Evening star., 1943-05-05

the mid-year meeting Of the District
Baptist convention last night that
one-fourth of the church members
here attended no church last year.
The Rev. Mr.. Stith, who is pastor
Of Brookland Church, also an
nounced that the Baptist conven-
ton here is establishing mission CEN
tiers and church extension points in
unchurched areas as rapidly as facil-
tiles can be obtained
The mid-year meeting was held in
two sessions yesterday, afternoon
and evening, at the Second Baptist
Church, Seventeenth and East Capt.
tol streets.
Asserting that there never has
been time in te-ns of human souls
and divine opportunity as that pre-
sented to the church today, the Rev.
Mr.. Stith called on those present to
ask their churches to think and act
missions" He added that unless
I'VE strengthen our home bases there
is no use talking about postwar
planning
Sees Need for Planning.
He pointed to the rapid growth of
population in Washington and said
there is a great need for postwar
planning in many areas where there
are now no churches. He said many
points where missions have been
established would later be converted
into churches.
Statistics cited by the speaker dis
closed that last year One-fourth of
the church members here attended
church less than five times, 80 per
cent attended about half the time,
that about 10 per cent of the church
members in the District are Bap-
lists, and ~ per cent of the Baptist
church members in the District did
not attend church once.
The Rev. Mr.. Stith introduced the
Rev Charles H. Rickman, leader of
the Minnesota Avenue Mission; Miss
Evelyn Mills, War Service represent
ative of the convention, and DR.. Paul
Fisher, leader of the Avondale (Md)
Mission.
Hear of African Mission.
A message of missionary work in
Nigeria, Africa, was given by the
Rev. w. H. Carson of the Southern
Baptist Foreign Mission Board. He
was introduced by George B. Fraser,
president of the convention, who
presided over both sessions of the
meeting.
The Rev Mr.. Carson spoke in the
absence of DR.. j. H. RushbrOoke,
president of the Baptist World ALI
ance, who was unable to attend. The
devotional was given by the Rev.
Luther Holcomb, pastor of the Tenn
pie Baptist Church. and the bene-
diction was given by the Rev. Len F..
Stevens, pastor of Kendall Baptist
Church.
The evening session heard songs
lead by the Rev. j. Herrick Hall, CO.
pastor of the Fifth Baptist Church,
accompanied at the organ by Mrs.
Ethel Sorrell, organist OF the Sec
ond Baptist Church, and special
music by a trio of the Petworth
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Baptist Church.
At the afternoon session, Sibley
Burnett. secretary OF the Vacation
Bible School department OF the
Southern Baptist Sunday School
Board, stated that one out Of three
persons in the United States has not
had a religious education of any
kind.
He outlined the advantages OF es-
tablishing Sunday schools within
walking points of the city. and also
the work of the cradle roll classes
and vacation Bible schools.
Experiences in China Related.
Henry P. Mcdonald, president OF
Storer College, speaking on Chris
tian Education for the Negro,
called for Baptists to LAY aside
prejudices and face the facts"
Mrs E. L. Atkins, missionary of
the Woman's American Baptist For
eign Missionary Society, spoke on
her experiences in China and Bel
gian Congo. Africa. In his devo-
tional, the Rev. Edward H. Pruden
pastor of the First Baptist Church
asked that Baptists adopt brother
lv attitude of their fellow man OF
different color.
Others participating in the after
noon session were the Rev. J. Raw