Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-12
Dr.. Lee Gives Keynote
For ! Baptist Crusade
1oAudience Of 400
50 Churches in District
To Begin Spiritual
Drive Next Week

The keynote of the Forthcoming
l945 Baptist spiritual crusade was
struck last night at Constitution
Hall by the Rev. DR.. Robert G. Lee,
pastor OF Bellevue Baptist Church,
Tenn, when he called
on the capacity crowd to make q
covenant with God pledging them
selves each to win at least one
person to Christ.
The SO Baptist churches in the
District will begin their drive to
enlist 5000 persons to Christ, with
meetings in each church on March
10. The crusade, national In scope,
runs from that date through Easter
Sunday, April /. The Rev. James
p. Rodgers, pastor of Petworth Bap-
fist Church, Is chairman OF the
District Evangelistic Committee for
the Washington division of the
An overflow crowd estimated at
more than 1000 persons was I'M
able to gain admission to the mass
meeting last night. Many Senators
and Representatives as we'll as busi-
ness, civic and Government leaders
were among the 400 persons in
the hall. The Rev. DR.. e. H. Pruden,
pastor of First Baptist Church and
president of the District Baptist
Convention, presided at the meeting.
Representative Priest, Democrat,
Of Tennessee, a deacon and chair
man of the Music Committee of the
First Baptist Church, introduced
DR.. Lee.
Would Preach Bible He'll.
Declaring the spiritual thermo-
meter in the country had fallen to
its lowest level, DR.. Lee asserted that
to change conditions we must have
some correct conceptions of sin,
he'll and the Bible. People have
come to regard sin lightly and fail
to see it through the crimson lenses
of the cross of Christ" The Bible
picture of hell has also been cast
aside until many do not believe the
abode of hopelessness" Christ pic
tured any longer exists. He called
on leaders to preach more of the
Bible hell, as belief in 1t would les
sen the hell in many places in the
world today"
The Memphis pastor dashed at the
lip service rendered to religion by
many ministers and officers in their
churches. He declared the great
est sitdown strike this country
has ever known is in the churches,
where leaders make no effort to
win persons to love of Christ"
Likening these churches "as streams
Of formal observance" to religion,
DR.. Lee called on the pastors and
congregations in them to perform
the essential function of churches
by becoming places of evangelistic
endeavor aiming to save souls.
The word concern" has been al
lowed to vanish from our vocabu-
larry and we disregard the failure
of others to become attached to
Christ, the Southern preacher said.
America has learned to laugh. It
must learn to weep" he declared,
pointing out we ARE concerned
about our b oys in war, but have no
concern for their welfare beyond
their flesh and blood" He asked
that Christ and His cross be made
the center of evangelism, as it is
through Him that the sons of men
are forgiven"
Chorus of 100 Voices,
Mr.. Rodgers announced the off,
'ial opening of the 1915 Baptist
spiritual crusade in the District will
AXE place next Sunday in the SO
Baptist churches in Washington. He
said the large turnout last night at
Constitution Hall probably will re-
suit in the next crusade mass meet
ng being held outdoors, where all
seeking to come may be accommo-
lated.
A combined mems and women's
chorus of 100 voices from Petworth,
FIRST Baptist and Calvary Baptist
Churches was led by DR.. John F.
Williams, founder and president of
Westminster Choir College of Prince
,on, N. j. The chorus was equally
divided with 80 men and 80 women,
he women being dressed in red with
lowing white smocks worn over the
iress down to the waist. Many
'ervicemen were in chorus, which
ang All in the April Evening"" by
Hugh Robertson, and the "Hallelujah
Chorus" from Handel's Messiah"
The invocation was said by DR..
John F. Fraser. interim pastor of
National Baptist Memorial Church,
md the Scripture was read by the
Rev. DR.. Clarence w. Crawford, pas
or Of Calvary Baptist Church. The
Rev. M, P. German. DaSfor of Beth.