The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1958-11-18
Former Resident
Heads $4,000
Virginia Baptists
Putney Elected
To State Board
During Convention

A Buckingham county native.
Jesse NJ Johnson. is the new presi-
dent of the Baptist General AS
ISOLATION OF Virginia. heading an
organization representing $50 900
Baptist and l.400 churches in Vir-
ginia.
Johnson. a Richmond attorney.
was born at New Canton and con
tinues to own property in Buck
lngham county. where he has many
friends.
He was elected during last
weeks historic session of the AS
ISOLATION which was represented by
a record breaking sos delegates
called messengers and had a To-
tai attendance OF $500 delegates
and visitors.
Leading Figure
Johnson was educated al Wash
lngton and Lee University and re-
ceived his law degree at University
of Richmond. one of Virginia S
outstanding military veterans. he
also completed the University OF
Virginia S School for Military Gov
ernment, Michlgan's Japanes e
Language School and the Com
mand and Staff College of the Air
University at Montgomery Ala
He saw service in World Wars
! and II and in the latter became
Judge Advocate General Of the TX
Corps in Japan He added to these
services nine months Of active duty
In the Korean conflict
AS reseryist. he is a colonel
in the Judge Advocate General's
Department Reserve of the U. S.
Air Force Reserve. and commands
Richmond's 9lo9th Air Reserve
Group. He has served on the mill
tarv stats Of Governors Pollard.
Price. Tuck and Stanley and now
serves on Governor Almond staff.
Voted Vreinia's outstanding re-
serve officer in 1855. he received
three Crosses from the United
Daughters of the Confederacy IN
1856 for service in three wars This
was the first time the UDC had
ever awarded three such crosses at
one time to the same person.
Record Budget
During the convention at Rich
mond. messengers approved a
record breaking annual budget Of
$1,000. 900 for 1859 with increases
for education and benevolent insti-
tutions.
John NJ Pu.ney. Jr., Of Cumber-
land. was elected to the Baptist
Board Of Missions and Education
representing James River Baptist
Association.
The convention formally ex-
pressed opposition TO horse racing
with parti-mutuel betting for Vir
glnia a subject now being studied
BY committee Of the General As
sembly Also opposed were any
Bible-teaching programs for { h e
public schools and federal grants
for Baptist institutions IN Virginia
The convention reaffirmed con
gregational autonomy. cardinal
field Of Baptist operation, and
recommended better pay for pas
tors and fuller congregational par
tlcipation in retirement plans for
pastors.
Racial Issues
On the racial question. the con-
yention turned back a floor amend
ment which would have endorsed
Governor Almonds position on seq
regation. The delegates instead ac-
cepted the report Of the Christian
Life Committee. which neither ex-
pressly endorsed nor rejected mas
sive resistance
The committee report expressed
opposition to any effort that would
set church against its pastor or
a pastor against his church. It
encourages churches to be strongly
and simply churches Of the Lord
Jesus Christ. not to be sidetracked
from their od-ordained position
and mission by becoming allied
with groups having purely secular
purposes