Evening star., 1939-11-23

Thanksgiving Service
Will Close District
Baptist Convention
Dr.. l. R. Scarborough
Will Deliver Sermon
At Todoy's Rites

The 62d annual meeting of the
District of Columbia Baptist Con-
vention was brought to close to-
day with a Thanksgiving service in
the Fist Baptist Church, Sixteenth
and o streets NV. The Rev. DR..
L. R. Scarborough, president of
the Southern Baptist Convention,
preached the sermon.
In an address last night before
the local convention, at which Men
and Missions" was the theme, DR..
Scarborough declared the evangelis-
tic campaign inaugurated by the
Southern Baptist Convention had
resulted in $4,000 more baptisms
during the last year than in the
previous year. The movement, he
said, had lifted everything else and
made itself felt in every line of
church activity"
Other speakers last night were
Romaine c. Hassrick of Philadel-
phia, president of the National
Council of Northern Baptist Men,
who spoke on opportunities offered
men in mission work: DR.. Thomas
R. Wilson, president of the Colum-
bla Council of Baptist Men, and
the Rev. DR.. William S. Abernethy,
pastor of Calvary Baptist Church
and chairman of the Committee on
Missions. DR.. Abernethy deplored
that "the cause of missions today
is not in healthy state" but pre-
dicted that "it will come again into
a place of prominence and make
greater advances than we have yet
achieved. Special music was pro-
vided at last nights meeting by the
Westminster Male Quartet.
Resolutions Adopted.
Adoption of resolutions and elec-
ton of officers featured a session of
the convention yesterday afternoon.
One resolution adopted attacked
all attempts ito legalize race track
and other forms of gambling in the
District" In this connection "the
fearless work being done by the Civic
| Affairs Committee of the Washing
ton Federation of Churches to make
the Capital a cleaner, better city"
was praised.
Another resolution condemned the
prevailing conditions regarding the
sale OF alcoholic beverages" and
urged IAN intensive and continuous
campaign in the churches setting
forth the personal and social evils
| of the use of liullor"
Maj. Ernest w. Brown, superin-
tendent OF police, and his assistants
were commended in a resolution for
their enlarged activities for the well
fare OF boys in the city through the
work OF the Metropolitan Police
Boys Club Appreciation for the
space given and treatment of the
convention proceedings by the press
was expressed in resolution.
Rev. c. B. Austin Reelected.
The Rev. Charles B. Austin, pastor
OF the West Washington Baptist
Church, on motion of E. Hilton
jackson, who praised the work of
Mr.. Austin in conducting the affairs
OF the convention, was reelected
president for another year. Other
officers reelected were George B.
Fraser, vice president; William N.
Janson, secretary; Edward N. jan
son, assistant secretary, and Elgin
Smith, treasurer. Grace Baptist
Church, Ninth street and South
Carolina avenue southeast, was Sc
lected as the place for the next an
nual meeting of the convention.
At a meeting yesterday of the As
sociated Committees on Public Rela-
tions of the Northern and Southern
Baptist Conventions, with repre-
sentatives also present from the
National Baptist Convention, Inc,
DR.. Rusus w. Weaver. executive sec