BAPTISTS. 



73 



The Southern overture also mentioned as one 

 of the subjects concerning which an arrange- 

 ment should be made, a more definite under- 

 standing in regard to the territorial limits of the 

 Southern Board and the Northern Society among 

 the native white people, the Indians, and the 

 foreign population of the country. On this sub- 

 ject a proposition was submitted" expressing the 

 belief 



That for the promotion of fraternal feeling and for 

 tin-, be.st. Interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, it is 

 inexpedient for two different organizations of Baptists 

 'io >.< .licit contributions, or to establish missions in the 

 same localities; and for this reason we recommend to 

 the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist 

 Convention, and to the American Baptist Home Mis- 

 sion Society, that in the prosecution of their work 

 already begun on contiguous fields,. or on the same 

 field, all antagonisms be avoided, and their officers and 

 employees be instructed to co-operate in all practical 

 ways in the spirit of Christ. That we further recom- 

 mend to these bodies and their agents, in opening 

 new work, to direct their efforts to localities not 

 already occupied by the other. 



The Committee of the Home Mission Society 

 not being instructed to act upon any subject ex- 

 cept co-operation in labor for the colored race, 

 this proposition was recommended to the Board 

 of the American Baptist Home Mission Society 

 for favorable consideration. 



Young People's Union. The fourth inter- 

 national convention of the Baptist Young Peo- 

 ple's Union of America was held at Toronto, 

 Ontario, July 19 to 22. The treasurer's report 

 showed that the total assets of the Union were 

 $20.141, and its liabilities $47,868. The society 

 included, according to the report of the Board 

 of Managers, 80 State unions and 2 provincial 

 unions. New State unions had been formed in 

 Virginia and West Virginia. Many new local 

 organizations had sprung up, especially in the 

 Southern States. Statistics of the extent of 

 local organization were still difficult to secure, 

 but progress was being made. Progress was also 

 reported in the organization of junior societies, 

 and in the addition of the educational methods of 

 the Union. The prominent feature of these 

 met hods is presented in the three Christian cul- 

 t iii-c. courses, viz. : the Sacred Literature Course, 

 the Bible-reader's Course, and the Conquest Mis- 

 sionary Course. These had been supplemented 

 by an experimental junior course, which prom- 

 ised well. Special books were in publication for 

 the use of these courses. The Conquest Mission- 

 ary Course, with its scheme of studies for four 

 years, had been approved by the representatives 

 of the American Baptist Publication and Home 

 Missionary Societies and Missionary Union. 

 Numerous addresses on subjects appropriate to 

 the objects of the Union were delivered during 

 the meetings. 



The Baptist Congress. The thirteenth an- 

 nual meeting of the Baptist Congress was held 

 in Detroit, Mich.. Nov. 13 to 15. President 

 A. (J. Slocum, of Kalamazoo College, presided. 

 The Milijects were discussed, by appointed speak- 

 ers ai.d volunteers in general discussion, of 

 "Tradition as a Formative Force in Baptist 

 Doctrine and Church Life," "What does the 

 Denomination owe to its Colleges, and what do 

 its Colleges owe to the Denomination"?" "The 

 Formation of Criminal Classes: Its Causes and 



its Cure," "What is the Kingdom of God?" 

 "The Interpretation of the Old Testament a& 

 affected by Modern Scholarship," and "Christ 

 the Liberator: Christ the Unifier." 



II. Convention of the Maritime Prov- 

 inces. The forty-ninth meeting of the Baptist 

 Convention of the Maritime Provinces was held 

 at Bear River, Nova Scotia, in September. 

 About 400 delegates were present. The Rev, Dr. 

 J. II. Saunders presided. The Board of Foreign 

 Missions reported concerning its work carried 

 on in the Telugu country, India, with an expend- 

 iture of $18,943, exceeding the receipts by $1,- 

 939. The woman's work auxiliary to the main 

 society was described as being very helpful. The 

 Board of Home Missions returned an income of 

 $7,963, with an indebtedness of $2,053. The 

 condition of the educational institutions, of 

 which Acadia College is the most prominent, 

 was described as being one of progress, with a 

 good outlook, and a call for enlargement if the 

 means were in hand. 



III. Convention of Ontario and Quebec. 

 The Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec 

 met in St. Thomas, Ontario, in October. Mr. J. S. 

 Buchan, of Montreal, was chosen president. Re- 

 ports were made concerning educational inter- 

 ests, home and foreign missions, and the Grande 

 Ligne mission to the French population in the 

 Province of Quebec, Woodstock College, McMas- 

 tan University, with Moulton College, its Ladies' 

 Department, and the Grande Ligne School, 

 were represented in the educational reports. 

 Of the 3,172 baptisms returned in the two prov- 

 inces, about 1,600 had been in the home mission 

 fields. Missionary reports were received from 

 fields in India, Manitoba, and the Northwest. 



IV. Baptists in Great Britain. Out of 

 2,825 Baptist churches in Great Britain and Ire- 

 land, statistical returns from 2,495 appear in the 

 "Handbook" for 1894, and approximate esti- 

 mates are given for the rest. Connected with 

 ^these churches are 3,777 places of worship, af- 

 "fording accommodation for 1,242,038 persons. 

 Other items give 1,881 ordained ministers, 4,534 

 local preachers, 342,507 communicants (showing 

 an increase during the year of 5,098), 47,969 

 teachers, and 495,284 pupils in Sunday schools ; 

 18,006 baptisms during the year; 10 colleges, 

 with 246 students ; and 24 new chapels or mis- 

 sion halls built during the year, at a cost of 31,- 

 870, with accommodation for 9,225 persons. 



The " Handbook " gives the number of Baptist 

 churches in the world as 46,502 (as against 

 44,558 in the preceding year), with 30,548 or- 

 dained ministers or missionaries, 4,136.152 mem- 

 bers a gain for the year of 123,465 and 

 2,002,877 pupils in Sunday schools. 



The "Baptist Missionary Centennial Volume," 

 published at the end of 1893, shows that, of 

 114,670 promised to the Centennial fund, only 

 7,696 then remained unpaid. 



The Annual Assembly of the Baptist Union 

 of Great Britain and Ireland was held in Lon- 

 don, beginning April 23. The Rev. T. Mew 

 Morris presided, and delivered an opening ad- 

 dress on " Baptists in Relation to other Chris- 

 tians and to some of the Special Questions of the 

 Day." The statistical reports showed a gain dur- 

 ing the year of 5,098 members and 7,483 pupils, 

 and an increase of 2,822 baptisms. The income 



