Evening star., 1936-08-09
Bv John Clasett Proctor.

THE Baptists of this country are
going to hold, at Columbia,
S. c.. on September 25, what
Il is called the Luther Rice Gen.
tennial, commemorating the death OF
Rev. Luther Rice, pioneer worker
for the church in America, who is
buried in the church yard Of the Pine
Pleasant Baptist Church, between
Saluda and Newberry, in that State.
Two days later, on September 81, all
the Baptist churches throughout the
honor Of this noted divine, now rec
ognized as the outstanding figure In
the history of this denomination.
In Washington the Baptist churches,
OF course, will join with the many
others in holding services upon this
occasion, when special praise may well
be spoken, for the early educational
and constructive church work con-
Quoted by this worthy pastor in the
Capital City-his principal monument
here, in addition to the Baptist
churches, being the George Washing
ton University, the outgrowth of the
Columbian College, his magnificent
conception.
Luther Rice, though apparently a
Southerner by adoption, was a native
of Marlborough, Mass, where he was
born on his fathers farm March 25,
1913, and in this district attended the
public school, having from the first
the desire to devote his life to farm
ing. However, We are told by his
biographers that, at the age Of II, he
began to consider his relations to
God as the chief concern of his life,
and in March, 1902, united with the
Congregational Church, "after so
thorough a conversion from self-aims
that he spontaneously turned his ef-
forts to the promotion of religious
ideals among his neighbors and
friends"
HAVING by this time changed his
intentions from farming to the
ministry, he studied three years in
Leicester Academy and entered the
sophomore class in Williams College
in 1906. Three years later he entered
Andover Theological Seminary and
while here participated with Adoniram
Judson, from Brown; Samuel Newell
from Harvard, and Samuel Mott, from
Union College, in organizing the so
ciety of Inquiry on the Subject of
Missions" of which he was made
president.
Young Rice was evidently not sup
piled with abundance of money, as
SO many college boys are today, and
in order to pay his tuition gave les
sons in singing and taught school
during vacation periods.
We are further told that the petit
ton for advice and assistance pre-
sented by the Society of Inquiry, at
the meeting Of the Bradford Associa-
ton, led to the organization of the
American Board of Commissioners for
Foreign Missions, in June, 1910. In
1912 his board reported sufficient
funds available for sending Mr. and
Mrs. Judson and Mr.. and Mrs. Newell
to India as missionaries. Mr.. Rice,
however, was not included, but his
persistent appeals were Of such a
nature that the board agreed to send
him also, If he could secure funds
with which to meet his own expenses,
and this he did in nine days, after
which he was ordained with the others
in the Tabernacle Church, Salem,
February 8. 1912, and sailed from
Philadelphia a week later.
THE war between United States and
- Great Britain coming on at this
time, the Rev. Rice did not find things
abroad as he had expected them to
be. Indeed, at Calcutta, the trio were
advised to leave missionary work in
India to British missionaries, and to
devote their energies to Christianizing
the Indians of America. And so, with
this polite but emphatic hint, but not
discouraged over what they had set
out to do, they agreed that Mr.. and
Mrs. Judson should remain in the
Orient and that Mr.. Rice should re-
turn to America, which he did on
September Z. 1913.
However, his interest in missionary
work did not wane, and soon he had
organized 20 local missionary societies
and collected $1,000 as fund to begin
work with. From this small but en-
couraging beginning resulted the gen.
eral convention of the Baptist Denomi-
nation in the United States for Foreign
Missions, which held its first meeting
in Philadelphia May IA, 1914, and
in recognition of his services and the
confidence held in his good Judgment,
he was elected its first missionary
appointee and general agent. In his
instructions he was directed ito con-
tinue his itinerant services in these
United States for a reasonable time,
with view to excite the public mind
more generally to engage in mis-
sionary exertions, and to assist in orig
mating societies or institutions for
carrying the missionary design into
execution"
BY the time of the meeting of the
board of the convention in April, 1915,
Mr.. Rice, it is said, was in communi-
cation with lis Baptist associations
in 20 States and Territories and had
visited many of them personally.
AT ITS triennial convention, in
1917, the Baptist General Conven-
ton authorized new field of en-
deavor, much to the qualification of
Mr.. Rice, as it provided:
When competent and distinct
funds shall have been raised for that
purpose, without resorting to all mis-
sion funds, the board shall proceed
to institute a classical and theological
seminary for the purpose of aiding
pious young men who, in the judg-
ment of the churches of which they
are members, and of the board, possess
gifts and graces suitable to the gospel
ministry"
Cooperation, offered by the Edu-
cational Society of Philadelphia, for
the purposes set forth included:
THAT the agent Luther Rice) be
authorized and instructed to press