. Among the laity
we noticed Mrs. Nellie Scott and
two other ladies from Calvary
the President of the Missionary
Society from Olivet, Mrs. Willie
Mae Franklin, Mrs. S. j. Glover
and others.
We had the pleasure of passing
through the Blue-Grass section OF
Kentucky and the Cumberland
Mountains of Tennessee; by way
of Knoxville the gateway to the
Smoky Mountains and through the
great educational center, the Ath-
ems of the South, Atlanta; Macon,
Albany, and Waycross, thence TO
Jacksonville.
We were joined in Cincinnati by
the Ohio delegation and a delega-
ton from Chicago, and along the
route we picked up the Kentucky
delegation and a portion of the
Tennessee delegation. A special
train was given us. We arrived in
Jacksonville Tuesday evening
around 900.
Since most of the delegation was
tired from the long trip, we did
not attend the pre-convention
program. However, Wednesday
morning found us at the great tent
that covered more than an acre of
ground 1t was our first time to
see actually an acre Of Negroes
bent on doing business for the
King. This was the most largely at
tended convention since our Jubi-
lee Session in Chicago, and we
thing it will go down in history as
one OF the largest regular sessions
of our Convention.
We were informed that this
great tent, with a seating capacity
OF more than 5000 and which cost
more than $4,000, was a donation
of the white Christians OF Jackson
Vile.
or course, it is generally known
that the great President of the
worlds largest organization among
Negroes is DR.. l.. K. Williams of
Chicago.
The meeting as whole was
very spiritual, very informing,
certainly constructive and inspir-
ing. No individual who attended
the Convention with an eye sing
lie to doing service and getting a
vision. came away disappointed.
The sermons and addresses show
ed that each speaker had spent
some time i'm concentrating, study,
and prayer
Sunday night, part of the Mich
igan delegation together with dele
cations from Ohio, Chicago, and
Pennsylvania, made up special
train, and by the kindness of the
l.. d y. Railroad authorities, We
were allowed to come back over
another route on the same price
tickets that we might see some in
teresting and historic spots. Hence
we journeyew from Jacksonville
directly west across the State Of
TO Pensacola on the Gulf of Mexi-
co. We arrived there early Monday
morning. and we went out to the
Gulf. eighteen miles away, and
there we watched with delight In
creasing interest, and amazement,
how God works and no man can
hinder him. AS we watched the
waves come i'm from miles out
"omping and playing as they were
we wondered how any man could
say that was not the work of God
Some Of us got our feet wet in the
Gulf: some our hands. All brought
back from the shores some kind Of
souvenir as proof that we had been
on it's shores. No one i'm the dele
cations. we have been informed,
had seen the Gulf before Those Of
us from Michigan can really say in
truth, 1--WE have travelled from the
Lakes to the Gulf"
From Pensacola we journeyed
to Montgomery, Alabama, stopping
there very briefly and on to Birm-
ingham where we tarried for three
hours or more Monday night. Az
ter visiting just very small por-
ton of this great rGitn