CI.-»„cL.w -I* A* 1 
 
 
 
 Irinity College Historical 
 Society Collection 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Trinity College Library 
 Durham, N. C. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2014 
 
 https://archive.org/details/historyofnorthcaOOjohn_0 
 
History of the 
 
 North Carolina Baptist 
 State Convention 
 
 By Livingston Johnson 
 
 Corresponding- Secretary 
 
 S3 f7 3 
 
 RALEIGH, N. C. : 
 Presses of Edwards & Broughton Printing Co. 
 1908. 
 
I t \ 
 
 . t "-Wary 
 
 tiro & %io 
 
 To My Friends 
 The Two Hundred Thousand Baptists in North Carolina 
 This Little Book is Affectionately Dedicated 
 
INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Army Colportage 71 
 
 Assembly Grounds 144, 146 
 
 Baptist University: 
 
 First Mention 49 
 
 Resolution for Establishing 114 
 
 Located in Raleigh 117 
 
 Stringfield Financial Agent 122 
 
 Opening Session 131 
 
 R. T. Vann President 133 
 
 Biblical Recorder: 
 
 First Mention 20 
 
 Publication Begun 22 
 
 Name Changed 24 
 
 Suspension 35, 37 
 
 Convention Elects Editor 53,57,126,148 
 
 Recorder Company Organized 134 
 
 Buys North Carolina Baptist 148 
 
 Board of Missions: 
 
 Appointed 15 
 
 First Appropriation 21 
 
 Missionaries Report 23 
 
 Finch's Great Report 44 
 
 Century Educational Fund 135 
 
 Charity and Children Founded 109 
 
 Convention : 
 
 Organization General Conference 10 
 
 Organization of Convention 11 
 
 Meredith's Great Address 13 
 
 Western Convention 42 
 
 Greatest Session 60 
 
 State and Western Unite 130 
 
VI 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Mid- Summer Meeting 138 
 
 Ministerial Students, First 19 
 
 Ministers' Relief Board: 
 
 First Mention 108 
 
 Location 115, 116 
 
 Orphanage : 
 
 Association Organized 105 
 
 First House Built 105 
 
 State Aid to Higher Education 120 
 
 Sunday-School Board: 
 
 Established 72 
 
 Changed to Sunday-School Association 81 
 
 Re-established 86 
 
 Missions and Sunday Schools 109 
 
 Wake Forest College: 
 
 First Mention 18 
 
 Endowment 61, 63, 88, 103, 147 
 
 Taylor President 105 
 
 Poteat President 143 
 
 Woman's Work: 
 
 First Societies 18 
 
 Central Committee 94, 103, 107 
 
 Endorsed by Convention 108 
 
 Sunbeams 113 
 
 First General Meeting 118 
 
 Separate Convention 144 
 
 Young Woman's Auxiliary 145 
 
 Yates, Matthew T.: 
 
 Beneficiary 32 
 
 Ordained 43 
 
 Returns from China 64, 83 
 
 Death of 113 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 Columbus Durham, when Corresponding Secretary 
 of the State Convention, performed a service for the 
 Baptists of the State, which must last through all 
 time. He gathered the minutes of the Chowan As- 
 sociation from 1806 to 1845, and had them bound 
 and placed in the Mission Rooms. He then collected 
 the minutes of the State Convention from its organi- 
 zation and had them neatly bound, that they might be 
 preserved. In this work he was assisted by brethren 
 John E. Ray and 1ST. B. Cobb, and many of the elect, 
 both men and women, rendered valuable aid by send- 
 ing copies of the minutes which they had in their 
 possession. Indeed, Mr. Ray began the work of col- 
 lecting the minutes, but Dr. Durham had the first vol- 
 ume bound. I have been reading this glorious his- 
 tory at odd times, and have never read a romance 
 that was, to me, more thrillingly interesting. 
 
 As I read the record contained in the minutes from 
 year to year, the thought came to me that this his- 
 tory is too precious and valuable to be kept locked up 
 in this office. It seemed to me that the Baptists, 
 especially the younger ones, in the State, should be 
 made familiar with the heroic deeds of our Baptist 
 fathers. The more I read, the stronger grew this 
 conviction. Several brethren asked that this matter 
 be put in permanent form. Thus encouraged, I have 
 decided to undertake the work. 
 
8 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 This little book will consist of extracts from the 
 minutes, with just enough explanatory notes to make 
 it a connected history. 
 
 I sincerely trust that others may find it as inter- 
 esting as did the compiler, when he read it, and that 
 it may awaken in us an earnest desire to do our part 
 in building a worthy structure on a foundation so 
 wisely laid. Livingston Johnson. 
 
HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 North Carolina Baptist State Convention. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 The Beginning of Organization. 
 
 The Baptist State Convention was conceived in the 
 consecrated brain of Martin Ross. In the minutes of 
 the Chowan Association, held in May, 1809, Elder 
 Martin Ross submitted a motion, "embracing an in- 
 quiry as to the propriety of establishing a meeting of 
 general correspondence, to be comprised of the neigh- 
 boring associations." 
 
 The minutes of 18$9 contain the following: "Busi- 
 ness of forming a general meeting for correspondence 
 introduced last year, was taken up ; and to the com- 
 mittee then appointed, Elder Dossey is now added, 
 who presented to the Association the following re- 
 port : 'Your Committee beg leave to report a disagree- 
 ment to the partial and contracted plan first under 
 consideration ; and would warmly recommend that 
 this meeting be so formed and constituted as to admit 
 freely, and upon equal ground, all the Baptist Asso- 
 ciations in the State, similar, perhaps to that formed, 
 and now forming, by the numerous Baptist Associa- 
 tions in the State of Virginia.' " 
 
10 
 
 HIST0RY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 The Committee addressed a circular to all the As- 
 sociations, and received a favorable response from 
 many of them. Consequently a meeting was called, 
 to be held on "Friday before the first Lord's Day in 
 June (1811) at the falls of Tar River, to form a 
 constitution for the organization of such a meeting." 
 The "North Carolina Baptist General Meeting of 
 Conference" was organized, and met annually. Mar- 
 tin Ross was the leading spirit. There is no record 
 of this General Meeting at hand, but from the refer- 
 ences in the minutes of the Chowan Association, we 
 gather that its object was to secure more perfect co- 
 operation, and to promote the interests of Missions. 
 Missionary societies Avere organized in the Asocia- 
 tion, and the name of "General Meeting of Confer- 
 ence," was changed to "The North Carolina Baptist 
 Benevolent Society." 
 
 The minutes of 1826 contain this resolution: "Re- 
 solved, That Brethren M. Ross, Meredith, Newborn, 
 Jordan and Hall be appointed to correspond with the 
 Associations of the State, with a view to forming a 
 State Convention, and report to our next Associa- 
 tion." 
 
 At the next meeting (1827) the Committee re- 
 ported that nothing had been done, and, on motion, 
 they were discharged. The old adage that "it is al- 
 ways darkest just before daylight," was certainly true 
 in this instance. The agitation soon bore fruit, for 
 in the minutes of 1830 we read these words: "Re- 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 11 
 
 solved, That this Association cordially approve of the 
 formation of the Baptist Convention of this State, 
 recently organized at Greenville, and zealously pa- 
 tronize its objects. 
 
 "Resolved, That this Association respectfully 
 recommend to the churches composing this body, that 
 they take into special consideration the claims of the 
 Baptist Convention recently organized in this State, 
 and patronize its objects according to their several 
 abilities." 
 
 There was held in the town of Greenville, jST. G, 
 on March 26, 1830, a meeting of "The North Caro- 
 lina Baptist Benevolent Society." 
 
 The members of this society concluded that the 
 time had come to "lengthen their cords and strengthen 
 their stakes," as the following resolution, "which was 
 adopted without a dissenting voice," shows: "Re- 
 solved, That this society be transformed into a State 
 Convention." 
 
 Few and simple are those words, but their full 
 import eternity alone can reveal. That short resolu- 
 tion called into being the North Carolina Baptist 
 State Convention, an organization whose influence 
 in our commonwealth, especially in regard to Baptist 
 affairs, none of us can fully appreciate. Martin 
 Ross, who had dreamed of this Convention, was not 
 present at its organization. God had called him to 
 that "great Convention in the skies." There were 
 fourteen brethren present, and their names are given 
 
12 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 as follows : P. W. Dowel, E. M. Guffie, William P. 
 Bidclle, Samuel Wait, John Armstrong, Thomas 
 Meredith, Charles W. Skinner, James McDaniel, II. 
 Austin, P. P. Lawrence, R. S. Long, Thomas D. 
 Mason, George Stokes, R. S. Blount. Eleler P. W. 
 Dowel was elected president, Elder John Armstrong 
 recording secretary. 
 
 It is evident that they had agreed beforehand to 
 organize a Convention at this time, for a constitution 
 w r as adopted immediately after the resolution, given 
 above, was passeel. The Mission work, prior to the 
 organization of the Convention, seems to have been 
 dene through Missionary societies, in the several As- 
 sociations, rather than through the churches, and the 
 "Baptist Benevolent Society" seems to have borne 
 about the same relation to these associational societies 
 that the Convention now bears to the churches. In- 
 deed, the Convention simply took the place of the 
 general Benevolent Society, leaving the local societies 
 just as they were. 
 
 Thomas Meredith was appointed to prepare a circu- 
 lar, to be attached to the report of this Convention. 
 This circular letter is a carefully prepared and very 
 able document, It is addressed to the Baptists of 
 North Carolina, and covers thirteen pages of fine 
 print. We learn from this letter that the Conven- 
 tion was organized for the purpose, primarily, of giv- 
 ing the Gospel to North Carolina, and then to all the 
 world. To do this they see the absolute necessity 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 13 
 
 of having a better equipped ministry, hence minis- 
 terial education becomes one of the important objects 
 of the Convention. The letter is a clear, bold ex- 
 pression of earnest and brave men, who are entering 
 upon a great work, with a full consciousness of the 
 difficulties that confront them. They know that the 
 chief obstacle will be opposition from their own 
 brethren. They reckon with this in the outset, and 
 meet it in a very straightforward, manly way. A 
 few extracts from this magnificent paper will give 
 us some idea of the spirit of the men who organized 
 the Convention, and the purpose that inspired them 
 in its organization. 
 
 Meredith's great address. 
 
 "A wish has prevailed to some extent, and it is 
 believed to be neither an unreasonable nor an un- 
 charitable one, to see Baptist churches in many places 
 where they are not; and to see all under the super- 
 intendence of a faithful and successful ministry. It 
 is a plain case that where there is no church there 
 adequate resources for the immediate support of the 
 Gospel can not be expected. And it is equally plain 
 that the insufficiency of a large proportion of the 
 organized churches in the State is nearly, if not quite, 
 as great, It is the grand object of the Convention 
 to supply these deficiencies. * # * It is a State 
 enterprise in which the welfare and reputation of the 
 denomination are involved and in which many in- 
 
14 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 dividuals are personally and deeply interested." 
 After stating that the work in our own State would 
 receive special attention, we find this sentence : "This 
 explanation is made, not for the purpose of eluding 
 any of the hostility, which is usually waged against 
 Foreign Missions, for all missions are substantially 
 the same, but for the purpose of having it distinctly 
 seen that the primary object of the Convention at 
 present, is to repair the waste places of our own State." 
 
 Those who oppose the "organized work" are ad- 
 dressed kindly but with great candor, as the follow- 
 ing extract will show : "Brethren, you who are averse 
 /to State Conventions and to Missions and to Educa- 
 tion Societies, and who have carried your hostility 
 so far as to threaten with excommunication those of 
 your church members who dare to think and act 
 differently from yourselves in these matters, we wish 
 it distinctly understood that we have no quarrel with 
 you of any kind. We neither dislike nor envy you, 
 nor do we despise you, nor do we fear you. We re- 
 gard you as Christians, as Baptists and as brethren; 
 but we consider you sadly mistaken, and we sincerely 
 regret the loss of your services in the important and 
 interesting work before us. * * * You may 
 misrepresent our intentions if you choose, you may 
 impugn our reputations and you may conflict with 
 our movements; but you can not injure us nor can 
 you prevent the accomplishment of our plans. The 
 improvement of the ministry and of the Baptist 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 15 
 
 churches of North Carolina will be effected, and by 
 means proposed, either sooner or later. " Then fol- 
 lows an earnest appeal to those who are friendly to 
 the Convention and its work. The temptation is 
 great to quote more largely from this inspiring letter, 
 but I forbear, and simply give the closing words of 
 this ringing appeal : /*Men and brethren, who live in 
 the brightest day the world has ever seen, who are 
 permitted to witness events which would have dazzled 
 the vision and startled the faith of prophets and 
 apostles — who are favored with opportunities which 
 no preceding generation was ever permitted to en- 
 joy — who sustain responsibilities more fearful, per- 
 haps, than any which ever before oppressed the con- 
 science of men — and whose passage through life is 
 swifter than the flight of the weaver's shuttle ; con- 
 sider, we beseech you, who and where you are. Mark 
 the surprising and momentous peculiarities of your 
 situation ! Let your own hearts speak and more need 
 not be said. This single advocate will set up a plea 
 within you, more moving than the lofty pathos of 
 Isaiah, or all the winning charms of an Apollos ; and 
 an appeal which surely will not, can not be set up 
 in vain." 
 
 A "Board of Directors" was appointed, which cor- 
 responds to our Mission Board, and a dozen brethren 
 were selected as agents, whose business seems to have 
 been to present the claims of the Convention as widely 
 as possible in their respective sections of the State. 
 
16 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 The basis of representation was fixed at one delegate 
 for every ten dollars contributed to the objects of the 
 Convention. The delegates at first were not from 
 the churches, but from the Missionary societies in the 
 churches. 
 
 Having finished the business of this momentous 
 meeting, these "heroes of the faith" adjourned to 
 meet at "Rogers's Meeting-House," in Wake County, 
 in April, 1831. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION". 
 
 17 
 
 CHAPTEK II. 
 1831—1842. 
 
 Rogers's Meeting House, Wake County, Apeil 
 15-18, 1831. 
 
 At the second meeting there were thirty-seven dele- 
 gates. Dowd was again elected President; John 
 Armstrong, Corresponding Secretary; ~R. G. Smith, 
 Recording Secretary, and Henry Austin, Treasurer. 
 The duties of the corresponding secretary were not 
 the same then as now. He had a sort of general over- 
 sight of the work, but did not give his whole time to 
 it, and received no compensation for his services. 
 Elder Samuel Wait was elected by the Board of 
 Managers, which met after adjournment of the first 
 Convention, as General Agent of the Convention. His 
 duties were about the same as those now required of 
 the Corresponding Secretary. His compensation was 
 a dollar a day, and the salaries of the missionaries 
 were to be ten dollars a month for single men and not 
 more than twenty-five dollars a month for married 
 men. Pour missionaries were employed for next 
 year; two for six weeks each, one for three months 
 and one for two months. These missionaries were 
 simply evangelists, who visited churches, held meet- 
 ings and explained the work of the Convention. 
 
 There are two things observed in the minutes of 
 the second session of the Convention, which we some- 
 times claim as modern improvements. These are 
 2 
 
18 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 Woman's Missionary Societies, and the Volunteer 
 Mission work. Brethren were here as delegates from 
 Raleigh, Bethel and Cape Fear Female Benevolent 
 Societies; and a little farther on, seventeen brethren 
 offered a month's gratuitous service each, to he sent 
 where, in the judgment of the Board, their labors 
 would accomplish most. 
 
 The Treasurer's report shows three columns, one for 
 Home Missions, one for Foreign Missions, one for 
 Education, and one for totals. Be it remembered that 
 Home Missions in those early years meant State 
 Missions. We can understand now, why so many 
 brethren in the State, even to this day, get Home and 
 State Missions confused. For nearly forty years of 
 the Convention's life, Home Missions meant State 
 Missions. 
 
 Reeve's Chapel, August 3-7, 1832. 
 
 P. W. Dowd declined re-election as President, 
 and W. P. Biddle was elected to that position. G. 
 W. Hufham is a delegate to this Convention. This 
 is the first mention of a name which has been an 
 honored one in our Convention ever since. 
 
 Steps are taken looking to the establishment of a 
 college, as the following resolution shows: "Resolved 
 unanimously, That the Convention deem it expedient 
 to purchase a suitable farm, and to adopt other pre- 
 liminary measures for the establishment of a Baptist 
 Literary Institution in this State on the Manual 
 Labor principle." 
 
 A committee was appointed to solicit funds with 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 19 
 
 which to purchase a farm. Two thousand dollars had 
 already been given for this purpose. The committee 
 was authorized to contract for such plantation as in 
 their judgment would be "adapted to the object to 
 which it is to be appropriated." This committee 
 consisted of J. G. Hall, William K. Hinton, J. Puri- 
 foy, A. S. Winn, and S. J. Jeffries. Already some- 
 thing had been done toward ministerial education. 
 Brother George W. Thompson, who was conducting 
 a private school in Wake County, generously pro- 
 posed to instruct, without charge, beneficiaries of the 
 Board. William Jones and Patrick Connelly were 
 adopted as the first beneficiaries, and placed in 
 Brother Thompson's school. Already there was some 
 opposition to ministerial education, as we gather from 
 the following: 
 
 "Whereas, reports are industriously circulated 
 that it is the design of this institution, by endeavor- 
 ing to promote the education of young ministers, to 
 suppress the preaching of those not favored with such 
 advantages ; therefore, 
 
 "Resolved, That this Convention deeply regret that 
 any person should be so wicked as to propagate such 
 scandal, and that any should be so weak as to give 
 it credence; inasmuch as this body has so carefully 
 guarded against any mistake on this subject, and every 
 person of the most ordinary intelligence must know 
 that the Convention has not the power to effect such 
 an object if they even possessed the inclination." 
 
 At this Convention the necessity for a denomina- 
 
20 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 fional paper was recognized. In his report to the 
 Convention, the General Agent, Elder Samuel Wait, 
 says : "It will easily he seen that we have long labored 
 under great and very serious disadvantages from the 
 want of a well conducted religious journal. Such a 
 paper we might hope, being adapted to the existing 
 state of our churches, would be productive of the 
 best consequences. Much information on important 
 subjects could be imparted to the churches and our 
 congregations at large, many prejudices removed, and 
 the way soon prepared for securing to the Convert 
 tion annually, a larger amount of aid." The follow- 
 ing resolution was adopted unanimously: 
 
 "Whereas, This body has been informed that 
 Brother T. Meredith, of Edenton, contemplates the 
 publication of a religious periodical, to be issued 
 monthly at the moderate price of one dollar per an- 
 num; therefore, 
 
 "Resolved, That this Convention highly approve 
 the undertaking, and earnestly recommend their 
 brethren to give it a liberal patronage." 
 
 This much space has been given to the school and 
 the paper because no other instrumentalities have 
 had so much to do with the upbuilding of our de- 
 nomination. The consummate wisdom of our fathers 
 is seen in that they recognized the necessity for both 
 of these agencies at the same time, and started them 
 • : on their useful careers. Through all the years they 
 have gone on hand in hand strengthening our Baptist 
 Eion. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 21 
 
 "Resolved, that no member of the Board of this 
 Convention (Board of Missions) shall receive for any 
 services he may render, any pecuniary compensation 
 from the funds of this Convention." 
 
 That resolution remains unchanged. The members 
 of the Board do not even receive their traveling ex- 
 penses. The salary of the General Agent, as that of 
 the Corresponding Secretary now, was paid from 
 "the three several funds of this institution in a pro- 
 portion corresponding to the amount contributed to 
 each during the year." 
 
 One hundred dollars was appropriated to the 
 Church at Wilmington on condition that they secure 
 a man who will be acceptable to the Convention. 
 
 In the report of the Committee on "Home Mis- 
 sions/' which meant State Missions, attention is called 
 to great destitution. In Brunswick, Halifax, and 
 Eobeson Counties, there was not a Baptist preacher. 
 In Wilmington and all the lower part of New Hanover 
 the people were entirely destitute. Wake and Johnston 
 were mission fields. Elder James Dennis was mis- 
 sionary in these two last-named counties, and had 
 constituted a church at Smithfield, with forty or fifty 
 members. 
 
 Carteedge's Creek, November 1-6, 1833. 
 
 W. P. Biddle was elected President, John Arm- 
 strong, Corresponding Secretary; Amos J. Battle, 
 Recording Secretary, and Charles McAllister, Treas- 
 urer. 
 
22 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 The minutes of that session are missing and we 
 have not the history in detail. We gather from other 
 sources, however, that Mr. Meredith had begun the 
 publication of his paper, and the committee ap- 
 pointed to purchase land for the Labor Manual School 
 reported that they had procured a farm of one hun- 
 dred acres from Dr. Calvin Jones, of Wake County. 
 
 Cashie Meeting House, Bertie County, 
 November 1-5, 1834. 
 
 Alfred Dockery was elected President. At this 
 Convention delegates were appointed to the "Trien- 
 nial Meeting of the Baptist General Convention of 
 the United States." These delegates were Thomas 
 Meredith, Samuel Wait, and Amos J. Battle. Fra- 
 ternal messengers were sent to the South Carolina 
 and Virginia Conventions, and this custom was kept 
 up for many years. 
 
 The State was divided into four fields, as we gather 
 from the following: 
 
 "Kesolved, That the following brethren be ap- 
 pointed agents to perform each six months service 
 in the proportion of territory respectively appro- 
 priated to each, namely, James Thomas, in that dis- 
 trict lying west of the Yadkin, taking in also the 
 county of Surry ; John Culpepper, Sr., in that lying 
 between the Yadkin and the Cape Fear, including also 
 the counties of Chatham, Person and Caswell; Wm. 
 J. Finley, in that lying between the Cape Pear and 
 the Tar, embracing also the counties of Halifax and 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 23 
 
 Northampton; and George M. Thompson, in that 
 included between the last-named boundary and the 
 Atlantic. 
 
 "Resolved further, That the above agents be al- 
 lowed a compensation of seventy-five cents per day." 
 
 The reports of the four agents, or missionaries, are 
 very encouraging. From their reports we glean some 
 important facts. There were twenty-seven Associa- 
 tions in the State, and three others partly in this State 
 and partly in South Carolina. Nineteen co-operate 
 with the Convention, and in these nineteen over four 
 thousand were added by baptism last year. The other 
 eight Associations were opposed to Wake Forest, the 
 Convention and all organized work. "It is clearly 
 seen that all these churches and religious bodies op- 
 posed to practical godliness, and the missionary enter- 
 prise are lean and dry like Gideon's fleece, while those 
 decidedly friendly are growing and flourishing like 
 the rose." 
 
 There is a most hopeful note running through all 
 the reports at this Convention. A brief review of 
 the four years of the Convention's life, shows very 
 much accomplished. Opposition is dying away; de- 
 nomination growing in influence ; arrangements made 
 to send the Gospel to many destitute sections of the 
 State; Wake Forest established and seventy students 
 present the first year; more than thirteen thousand 
 dollars subscribed, and part of it paid to erect suit- 
 able building at Wake Forest; missionaries have 
 traveled through the whole State and great revivals 
 
24 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 resulted; enlargement of State Mission work; State 
 divided into twelve sections and a missionary placed 
 in each section for six months. This is an advance 
 of two hundred per cent. ~No wonder the writer of 
 the report breaks forth in the joyous acclaim: "The 
 Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are 
 glad." 
 
 Union Camp Ground, Rowan County, October 
 20 to November 3, 1835. 
 
 "The Interpreter " whose publication was begun in 
 1833, was changed to a weekly, and called "the Bibli- 
 cal Recorder/' At this Convention, John Culpepper, 
 Sr., and Francis Hawley, father of Senator Hawley, 
 of Connecticut, were employed as General Agents. 
 The following resolution shows the spirit of the Con- 
 vention in regard to Foreign Missions: 
 
 "Resolved, That we highly approve the resolution 
 of the Triennial Convention to raise one hundred 
 thousand dollars for Foreign Missions next year, and 
 that we will use our best efforts to pay our full pro- 
 portion of the sum." 
 
 Hear the brethren as they speak of "eliciting, com- 
 bining and directing": 
 
 "Resolved, That our agents and missionaries be 
 instructed to learn the number of Associations, minis- 
 ters and private members of the denomination in 
 the State, also how many of the above are favorable 
 to missions and how many are not — together with the 
 addresses of the ministers." 
 
 In its report to the Convention, written by John 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 25 
 
 Armstrong, the Board considers the "unsettled con- 
 dition of our population as a source of discourage- 
 ment and disappointment. Many of our most effi- 
 cient brethren have removed to the distant West and 
 many more are on the eve of departure." 
 
 The Wilmington Church was reported to be in a 
 prosperous condition. A committee was appointed 
 to adopt measures that might tend to secure the ser- 
 vices of an efficient pastor for the Raleigh Church. 
 In concluding this report John Armstrong says: 
 "Everything that the Convention has touched has 
 prospered. By the grace of God our missionaries 
 have been successful in turning souls to the Lord ; and 
 our agents have, to a very great extent, raised up the 
 denomination to a sense of its duties and of the 
 wants of the people. The Great Head of the Church 
 has especially blessed the Wake Forest Institute. 
 The past has been one continual series of successes 
 for which our prayer is, 'Lord give us thankful 
 hearts.' The future is before us — we have the promise 
 of Him who is truth itself that if we faint not we 
 shall reap." 
 
 J. S. Ballard is elected Sunday School agent. This 
 is the first mention of such an agent. The cause of 
 temperance is declining. There are seventeen stills 
 in the West. Many church members are engaged in 
 the business. 
 
 The necessity for a Female Seminary is suggested, 
 but no steps are taken looking to the establishment of 
 such an institution. 
 
26 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 County Line, November 11-15, 1836. 
 
 John Kerr, and A. M. Poindexter, from the Gen- 
 eral Association of Virginia, and H. A. Wilcox, repre- 
 senting the American Home Missionary Society, were 
 welcomed to seats. This is first mention of the Ameri- 
 can Home Mission Society. Committee appointed to 
 communicate with the Baptists in Georgia, South 
 Carolina, Virginia and District of Columbia respect- 
 ing the erection of a suitable monument to the 
 memory of Luther Rice. 
 
 "The Committee to whom was referred the subject 
 of a Female Seminary beg to report : That they have 
 had the matter under consideration, and have come 
 to the conclusion that it is not expedient at present, 
 to establish such Seminary. Such are the claims and 
 wants of the institute now under the care of the Con- 
 vention, that it would appear to the committee that it 
 would too much divide the attention and resources of 
 our friends and patrons to create a new institute at 
 this time." This report was signed by Wm. Hooper, 
 Chairman. 
 
 A committee was appointed "to take immediate 
 measures to secure the amount of $17,000 for the 
 purpose of establishing a professorship fo? theological 
 instruction in this State." 
 
 Extracts from report on periodicals : "Your com- 
 mittee think that it is a cause of just congratulation 
 that our denomination enjoys the honor of having 
 originated the first religious periodical in the State." 
 Further down in the report occurs this despondent 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 27 
 
 sentence: "You may suppose, therefore, that it was 
 not without feelings of painful interest that we have 
 learned that the very existence of our paper was in 
 jeopardy ; that the patronage it received was not at all 
 commensurate with its necessities; and that in fact, 
 but for certain facilities of publication which the 
 editor enjoys, even the expenses of its publication 
 could not be met." The committee recommended that 
 an agent for the Recorder be put in the field and 
 that the friends of the paper pledge themselves for 
 his support. This recommendation was adopted, and 
 Elder Francis Hawley was employed as agent. 
 
 The report on Home (State) Missions contains 
 these words: "The Home Missions department con- 
 stitutes one of the most important branches of opera- 
 tion in which the Convention is engaged. It is that 
 on the success of which depends, to a great extent, the 
 success of all the others. It is to this that we must 
 look for the cultivation of the soil, from which alone 
 our resources can be obtained. It is this, therefore, 
 to which the attention of the Convention should be 
 directed as a matter of radical interest," 
 
 Francis Hawley, one of the general agents, has 
 encountered a spirit of apathy which alarms him. He 
 says : "It is a painful fact that almost general apathy 
 prevails among the churches where I have traveled 
 relative to the interest of the Redeemer's Kingdom. 
 The Church has evidently drunk deep into a worldly 
 spirit; and many who, a few years ago, seemed to 
 run well, now seem to be bending all their energies 
 
28 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 to amass a fortune. It is evident that Christians do 
 not realize their obligation, hence there is but little 
 spontaneous action." Further on in his report he 
 says : "There can be but little doubt that the Sabbath 
 School and temperance cause are on the retrograde; 
 many who once put their hands to the plow have 
 looked back." 
 
 John Blount, of Edenton, bequeathed his entire 
 estate, worth ten or eleven thousand dollars, to Wake 
 Forest Institute. John Armstrong, in the report on 
 education, recommended that measures be devised to 
 add six or seven thousand dollars to this bequest, and 
 with it a chair of Sacred Literature be established, 
 to be called the Blount Professorship. It was likely, 
 when acting on this report, that the committee was 
 appointed to secure $17,000 to establish a theologi- 
 cal professorship. 
 
 No general agent was employed for the ensuing 
 year. The matter was left in the hands of the 
 Board with "power to act." 
 
 May's Chapel, Chatham County, November 
 3-7, 1837. 
 
 A resolution was passed requiring the Missionaries 
 to make quarterly reports to the Corresponding Secre- 
 tary. 
 
 A proposition was submitted from the Baptists of 
 South Carolina looking to the union of the papers of 
 the two States. The Convention heartily favored the 
 union, "but are of the opinion that it is indispensable 
 to the interests of this Convention that the publica- 
 tion be issued in some part of this State." 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 29 
 
 "Resolved, That the brethren are affectionately re- 
 quested to make efforts for the increase of the funds 
 of the Convention generally, but especially Home 
 Missions and education." 
 
 The Committee on Religious Instruction of Slaves 
 urged that places be provided for them in the houses 
 of worship, and that their religious instruction re- 
 ceive special attention. 
 
 Missionaries for the first time are asked to take 
 collections. Hitherto because of the prejudice against 
 it they had been instructed not to take collections. 
 The Treasurer's report shows a falling off in con- 
 tributions of thirty-three and a third per cent. This, 
 doubtless, was because there was no general agent 
 in the field. The Committee on General Agency say 
 that in their opinion an "active and discreet agent is 
 indispensable to the future prosperity, if not to the 
 permanent existence of the body," and recommend 
 that one be put in the field. Elder Samuel Wait was 
 appointed to act as agent for the Convention while 
 traveling for Wake Forest Institute. Three mis- 
 sionaries were appointed for full time and one for 
 six months. 
 
 Brown's Church, Sampson County, Novembeb 
 3-7, 1838. 
 
 It should have been stated in former papers, that 
 the Recorder, which was first printed in Edenton, was, 
 in 1835, moved to New Bern, and in 1837 to Raleigh. 
 
 The Female Seminary was considered again in 
 1838. The committee recommended that a joint 
 
30 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 stock company be organized, if possible to establish 
 a school in Raleigh with capacity for thirty pupils. 
 
 In commenting upon the report of K. McNabb, one 
 of the missionaries, the Board says: "The Associa- 
 tion (the Chowan) he found beyond any other de- 
 voted to the objects of the Convention. Wherever he 
 has been he has been kindly received, and finds a 
 general desire prevailing, that the number of our 
 missionaries should be increased." Mr. McNabb's re- 
 port shows that he collected more than his salary. 
 This is the first time such a thing occurred. Elder 
 Wm. Hill Jordan, Corresponding Secretary, in his 
 report, uses these words : "Brethren, what we do must 
 be quickly done. Death will soon come and put an 
 end to all our schemes on earth." Dr. Durham wrote 
 on the margin, "It did not end the schemes of these 
 fathers." 
 
 Up to this time John Armstrong had been Cor- 
 responding Secretary, but he spent a year in Europe, 
 and Wm. Hill Jordan was elected as Mr. Armstrong's 
 successor. 
 
 Grassy Creek Church, Granville County, 
 November 1-4, 1839. 
 
 It was noted in the last paper that the brethren 
 were somewhat depressed in spirit concerning the 
 work of the Convention, owing to a general apathy on 
 the part of the Baptists of the State. That feeling 
 lasted only for a little while, however, for at the 
 ninth session there was a marked advance movement. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 31 
 
 They increased their missionary operations a hundred 
 per cent, making the number ten instead of five. A 
 committee was appointed to address a circular letter 
 to the pastors "laying before them the importance of 
 more decided and efficient action in behalf of the 
 Convention, and requesting them to present its claims 
 to their congregations and take up collections in favor 
 of its funds." 
 
 In the report on General Agent, the committee says 
 of Home (State) Missions: "Our cause is the cause 
 of the patriot." They declare that State Missions 
 stands for law and order, public, individual and party 
 interest, and purity of elections." Speaking of the 
 work done in the State the committee says: "And 
 yet your committee have found it difficult to devise 
 a plan by which all parts of the State shall have an 
 equal amount of preaching." Every Board which 
 has met since has been confronted by that same diffi- 
 culty. 
 
 The Committee on Home (State) Missions recom- 
 mended that one missionary be appointed to labor 
 wholly within the bounds of the Chowan Associa- 
 tion, "and half of his time to be spent on each side 
 of the Chowan River ;" that another be placed within 
 the bounds of the Neuse and Tar River Associations; 
 another to supply the Goshen and Cape Fear Associa- 
 tions ; and that two others occupy the remaining por- 
 tion of the State. The committee, while appreciating 
 the need for a greatly increased missionary force, did 
 
32 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 not feel justified in recommending the appointment of 
 more than five. As is shown above after an en- 
 thusiastic discussion of the report, the Convention 
 decided to double the number of missionaries, and 
 the report was amended by making the number ten 
 instead of five. 
 
 Since the last Convention the name of Wake Forest 
 Institute has been changed to Wake Forest College. 
 
 The Convention adjourned to meet at Johnston 
 Liberty, in Johnston County, with the understanding 
 that three consecutive sessions would be held at that 
 place. No reason for this condition is stated, but it 
 is likely that the entertainment was in "camp-meet- 
 ing" style, and they did not want to go to the trouble 
 of providing tents or booths to be used only one year. 
 Time of meeting changed from November to October. 
 
 Johnston Liberty, Johnston County, October 
 2-5, 1840. 
 
 Matthew T. Yates was presented as a candidate for 
 reception as a beneficiary. Having passed a satis- 
 factory examination he was appointed a beneficiary 
 and sent to Wake Forest College. 
 
 Samuel Wait had represented the Convention as 
 General Agent while traveling in the interest of 
 Wake Forest College. Dr. Wait, in his report to the 
 Board, says he believes genuine co-operation of the 
 churches could be secured if they were given correct 
 information. It was not in his power to devote the 
 whole of the past year to the business of the agency, 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 33 
 
 but in the time he could give it he visited Duplin, 
 Bladen, Columbus, Brunswick, New Hanover, Wayne, 
 Johnston, Cumberland, Green, Pitt, Edgecombe, 
 Nash, Halifax, Northampton, Warren, Granville, 
 Person, Caswell, Orange, Guilford, Davidson, Ran- 
 dolph, Chatham, Rowan, Mecklenburg, Iredell and 
 Davie. This appears to be a pretty fair amount of 
 work for part of a year, considering the fact that this 
 traveling was done by private conveyance. 
 
 This seems to have been a rather tame Conven- 
 tion. Nothing of marked importance is recorded, and 
 there is an apparent lack of spirit and enthusiasm. 
 There has been a great falling off in interest in re- 
 gard to State Missions. It will be recalled that, at 
 the meeting before this there was great enthusiasm, 
 and the Board was instructed to employ ten mis- 
 sionaries. The Board met in J une following the last 
 Convention, and the brief record in the minutes would 
 indicate that the enthusiasm of the Convention of '39 
 had largely died away. At that meeting the Board 
 appointed two missionaries to labor until the meeting 
 of the Convention. At the Convention we are now 
 considering (1840) no recommendation was made as 
 to the number of missionaries. That matter seems to 
 have been left to the judgment of the Board. At the 
 meeting of the Board, which was held in Raleigh in 
 November, 1840, it was "Resolved, That we engage 
 for eighteen months, missionary services during the 
 ensuing year, all of which will be employed imme- 
 diately preceding the session of the Convention." 
 3 
 
34 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 It would seem by this that the brethren determined 
 to try the spasmodic, high-pressure method. This 
 one experiment appears to have cured them effectu- 
 ally, for we read nothing of this sort again for many 
 years. 
 
 There was a decided drop in contributions to all 
 the regular objects of the Convention. At this session 
 the Treasurer's report shows very little more con- 
 tributed than was received by the Treasurer the first 
 year after the organization of the Convention. This 
 would be very discouraging if nothing else had been 
 done ; but it must not be forgotten that Wake Forest 
 was drawing on the denomination. This very year 
 Dr. Wait collected for Wake Forest in cash and good 
 subscriptions, $4,630.56 — four times as much as the 
 Treasurer reported as contributed during any one 
 year to the objects of the Convention. Wake Forest 
 had its own treasurer, and his figures do not appear 
 in the minutes, but we know that the first brick build- 
 ing had been erected at a cost of $14,000, and other 
 funds had been collected for the college. 
 
 Johnston Liberty, October 15-18, 1841. 
 
 The American Baptist Publication and Sunday 
 School Society, which has just been founded, is 
 warmly commended. 
 
 The Foreign Mission tide is rising. W. H. J ordan 
 made a great speech on Foreign Missions, after which 
 the Missionary hymn, "From Greenland's Icy Moun- 
 tains/' was sung, and W. H. Jordan led in prayer 
 for God's blessings on this department of the work. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 35 
 
 Thomas Meredith says he will be forced to suspend 
 the publication of the Recorder, as it is not being 
 supported. 
 
 "Eesolved, That we consider it to the interest of 
 our denomination, that a Baptist religious periodical 
 shall be published in our State. 
 
 "Resolved, That we recommend to the Baptists of 
 the State to form an organization to sustain a reli- 
 gious periodical." 
 
 The stock company was not formed at that time, 
 but the Convention adopted substantially this same 
 resolution in 1900, the stock company was formed 
 in February, 1901, and the marked improvement of 
 the paper since that time is a complete vindication of 
 the wisdom of the fathers, for we are only carrying 
 out the plans which they formulated sixty years be- 
 fore, as to the management of the paper. 
 
 The missionaries for the first time are asked to 
 give verbal reports of their work. It appears from 
 the record that State Missions is in debt to Foreign 
 Missions, due, perhaps, to an overdraft in order to 
 pay the missionaries. This matter was brought up 
 at the last Convention, as the following resolution 
 shows, though no record of it can be found in the 
 minutes of 1840: 
 
 "Resolved, That $200 be appropriated from the 
 Home Mission to the Foreign Mission fund, as 
 directed at the last session of the Convention. 
 
 "Resolved further, That the balance of the Home 
 Mission fund be divided pro rata amongst the mis- 
 
36 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 sionaries, with the assurance that they shall be paid 
 in full out of the first moneys that come to hand." 
 
 At the Convention following this, a committee was 
 appointed to ascertain why Home (State) Missions 
 was in in debt to Foreign Missions. If that com- 
 mittee ever reported, there is no record of it. The 
 sum of $150 was loaned to the Convention, in order 
 that they might pay the missionaries balance on their 
 salaries. This money was loaned by individuals and 
 was promptly paid back, as the Treasurer's report 
 to the next Convention shows. 
 
 In the report on Home Missions we find this ex- 
 pression: "We regard, therefore, the Home Missions 
 as the ground-work and support of all the other ob- 
 jects of benevolent effort." 
 
 J. J. Finch presented quite a full and valuable 
 report on Foreign Missions. He gives the fields oc- 
 cupied, with the number of missionaries and native 
 helpers on each field. 
 
 Johnston Liberty Church agreed to relinquish ite 
 claim on the Convention, for its next session to be 
 held with them, on the condition that whenever they 
 ask for the Convention after 1843, it will go to them. 
 
 Meherrin Church, Hertford County, October 
 14-18, 1842. 
 
 Alfred Dockery being absent when the Convention 
 convened, T. Meredith was elected President. 
 
 The Home Mission Society proposed to appro- 
 priate $250 to the Kaleigh Church, to aid in securing 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 37 
 
 the services of Rev. Lewis DuPre. (This, by the way, 
 is the first time that the prefix "Rev." occurs in the 
 minutes). The committee unanimously accepted this 
 proposition. 
 
 The Recorder had suspended, and a committee was 
 appointed to confer with Elder Meredith up^n the 
 expediency and probability of publishing a weekly 
 paper. Mr. Meredith told them that he expected to 
 resume the publication of the Recorder and Watch- 
 man about January 1st. 
 
 This was a Foreign Mission jubilee year. Fifty 
 years ago William Carey went out as a missionary. 
 A mass-meeting on Foreign Missions was arranged 
 for Sunday. The committee on Religious Exercises 
 were instructed to select three speakers to make ad- 
 dresses in connection with the missionary sermon. 
 T. Meredith made the opening address, followed by 
 W. H. Jordan, who preached the sermon, and he was 
 followed by J. J. Finch, E. Kingsford and S. Wait. 
 Would a twentieth century congregation have lived 
 through it ? 
 
 At this session the North Carolina Baptist His- 
 torical Society was organized. 
 
 Miss Clara Tillman made a bequest of $100 to 
 State Missions "to apply to the religious instruction 
 of the people residing on Bay River, Craven County, 
 K C." 
 
 S. Justice made a bequest to Foreign Missions — 
 amount not stated. 
 
38 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 Some sort of plan for the "confederation" of Wake 
 Forest College and Furman Theological Institut'on 
 was proposed by the Sonth Carolina Convention and 
 unanimously approved by our Convention. What the 
 nature of this proposition was, the record does Dot 
 say. 
 
 The Committee on Statistics published list 01 As- 
 sociations, when constituted, number of churches, 
 total membership, white and colored. A list of the 
 Baptist ministers in the State was also published. 
 There were at that time (1842) 32,725 Baptists in 
 the State, white and colored, and 302 ministers. 
 There were 36 Associations, ten of which were anti- 
 missionary; 26,235 members in Missionary Associa- 
 tion, and 6,490 anti-missionaries. 
 
 There seems to have been a sad decline in State 
 Missions. For some cause the Board was in debt. 
 Only three missionaries were appointed for the next 
 year, and they to serve only four months each, which 
 was equivalent to one missionary for a year. An ap- 
 peal was made to the Baptists of the State in behalf 
 of the Church at Baleigh, to pay off a mortgage 
 which rested on the property. 
 
 Boiling Springs Camp Ground, October 
 13-17, 1843. 
 
 State Missions still lag. For two years no agent 
 has been in the field. At a meeting of the Board, 
 which was held after the last Convention, Elder "N. 
 A. Purefoy was elected agent, but he served only part 
 of a year. At this session Mr. Purefoy was elected 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 39 
 
 agent for the ensuing year at a salary of $300. The 
 three missionaries who labored four months each, re- 
 ported great meetings, many conversions and ripe 
 harvests. Opposition is dying away, and the mis- 
 sionaries were warmly welcomed wherever they went. 
 The Board reports the opportunities greater than 
 ever, and would recommend the appointment of a 
 larger number of missionaries than had ever been em- 
 ployed, if the fund at their disposal justified it. As 
 it is, they recommend that only two missionaries be 
 appointed for four months each. This is a retrench- 
 ment of thirty-three and a third per cent. Two 
 supervisory committees were appointed, one for the 
 East, the other for the West. These committees were 
 composed of three members each, and they were to 
 "superintend missionary labor." Their duties seem 
 to have been about the same as those of Associational 
 Executive Committees, though their fields were much 
 larger. 
 
 Elder James S. Purefoy is Treasurer of the Con- 
 vention. His reports are very clear and business-like. 
 
 The minutes of this session show, unmistakably, a 
 painful indifference on the part of the Baptists of the 
 State in regard to the work of the Convention. The 
 agent, in his report, sums up the situation in this 
 short sentence : "There appears to be but little opposi- 
 tion to the objects of the Convention, and but little 
 in favor of them." 
 
40 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 Raleigh, October 18-23, 1844. 
 Thomas Meredith had been President for the past 
 two sessions. Alfred Dockery is elected President 
 again. 
 
 J. C. Furman, J. B. J eter, Elias Dodson, and J. L. 
 Pritchard are present for the first time. 
 
 In the report on education, Wake Forest College, 
 Furman Theological Institution and Milton Female 
 Seminary are endorsed and recommended. The latter 
 to open January next under the supervision of Rev, 
 E. W. West. 
 
 A committee is appointed to confer with the West- 
 ern brethren as to the best means of co-operating with 
 the Convention. State Missions is gaining some. 
 Four missionaries are appointed for next year. 
 
 The following important recommendations were 
 made by the Committee on Sunday Schools: "Your 
 committee would also recommend that the editor of 
 the Biblical Recorder be requested to establish in his 
 excellent paper, a special department for Sabbath 
 Schools. The following resolutions are also presented : 
 
 "Resolved, That the importance of the moral ard 
 religious instruction of the rising generation has not 
 been duly appreciated. 
 
 "Resolved, That pastors and churches be affection- 
 ately urged to make more vigorous efforts to organize 
 and sustain Sabbath Schools." 
 
 Elder John Armstrong has passed away since the 
 last meeting of the Convention. He attended every 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 41 
 
 session of the Convention from its organization until 
 the meeting in 1838. That year he spent in Europe, 
 taking a special course of study. At the Convention 
 of 1839 he preached the introductory sermon, and 
 left very soon afterward for Columbus, Mississippi, 
 at which place he died in 1844. Dr. Hufham informs 
 me that he went to Columbus to become professor in 
 the University of Mississippi, to which position he 
 was elected soon after his return from Europe. The 
 following beautiful tribute was written by his life- 
 long friend, James McDaniel : "He was prominent 
 in the little band that originated the Convention and 
 subsequently the college, and bore a distinguished 
 part in carrying them forward. Eor a time he filled 
 the chair of Ancient Languages in the college. He 
 was the refined gentleman, the accomplished scholar, 
 the profound theologian, the powerful preacher, tb- 
 eminent Christian. His piety was of pure and ele- 
 vated character. But few have passed a career of 
 greater usefulness and distinction, or have closed it 
 more generally lamented." 
 
 Raleigh, October 17-21, 1845. 
 
 The Southern Baptist Convention was organize! 
 four months before this. 
 
 "Resolved, That the Convention cor^^lly^app rovv 
 the f ormjriwnj^^ Convention 
 a nd t he appointment of a Foreign Mission Board at 
 Richmond, Va.^^and _Home__ Mission, ..Board . at 
 Marion, Alabama, jand that we recommend the 
 churches to contribute liberally to these funds." 
 
42 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 A resolution was passed approving the formation 
 of the Western Convention. This Convention was 
 organized at Boiling Springs Camp Ground, Hender- 
 son County, August 30, 1845. 
 
 A resolution was passed urging the importance of 
 establishing schools, "both male and female, under 
 the patronage of the Baptist denomination." 
 
 The Board sees that a mistake has been made in 
 neglecting the towns. "One fact has surprised the 
 mind of every observing man who has noticed our 
 operations for years past. It is the culpable neglect 
 we have been guilty of in not providing our towns 
 and county-seats with means of the Gospel." 
 
 Raleigh, October 15-20, 1846. 
 It will be observed that the Convention was held 
 in Raleigh three years in succession. No reason for 
 this is given in the records, but two probable explana- 
 tions have been suggested to the writer. One is that 
 the Baptists were not strong enough in any other 
 community at that time to entertain the Convention, 
 and the other is that Raleigh was the most accessible 
 point in the State because of railroad and stage-coach 
 lines. The latter impresses me as the more probable 
 explanation. 
 
 Thomas Meredith was elected President at this 
 session. 
 
 The Constitution was amended so as to provide for 
 three boards — a the Home (State) Mission Board, 
 located at Raleigh; the Foreign Mission Board, 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 43 
 
 located at Yanceyville ; and the Board of Education, 
 located at Wake Forest College." 
 
 Foreign Missions is the keynote of this Conven- 
 tion. Matthew T. Yates had been appointed mis- 
 sionary to China, and the Raleigh Association as- 
 sumed his support. Yates was ordained Sunday 
 night. T. Meredith preached the sermon from II 
 Tim., 4:2 : "Preach the word ; be instant in season, 
 out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long 
 suffering and doctrine." The charge was delivered 
 by J. B. Taylor, the Bible presented by R. Furman, 
 and the right-hand of fellowship extended by S. 
 Wait. 
 
 After the ordination, twenty individuals gave five 
 dollars each to go to the support of Mr. Yates, and 
 others added smaller amounts, making the total a 
 hundred and thirty dollars. 
 
 The minutes of this session contain by far the most 
 able and exhaustive report of the Board yet sub- 
 mitted. It covers twelve pages in the minutes, and 
 is a brief review of the sixteen years of the Conven- 
 tion's life. During these sixteen years Wake Forest 
 College has been established and several ministers 
 educated, among them a missionary to China. A de- 
 nominational paper had been published, "which has 
 done more, perhaps, than any single instrumentality 
 to disseminate correct sentiments among our people." 
 The Convention "has sent the Gospel to many desti- 
 tute sections, established many new churches, strength 
 ened many feeble ones, and turned multitudes of 
 
44 HISTORY OE THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 sinners into the way of life." Yet some had grown 
 impatient and become lukewarm. "They expected 
 the Board in a few years would succeed in filling 
 every pulpit and supplying every community with 
 an intelligent minister. Many have not the patience 
 to wait the slow operations of Providence in develop- 
 ing great works." 
 
 The importance of the agency was emphasized It 
 was difficult to get a man with all the necessary 
 qualifications. "There is no part in our operations 
 of greater importance than the agency; it is the 
 fly-wheel of all our machinery. * * * Under pres- 
 ent circumstances an effective agency is indispensable 
 to the success of our plans." "We think the propei 
 course is to direct our attention exclusively to desti- 
 tute sections and feeble churches. As the destitution 
 is beyond the present means of supply, we think the 
 true policy is to cultivate, thoroughly, the most needy 
 important fields first. Special attention ought first 
 to be given to the towns, and then the most suitable 
 places in the country." Edenton, Windsor, Greens- 
 boro, and Salisbury are named as important points. 
 State rather than Associational Missions, the Board 
 considers the true policy. "The Board are of the 
 opinion that it is best for the churches to be made 
 auxiliaries to the Convention as far as possible. It 
 may be necessary sometimes to adopt other modes of 
 operation; but we are decidedly of opinion that this 
 is the best plan as a general thing. It will save time 
 and trouble. It certainly is as convenient to send 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 45 
 
 funds that may be raised by a church to the Treasurer 
 of the Convention as it is to send them to some other 
 organization, to be forwarded by them to the Conven- 
 tion. And when the Convention is placed so far in 
 the distance, and has to be reached through interven- 
 ing organizations, its claims will not be seen so clearly 
 nor met so promptly as when they are laid directly 
 before every church." This is a magnificent report 
 Nothing like it has appeared in the minutes since the 
 great address of Meredith, which was published in the 
 minutes just after the organization of the Conven- 
 tion. The report was written, no doubt, by J. J. 
 Finch, who was Recording and Corresponding Secre- 
 tary that year. 
 
 Elder Mark Bennett labored as a missionary in the 
 Kehukee Association. This was an anti-Missionary 
 Association. His report shows that the field was a 
 hard one and he was somewhat discouraged. Hear 
 him: a The professing community of all denomina- 
 tions exhibits generally a mournful state of .declen- 
 sion. Many of the preachers possess scarcely a single 
 qualification of a bishop, especially of the anti order, 
 and many churches tolerate dram-drinking to that 
 excess that half the number of white male members 
 are given daily to intoxication." The opposition of 
 the anti-missionaries is so great that he hardly knows 
 what to recommend, but is convinced that it is un- 
 necessary for him to labor among them any more. 
 
 The Treasurer reports $1,938.86 for missions and 
 education. This is nearly twice as much as had been 
 reported for any previous year. 
 
46 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 CHAPTEE III. 
 1847—1860. 
 
 Friendship Church, Cumberland County, Octo- 
 ber 14-18, 1847. 
 
 T. Meredith declined re-election as President and 
 Alfred Dockery was elected. 
 
 Three Boards were appointed last year, but the plan 
 did not work well and the Boards were, at this session, 
 consolidated under the old name, "Board of Mana- 
 gers." The Convention was in debt to its missionaries 
 and the Treasurer was authorized to borrow money 
 and pay them the balance due. The reports from the 
 missionaries were encouraging. John Robertson, who 
 had labored in Stokes, Wilkes, Guilford, Rockingham 
 and Surry, reported one hundred persons baptized and 
 thirty or forty awaiting baptism. Mark May, whose 
 field was in the Yadkin, reported one hundred and 
 forty baptisms. P. I. Devin reported large accessions 
 in the East River Association, and E. Dodson in the 
 Beulah. Samuel Wait, who preached at Louisburg 
 last year, reports that the house of worship, which was 
 a mere shell, is undergoing repairs, and, on the 
 whole, he finds much more to encourage him than he 
 expected at the beginning of the year. J. J. James 
 preached once a month at Greensboro, for which he 
 received $50 from the Board. "A Sabbath School 
 has been established and the prospect of organizing a 
 church is quite encouraging." The importance of 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 47 
 
 doing a more permanent work has evidently gotten 
 hold of the minds of the brethren. While they do 
 some evangelistic work, we shall see that more and 
 more they are concentrating their efforts on certam 
 important points. 
 
 J. J. James was appointed agent for Foreign Mis- 
 sions by the Foreign Mission Board at Richmond, 
 but this must have created some friction, for at the 
 next Convention Mr. James introduced a resolution 
 requesting the Board at Richmond not to appoint a 
 special agent for North Carolina without the consent 
 of our Convention or Board of Managers. 
 
 The following brethren were appointed the first 
 trustees of the Convention: Thos. Settle, Alfred 
 Dockery, Chas. W. Skinner, Calvin Graves, John 
 Kerr, David S. Williams, Dr. GL C. Moore, 
 
 J. J. Finch, of Raleigh, "made a statement to the 
 Convention relative to Sedgwick Female Seminary 
 in that city." The Convention passed resolutions en- 
 dorsing the enterprise. 
 
 Rockfoed, Surry County, October 12-16, 1848. 
 
 Alfred Dockery again elected President, making 
 the time he served as President, twelve years in all. 
 
 A resolution was passed requesting the churches to 
 observe the first day in January as a day of fasting 
 and prayer for a revival in the State and throughout 
 the world. The missionaries who did evangelistic 
 work in several Associations reported a number of 
 baptisms, though not so many as the year before. 
 Elder Dodson says : "As I passed through the State I 
 
48 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 did everything I could for the press because my ex- 
 perience for the last ten years has taught me that 
 where there was an indifference to the press, there was 
 generally an indifference to all other important ob- 
 jects, or less interest manifested in them all." 
 
 Elder James reports that there are fifteen members 
 in the town of Greensboro who are formed into an 
 arm of the Madison Church. They expect to procure 
 a comfortable house of worship soon. He adds that 
 "Greensboro is a flourishing town of 2,000 inhabi- 
 tants and, as a missionary station, promises as much 
 as any other in the State." 
 
 The Convention is now beginning to reap some of 
 the fruit of its contributions to ministerial education. 
 Matthew T. Yates, a beneficiary of the Board, had a 
 little while before this sailed to China, and Win. 
 Jones, who was the first beneficiary of the Board, was 
 at this Convention (1848) elected agent, in which 
 position he was held for a nuniber of years. Four 
 months after the meeting of the last Convention, he 
 was elected by the Board, and served eight months. 
 The coming of Wm. Jones into this office gave a new 
 impulse to all our denominational work. He was 
 able, resourceful and energetic, and peculiarly fitted 
 for the work of the agency. 
 
 Oxford, Granville County, October 18-22, 1849. 
 
 James McDaniel was elected President at this ses- 
 sion, and served continuously until 18 67, a term of 
 eighteen years. No other President of the Convention 
 has ever served so long. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 49 
 
 The first account of any marked division of senti- 
 ment is interesting. The report of the Board of 
 managers was under discussion. a Prof. White moved 
 to strike out that portion of the same which related 
 to the establishment of a Female College, which 
 motion provoked some discussion; the report, as it 
 stood, being advocated by Messrs. Palmer, James, 
 McDowell, and Purefoy, and opposed by Messrs. 
 White, Meredith, Finch, and Trotman. The motion 
 was lost, and the report accepted and ordered to be 
 published with the minutes. 7 ' Turning to the report 
 of the Board, we find the clause which caused the dis- 
 cussion. "Female schools of a high character have 
 been established and are now in successful operation 
 at Murfreesboro, Raleigh, Oxford and other places. 
 The necessity of establishing a Female College for the 
 State, of an elevated character, in which suitable 
 testimonials of a high grade of scholarship will be 
 awarded, is serious\^entertained by many of our 
 brethren, and is an object worthy of their united and 
 zealous efforts for its establishment." It was the last 
 clause of this paragraph which Prof. White (Presi- 
 dent of Wake Forest) proposed to strike out. 
 
 If this suggestion had been carried out we would 
 have had, just fifty years earlier, the Baptist Univer- 
 sity for Women. In 1835 a report was submitted 
 recommending the establishment of a Seminary in 
 Raleigh. The school then spoken of, was in operation 
 at this time, as we see from this very report ; but the 
 
 4 
 
50 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 suggestion here is for a school of "elevated character/' 
 with "a high grade of scholarship.' 7 Note that this 
 recommendation was made by the Board of Managers, 
 which corresponds to our Board of Missions. Our 
 fathers believed that between Mission work and Chris- 
 tian education, there is the closest possible relation. 
 The report was written, no doubt, by W. J. Palmer, 
 who signs it as secretary. 
 
 There was a great Foreign Mission mass-meeting 
 Sunday night ; Kev. J. T. Owen, an appointee of the 
 Foreign Mission Board, was present. He related his 
 call to the foreign field, and gave a description of the 
 field to which he was going. "His appearance and 
 earnestness of manner enlisted a strong feeling of 
 sympathy in his behalf and deep interest in the suc- 
 cess of his mission." At the conclusion of the exer- 
 cises, Mr. Owen stood on the platform and the con- 
 gregation passed forward to give him the parting 
 hand. 
 
 A. M. Poindexter was present, representing the 
 American Baptist Publication Society. 
 
 W. T. Walters was appointed missionary to Salis- 
 bury, Mocksville, Charlotte and Statesville. The 
 Board appointed eleven missionaries. The Raleigh 
 Church applied for aid, but application was denied 
 for want of funds. An application from the Tar 
 River Church was also declined, because of more 
 pressing needs elsewhere. 
 
 The constitution was so amended as to make any 
 person who contributed as much as $30 at one time 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 51 
 
 to its funds, a life member of the Convention, pro- 
 vided he continued a member in good standing in 
 the Baptist church to which he belongs. 
 
 Louisbueg, October 17-21, 1850. 
 
 Elder J. J. James offered the following resolution, 
 which was adopted unanimously : 
 
 "Wheras, It is in contemplation to establish a 
 Female Seminary of high character in the town of 
 Oxford, in this State, to be under the control of the 
 Baptist denomination ; and, 
 
 "Whereas, such a measure is deemed highly im- 
 portant to our denominational interest, and to female 
 education in general; therefore, 
 
 "Resolved, That this Convention concur in the 
 propriety of establishing such an institution, and 
 agree to give way at a suitable hour, for a public 
 meeting to be held for the promotion of that enter- 
 prise." 
 
 The churches of the State are urged to establish 
 schools for the oral instruction of the colored people. 
 
 The Board appropriated $100 to aid the Church 
 in Raleigh, and asked the Home Board for $200. 
 Rev. Thomas W. Tobey, of Virginia, a returned mis- 
 sionary, had accepted a call to become pastor of the 
 church. 
 
 The report on obituaries records the death of Rev. 
 J. J. Finch, one of the giants of those early days. 
 Rev. W. H. Merritt, who had not attended the Con- 
 vention for several years, because of feeble health, but 
 
52 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 who was deeply interested in the Convention and its 
 work, as is shown by the fact that he bequeathed 
 $2,000 to ministerial education, and General Bar- 
 zillai Graves, Chairman of the Board of Managers, 
 and an honored and useful layman, have both died 
 since last Convention. 
 
 The Treasurer's report shows total contributions, 
 $3, 343.81, an increase of more than 75 per cent over 
 last year. Wm. Jones is an active agent. 
 
 Wilmington, October 16-20, 1851. 
 
 State Missions and the Recorder occupy the time 
 and attention of this Convention in a large measure. 
 The report of the Board of Managers is interesting. 
 Fourteen missionaries were employed last year, who 
 received their salaries in part or in whole from the 
 Associations in which they labored. Besides these a 
 few missionaries were placed at important points and 
 sustained by the Board. It seems to have been a 
 fruitful year, and yet the Board is somewhat dis- 
 couraged and recommends retrenchment. They com- 
 plain that appeals to the pastors have evoked but little 
 response. They recommend the discontinuance of 
 a general agent. "The reports of Elder William 
 Jones, the agent of the Convention, show a falling 
 off in the amounts of his receipts and subscriptions in 
 behalf of the committee." They find no evidence of 
 less effort on the part of the agent, but attribute it to 
 a desire of the churches and Associations to send up 
 their own funds through their delegates. Turning 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 53 
 
 from the report of the Board to that of the Treas- 
 urer, we find that more money had been received this 
 year than during any previous year. The total con- 
 tributions for the objects of the Convention amount 
 to $4,332.82. The Board made the mistake of mea- 
 suring the success of the agent by the amount of 
 money that passed through his hands, forgetting that 
 his canvass had much to do with increasing the spirit 
 of benevolence among the people. For this reason 
 they recommend that the best agent the Convention 
 had ever had up to that time, be dismissed. The Con- 
 vention, however, refused to adopted this recommen- 
 dation of the Board and re-elected William Jones as 
 agent. 
 
 In speaking of the old Chowan Association, the 
 mother of the Convention, Mr. Jones says : "This body 
 takes the lead in benevolent operations, besides sup- 
 plying their own destitution, and making arrange- 
 ments to sustain a missionary in China, they continue 
 to enlarge their bounty for the objects of the Con- 
 vention." 
 
 Since the last Convention Thomas Meredith has 
 died. Elder Thomas W. Tobey, pastor of the Church 
 in Kaleigh, was asked to edit the Recorder until the 
 meeting of the Convention. This he did very accepta- 
 bly. A committee was appointed, presumably at the 
 request of Mrs. Meredith, to suggest an editor for the 
 Recorder. The committee, of which William Hooper 
 was chairman, recommended that Elder Tobey be 
 continued as editor, the compensation for his services 
 
54 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 to be agreed on by him and the proprietors. This 
 shows the close relation which has always existed be- 
 tween the Convention and its organ. Elder James 
 McDaniel, of Wilmington, and C. R. Hendrickson, of 
 Elizabeth City, each of whom had been engaged in the 
 publication of Baptist newspapers, relinquished their 
 publications and, so far as they could, transferred the 
 lists of subscribers to the Recorder. 
 
 Elder Samuel Wait writes a letter to this Conven- 
 tion, notifying them of the opening of Oxford Eemale 
 Seminary. The Chowan Institute had begun its use- 
 ful career before this. 
 
 The report on obituaries, written by A. Paul Repi- 
 ton, records the death of "Rev. Thomas Meredith, 
 Rev. Geo. M. Thompson, Rev. Stephen Grey and 
 Deacon Lewis Bond." 
 
 "Resolved, That this Convention recommend to 
 the Baptists in the State to unite in the erection of a 
 house in Shanghai, to be called the North Carolina 
 Baptist Mission House. " This was a home for Dr. 
 Yates. 
 
 Smithfield, Johnston County, October 14-18, 
 1852. 
 
 | Education seems to be the keynote of this Con- 
 * vention. The first thousand dollars is given for an 
 endowment of Wake Forest College. This was given 
 by ten men in subscriptions of $100 each, and 
 was in response to a proposition by Eli as Dodson 
 to raise $15,000 in $100 subscriptions. The names 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 55 
 
 of the ten brethren who gave this first $1,000 are 
 not recorded. 
 
 Chowan Institute and Oxford Seminary are highly 
 commended. 
 
 "Resolved, That each Association be and is hereby 
 respectfully requested to establish preparatory schools 
 to Wake Forest College, and report the same to this 
 Convention." 
 
 High ground is taken on Foreign Missions, at a 
 mass-meeting Sunday night. Enthusiastic and in- 
 spiring speeches were made, and the following resolu- 
 tion was unanimously adopted : 
 
 "Resolved, That we will not suffer any apparent 
 want of success in our (State) Missions to diminish 
 our zeal or cause us to slacken our efforts to benefit 
 the unhappy and benighted heathen." 
 
 William Jones, the General Agent, has died since 
 last Convention. He did more to stimulate the be- 
 nevolence of the churches than any other man. He 
 inaugurated the "Life Membership" plan, and intro- 
 duced a better financial system. As general agent he 
 did a great work. The Board seems almost to have 
 gone daft on the subject of destroying the agency. In 
 this report they suggest that no agent be employed. 
 They say that Virginia had abolished the agency and 
 was getting on well without it. We know, however, 
 that Virginia has come back to the North Carolina 
 plan, and came to North Carolina to get her first 
 agent, or "Field Secretary/' as they designated him. 
 The Convention did not adopt this recommendation, 
 
56 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 but intrusted the Board to employ an agent as soon 
 as a suitable man could be found. The Treasurer's 
 report last year showed a total contribution of 
 $4,333.82, while this year it is only $2,661.11, a 
 difference of $1,672.71. It must not be forgotten 
 that the general agent had died, and that for most 
 of the year the Convention was without an agent. 
 This, doubtless, accounts for the falling off in con- 
 tributions. Yet in the face of these figures, the 
 Board desires to dispense with the agency. 
 
 Rev. J. J. James introduced the following resolu- 
 tion, which was adopted : 
 
 "In view of the demoralizing influence of circus 
 exhibitions throughout the State, 
 
 "Reatolved, That a committee be appointed to 
 memoralize the Legislature of North Carolina on the 
 subject of putting down the evil in that way, which, 
 to them, may seem best." 
 
 The Recorder is still edited by Rev. T. W. Tobey, 
 and is constantly referred to as the "Organ of the 
 Convention." 
 
 New Bern, October 13-17, 1853. 
 Elder John H. Lacy, who had been for several 
 years Corresponding Secretary of the Convention, 
 was appointed a missionary to Africa, and sailed 
 since the last session of the Convention. A collection 
 was taken on Sunday morning for Foreign Missions 
 amounting to $151, and at night at the close of a 
 mass-meeting, held in the interest of Home Missions 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 57 
 
 and education, another collection of $162 was taken. 
 It is noticeable that the collections taken on Sunday 
 in this period of the Convention's life, are out of 
 proportion to the amount raised during the year, 
 when compared with the financial reports of our day. 
 
 Mrs. Meredith requested that the Convention ap- 
 point an editor for the Recorder. The committee 
 named Rev. J. J. James. This recommendation was 
 adopted and Mr. James entered upon his duties as 
 editor. 
 
 In their report the Board states that Rev. S. J. 
 Yarborough had been secured as agent. He was not 
 employed till three months before the meeting of the 
 Convention. He was elected by the committee for* 
 next year. The Board further declare that if they 
 could find suitable men and had the means to sup- 
 port them, they might employ thirty missionaries and 
 all the destitution in North Carolina would not be 
 supplied. 
 
 The name of Rev. W. M. Wingate appears for the 
 first time. 
 
 Fayettevii/le, October 12-16, 1854. 
 
 The subject of education received special consid- 
 eration at this Convention. Saturday night a great 
 educational mass-meeting was held. A collection was 
 taken up at the close of this meeting amounting to 
 $140.66. The report on education states that Wake 
 Forest has an endowment fund of $43,00U, and be- 
 quests to ministerial education amounting to more 
 
58 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 than $10,000. Resolution is passed expressing grati- 
 tude at the news that an assoeiational school has been 
 established at Taylorsville. 
 
 Friday night a mass-meeting was held in the in- 
 terest of Home Missions, and a collection of $151.50 
 was taken. Bear in mind that during all this period 
 Home Missions means State Missions. Committee 
 on New Fields recommend that Goldsboro, Charlotte, 
 Carthage, Lumberton and Washington be occupied, 
 in addition to the towns now supplied by the Board, 
 viz: Greensboro, Salisbury and Wadesboro. All 
 these places now have strong churches save Wash- 
 ington, which is still aided by the Board. 
 
 A church extension society was organized. Its 
 object was to aid weak points in building houses of 
 worship. Funds are to be raised and loaned to needy 
 points, provided said places raise an equal amount. 
 It was recommended that steps be taken to raise $100 
 to be loaned to Salisbury, provided they comply with 
 the conditions on which loans are to be made. 
 
 A resolution was passed looking to closer co-opera- 
 tion with the Associations. At almost every meeting 
 for several years past, a similar resolution has been 
 adopted. 
 
 From the report on Periodicals we learn that Mrs. 
 Meredith had "moved to the Southwest," and had 
 sold five-sixths of the Recorder stock to brethren in 
 Raleigh. James was employed to edit the paper. 
 
 The brethren saw the importance of preserving the 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION". 
 
 59 
 
 history of the Convention, as the following resolution 
 shows : 
 
 "Whereas, We understand that our brother, Dr. 
 S. J. Wheeler, of Murfreesboro, has it in contempla- 
 tion to publish a history of the Convention, to be 
 compiled from the minutes of the body from its 
 formation to the present time; therefore, 
 
 "Resolved, That we highly approve the enter- 
 prise, and most heartily commend it to the patronage 
 of our churches and brethren throughout the State." 
 
 If this nistory was ever published, there is no rec- 
 ord of it. 
 
 Waekenton, November 7-12, 1855. 
 
 Home (State) Missions received special considera- 
 tion at this Convention. On "New Fields" Elder 
 Dodson says: "We have neglected towns, though 
 we have done a great deal in the country. We lose 
 much by neglecting towns and villages. People are 
 more liberal in the support of ministers in towns 
 than in the country. A man worth two or three 
 thousand dollars in a town, frequently gives more 
 than another in the country who is worth $100,000. 
 In a certain city a poor man who had a salary of 
 $400, and a family to support, gave his pastor $100. 
 Where can we find such liberality in the country V 
 
 From the report of the Board we get the following 
 items of interest : 
 
 Robert B. Jones had preached two Sundays each 
 month in Charlotte. Church organized and contract 
 
60 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 let for house of worship. A. B. Blackwell once a 
 month at Wadesboro. J. J. James twice a month at 
 Goldsboro. Small organization, but no house. H. 
 Lennon one Sunday afternoon in each month at 
 Lumberton. Wingate and Walters one Sunday each 
 at Franklinton. No house. W. T. Brooks once a 
 month at Henderson. No organization and no house. 
 Thomas Lansdell at Tarboro. Greensboro was not 
 supplied. B. F. Marable was appointed missionary 
 there, but declined in order to go to Furman Theolo- 
 gical Institute. Tarboro is the only one of the above 
 points still aided by the Board. 
 
 Committee on Agency recommend that no general 
 agent be employed for next year. This report was 
 adopted, and the general agency was abolished, never 
 to be established again under that name. 
 
 This seems to have been an uninteresting Conven- 
 vention, perhaps the dullest yet held. You will read 
 now of the most remarkable session in the Conven- 
 tion's history. 
 
 Raleigh, November 5-10, 1856. 
 
 In many respects this was the greatest session of 
 the Convention ever held before or since. At this 
 memorable meeting it was very evident that the de- 
 nomination was beginning to feel the "hidings of its 
 power." It laid aside forever the "swaddling clothes 
 of infancy the "day of small things' 7 is left behind, 
 and the admonition of Paul to the Corinthians, "be 
 ye also enlarged," is to be the watchword of the 
 North Carolina Baptists in the future. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 61 
 
 This item from the Recorder of January 1, 1896, 
 tells the story: "The greatest money-raising meeting 
 of our Convention occurred in 1856 at Ealeigh; 
 $25,125 was raised for Wake Forest College, $800 
 for Home Missions, $637.40 for Foreign Missions, 
 $485.80 for ministerial education, and $13,650 for 
 the Baptist Church in Raleigh." 
 
 ~No Convention since has reached this in its mag- 
 nificent giving, for every dollar of their pledge, we are 
 told, was paid. Fifty thousand dollars had been se- 
 cured prior to this Convention, for the endowment of 
 Wake Forest College. Elder John Mitchell (men- 
 tioned for the first time) was employed as agent for 
 Wake Forest. He was to collect the pledges made at 
 this Convention, and to solicit other funds. The hope 
 was entertained that the endowment might reach 
 $100,000. 
 
 Dr. Wingate, who wrote the report on Home Mis- 
 sions, says that the destitution in the State was never 
 felt so much as now, because of internal improve- 
 ments. Railroads were being built, and towns were 
 going up along these lines of roads. 
 
 I have only given a brief, general outline of this 
 great Convention. It was a meeting of remarkable 
 spiritual power. Dr. Skinner, who was present, in- 
 formed me that it was indescribable. Men wept and 
 laughed and prayed and sang, and all felt as Peter 
 did on the Mount, that it was good to be there. 
 
 The Clerk reports Elder James McDaniel, in some 
 
62 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 remarks in opening the Convention, as saying that 
 he was the only member present of those who were 
 at the formation of the body. His co-laborers in that 
 work which he regarded as one of the happiest inci- 
 dents in his life, had "gone to their rest above." Mr. 
 McDaniel was evidently mistaken, or the Clerk re- 
 ported him incorrectly. Mr. C. W. Skinner, Sr., 
 who was present at the formation of the Convention, 
 was at this great Convention of '56, and was very 
 much alive, as he contributed the largest sums to 
 Wake Forest College and the Kaleigh Church. 
 Samuel Wait and P. W. Dowd, who were at the or- 
 ganization of the Convention (P. W. Dowd being the 
 first President), did not die until ten years after 
 this. At this time they had not "gone to their rest 
 above.'' I think it far more probable that Mr. Mc- 
 Daniel was incorrectly reported than that he was 
 mistaken about a matter of this kind. 
 
 Hertford, November 4-9, 1857. 
 
 Gratifying progress has been made at some points. 
 Charlotte has a church of fifty- three members and a 
 house of worship finished and paid for. A missionary 
 is sadly needed at Wilkesboro. Great destitution in 
 Pamlico Association. Twenty-seven churches and 
 fifteen of them closed for want of preachers. 
 Churches a prey to designing men, "false teachers," 
 who come in among them. Buncombe County very 
 destitute of Missionary Baptist preaching. Commit- 
 tee on new fields recommended Hamilton, Carthage, 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 63 
 
 Statesville and Plymouth, in addition to those already 
 occupied. 
 
 Elder John Mitchell reports a fine year's work for 
 the endowment. Forty-five thousand dollars has been 
 collected, leaving $5,000 of the amount they set out 
 to raise. The five thousand was raised in connection 
 with the discussion of report on the endowment. The 
 rest of the evening was spent in prayer and thanks- 
 giving. This completes the first $100,000 of endow- 
 ment. There were ten ministerial students at Wake 
 Forest last year. 
 
 The following high schools were established last 
 year : Warsaw, property and fixtures worth $5,000 ; 
 Kaleigh Associational School at Holly Springs, cost 
 not known; Beulah Associational School at Madison, 
 cost $2,000; L. H. Shuck, Principal. 
 
 After a sermon Sunday morning by J. L. Pritch- 
 ard, a collection was taken for Foreign Missions 
 amounting to $359.20. 
 
 A committee, which had been appointed for the 
 purpose, reported that a monument had been erected 
 at the grave of Thomas Meredith at a cost of $200. 
 
 A resolution was passed requesting Elder J. J. 
 James to gather the minutes of the Convention from 
 the time of its formation, and have them bound. This 
 he must have been unable to do. 
 
 Kaleigh, November 10-15, 1858. 
 This is a great Foreign Mission meeting. M. T. 
 
64 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 Yates has returned from China and is present at this 
 Convention. His speech stirred the hearts of the 
 brethren, and they passed strong resolutions urging 
 the churches to do more for Foreign Missions. A 
 collection was taken for Foreign Missions amounting 
 to $422.25. 
 
 Dr. Boyce is here in the interest of the Theological 
 Seminary, for the establishment of which funds are 
 being raised. The handsome sum of $5,000 was 
 given in cash and pledges. The list is headed by 
 T. E. Skinner, with a gift of $500. A. E. Dickenson 
 is also here representing the Foreign Mission Board. 
 He and Elder Reuben Jones stir the Convention on 
 the subject of colportage work, and the brethren de- 
 termine to do something. I have no doubt the reader 
 will share in the pleasure the writer experienced in 
 reading the following resolution: 
 
 "Resolved, That we hereafter denominate our 
 State missionary operations, 'State Missions/ in dis- 
 tinction from the 'Domestic Missions of the Board of 
 the Southern Baptist Convention. ' It has been awk- 
 ward to speak of State Missions as 'Home Missions.' " 
 
 It will be recalled that the Board was bent on 
 abolishing the agency. Hear them now: "Your 
 Board have had no General Agent during the year, 
 hoping that the churches throughout the State would 
 contribute to the funds of the Convention, so as to 
 obviate the necessity of the labor and expense of an 
 agent. But in this we have been disappointed. We, 
 therefore, commend to the Convention the considera- 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 65 
 
 tion of this subject, and await an expression of your 
 views." The Committee on the Agency reported 
 recommending to the Convention, the employment of 
 a General Agent, who should also be the Correspond- 
 ing Secretary of the Board, and known by that title. 
 This recommendation was adopted. Heretofore the 
 Corresponding Secretary was some pastor, who did 
 the correspondence and office work connected with our 
 missionary operations. He received no compensa- 
 tion, but his expenses were all paid. Having less 
 than a thousand dollars to disburse, and from five to 
 ten missionaries with whom to correspond, it will be 
 seen that his duties were not onerous. The General 
 Agent was a sort of Field Secretary, who traveled 
 through the State, presenting the objects of the Con- 
 vention and seeking to deepen the spirit of benevo- 
 lence. At this Convention the two offices were com- 
 bined, and that arrangement still continues. 
 
 A. J. Emerson was elected Corresponding Secre- 
 tary. R. H. Griffith says that we should raise at 
 least $8,000 for State Missions. 
 
 A complaint is made that one denomination has 
 practically monopolized the chaplaincy of the TJ. S. 
 Army. Committee appointed to memoralize Congress 
 in regard to the matter. 
 
 Collection was taken for Asheville Church, amount- 
 ing to $435.55. 
 
 5 
 
66 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NOETH CAROLINA 
 
 Charlotte, November 2-7, 1859. 
 
 J. B. Richardson is here from Wake Forest, where 
 he is a ministerial student, and J. H. Mills from 
 Oxford Female Seminary. 
 
 J. D. Hufham makes his first speech before the 
 Convention, on the subject of Foreign Missions. 
 
 A. M. Lewis, Esq., states that a site has been pur- 
 chased in Raleigh "for the purpose of erecting and 
 establishing a denominational female school of high 
 order." 
 
 The following report on periodicals evoked a lively 
 discussion : 
 
 "Resolved, That it is the sense of this committee 
 that Elder James has the ability to make the Re- 
 corder such a paper as will meet the wants of our 
 denomination in this State. 
 
 "That Elder James be recommended to enlarge 
 the Recorder at least one column on each page. 
 
 "That he employ an additional editor, or a suffi- 
 cient number of contributors, either in or out of the 
 State, and that we pledge our hearty support to the 
 paper, provided these recommendations be complied 
 with by the editor. 99 
 
 Mr. James agreed to comply with these recom- 
 mendations, and the report was adopted. 
 
 Elder John Mitchell preached at Greensboro as a 
 Missionary of the Board, and established a church 
 with fifteen members. Heretofore it had been an 
 arm of the Madison Church. The Board did some 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 67 
 
 colportage work last year for the first time. Elder 
 J. S. Purefoy was superintendent of colportage. The 
 Board complains that the Associations work inde- 
 pendently and will not report their work. "This 
 presents scarcely a tithe of Mission work done in the 
 State, because the Associations will not report their 
 work." 
 
 "Resolved, That we make an effort to raise 25 
 cents per head from all our churches for State Mis- 
 sions and 10 cents per head for education." 
 
 If we were raising that amount per capita to-day, 
 we would receive $50,000 for State Missions and 
 $20,000 for education. 
 
 Goedsboro, October 31 to November 3, 1860. 
 
 K B. Cobb and W. R. Gwaltney attend for the 
 first time. Rev. T. E. Skinner was received as agent 
 for the Raleigh Female Seminary, and received for 
 this enterprise in cash and subscriptions $2,200. 
 
 An impostor exposed. "The attention of the Con- 
 vention having been called to an impostor in Arkan- 
 sas, who is using the name of a minister of this Con- 
 vention, on motion the editors of the Biblical Re- 
 corder were requested to expose him in their paper." 
 
 A recommendation to create separate boards for the 
 different objects of the Convention was referred to 
 a committee. The committee recommended the con- 
 tinuance of the present plan of having but one Board 
 for all objects. Elder B. F. Marable was Correspond- 
 
68 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 ing Secretary last year. 'No Corresponding Secre- 
 tary was secured for the next year, 1861. Col- 
 portage work was vigorously prosecuted last year. 
 There were ten colporteurs and the results of their 
 work were quite encouraging. 
 
 The last five years might be termed the "Golden 
 Age" of the ante-bellum days of the Convention. In 
 our next chapter we shall enter upon the dark and 
 bloody period of the Civil War, and the still darker 
 days immediately following it. As "night brings out 
 the stars/ 7 this period of darkness reveals the heroic 
 spirit of the brethren who composed our North Caro- 
 lina Baptist Zion at that time. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 69 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 1861—1866. 
 
 Raleigh, November 12-18, 1861. 
 
 "On motion, a historical committee, consisting of 
 Elders J. D. Hufham, J. L. Prichard, T. E. Skin- 
 ner, S. Wait, E. Dodson, and L. EL Shuck, were ap- 
 pointed to collect and report to this Convention such 
 facts connected with the past history of the denomina- 
 tion in the State as may be thought worthy of preser- 
 vation." 
 
 A Committee on a the State of Our Country," com- 
 posed of T. E. Skinner, W. T. Walters, and A J. 
 Emerson, speak in strong terms of the unjust war 
 waged by the United States on the Confederate States. 
 They express their gratitude that God has thus far 
 given them the victory over their enemies, and recom- 
 mend that 10 o'clock every Sabbath morning be ob- 
 served as an hour of prayer for the success of our 
 cause. 
 
 J. J. James retires from the editorship of the Re- 
 corder and J. D. Hufham becomes editor. 
 
 Erom the report of the Board we gather that every- 
 thing is greatly depressed on account of war. State 
 Missions is $742.83 in debt. The Board recommends 
 continuing only two missionaries, R. H. Griffith at 
 Charlotte, and John Mitchell at Greensboro. 
 
 Ministerial education is $670.76 in debt. A special 
 committee was appointed on indebtedness. They re- 
 
70 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 port the entire indebtedness to be $1,750. This was 
 the largest debt ever reported at a Convention up to 
 this time. Dr. Hufham is requested to appeal to 
 the churches through the Recorder in regard to the 
 debt. 
 
 A. Broaddus is welcomed as a visitor. He comes 
 as a representative of the Seminary and of the Home 
 Mission Board. I presume this is Andrew Broaddus, 
 though his coming as a representative of the Semi- 
 nary is pretty strong circumstantial evidence that the 
 record should have been J. A. instead of A. Broaddus. 
 
 Heretofore the denomination had been referred to 
 as the Baptist Church. "On motion the phrase, 'the 
 Baptist Church/ in the 5th and 6th articles of the 
 Constitution, were changed to 'a Baptist Church.' " 
 
 Raleigh, October 28-31, 1863. 
 The minutes of 1862 are not in the bound volume. 
 It is likely that, on account of the demoralized con- 
 dition of affairs incident to the war, the minutes of 
 that session were not printed. We gather from the 
 minutes of 7 61 that "the Convention adjourned to 
 meet at Wake Forest College on Wednesday before 
 the first Sabbath in November, 1862." 
 j There are now three Boards, the Board of Mis- 
 / sions, Board of Education and Sunday School and 
 j Publication Board. This change was evidently made 
 at the last Convention, of which we have no record. 
 
 The Board of Missions was located at Goldsboro, 
 with P. D. Gold as Chairman; the Board of Educa- 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 71 
 
 tion was located at Wake Forest College. The loca- 
 tion of the Sunday School Board is not given. 
 
 "Resolved, That the Board of Education be in- 
 structed to appoint an agent to canvass the State and 
 solicit funds for the education of the children of in- 
 digent, deceased and disabled soldiers, to invest said 
 funds in any way that they may deem proper and 
 report to the next session of the body." 
 
 Owing to the increased cost of publishing the Re- 
 corder, Dr. Hufham has advanced the price. In the 
 report on periodicals, the committee says: "We are 
 well pleased with our paper, the Biblical Recorder, 
 and will endeavor to sustain it. We commend the 
 course of the editor in increasing the price instead of 
 diminishing the size of the paper. 77 The Convention, 
 however, passed the following resolution: 
 
 "Resolved, That with a desire of avoiding an in- 
 crease of the subscription price of the Recorder, 
 Brother Hufham be requested to publish it on a half- 
 sheet, or on such sized paper as will secure him re- 
 munerative compensation. 77 More than $800 was 
 pledged to send the Recorder to the soldiers. 
 
 State Mission work has been altogether abandoned, 
 and everything is concentrated on army colportage. 
 Elder N". B. Cobb is superintendent of colportage 
 work among the soldiers, and has 23 colporteurs at 
 work. His report shows that $20,616.58 was con- 
 tributed last year for colportage work. 
 
 Last year $1,773.45 was contributed to Foreign 
 Missions. Of this amount $795 was given by Elder 
 
•^72 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 R. Newton, and $50 by Anna Newton. Dr. Hufham 
 informs me that Anna Newton was a daughter of 
 Elder R. Newton and that they were residents of 
 Cumberland County. 
 
 Great revivals are reported among the soldiers, 
 especially in the Army of Northern Virginia. No 
 Corresponding Secretary was in the field last year. 
 Everything is at a standstill except army colportage. 
 
 J. L. Prichard has died since the last Convention. 
 Dr. Hufham writes a long and interesting obituary. 
 There was an epidemic of yellow fever in Wilming- 
 ton where Mr. Prichard was pastor. He was advised 
 to leave, but stayed by his people and fell a victim 
 to the dread disease. He died a martyr to duty. In 
 speaking of him as a preacher, Dr. Hufham says: 
 "His sermons were plain, pointed and practical, and 
 free from the tinselry of rhetoric, and those ex- 
 traneous ornaments, which often give a preacher 
 notoriety, and please without edifying his hearers." 
 
 The minutes of 1864 are missing. The Conven- 
 tion that year was held in Warrenton, but we have 
 no record of the proceedings. 
 
 Eayetteville, November 1-4, 1865. 
 
 The army colportage department has been turned 
 into the Sunday School and Publication Board. N. B. 
 Cobb, who was superintendent of army colportage, 
 is now Corresponding Secretary of the Sunday School 
 Board. As superintendent of army colportage, Mr. 
 Cobb did the best work of his life. He was ad- 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 73 
 
 mirably fitted for the position, and administered the 
 affairs of his office in a very masterful manner. His 
 report as Sunday School Secretary makes a fine show- 
 ing. The assets of this Board amounted to $10,- 
 199.46, and the expenditures $4,156.25, leaving 
 balance on hand of $6,043.89. In these assets are 
 to be included stock left over from army colportage, 
 amounting to $5,143.85, and a little over $1,300 con- 
 tributed for corportage last year before the war 
 closed. 
 
 The Recorder was wrecked by Sherman's Army, 
 and had suspended for a few months, but the 
 brethren rejoice that Elder Hufham is to resume the 
 publication, and pledge to it a loyal support. 
 
 First mention of the North Carolina Baptist 
 Almanac. Ten thousand copies were published last 
 year. 
 
 An important resolution was adopted in regard to 
 the colored people. The brethren realize that a new 
 responsibility is thrust upon them by the emancipa- 
 tion of the slaves and pledge themselves to do all in 
 their power for the religious and educational develop- 
 ment of the negroes. 
 
 A large part of the endowment of Wake Forest 
 College was swept away. Forty-six thousand dollars, 
 which had been invested in Confederate bonds, was 
 lost. Fifty-seven thousand three hundred dollars 
 was in State bonds and individual notes, which, they 
 hope, is safe. They take this loss in a very philo- 
 sophical way, as the conclusion of the report of Com- 
 
74 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 mittee on Endowment shows : "Your committee are 
 of opinion that the present financial condition of 
 Wake Forest College will compare favorably with 
 that of any other Southern institution of learning, 
 and that no blame should be attached to the Treas- 
 urer or Board of Trustees for the losses sustained by 
 investing in Confederate bonds." 
 
 From Apr il, 1862, to April, 1865, the_s_umj>f 
 $74,610.62 was__co ntributed Tor ar ^iv^ojp^tage^ 
 
 "^WTTTT^WalleTs^was elected Corresponding Secre- 
 tary for the ensuing year. 
 
 The war has closed. The South is in ashes. Deso- 
 lation reigns on every hand. But these fathers "gird 
 up the loins of their minds" to begin the work of the 
 Board anew. They were "troubled on every side, but 
 not in distress, perplexed but not in despair." They 
 began at once to "strengthen the things that remain." 
 
 Raleigh, May 23-27, 1866. 
 
 It will be observed that the time of meeting has 
 been changed from November to May. So many 
 men of our present day attended this Convention, 
 that we can not mention their names. There is great 
 rejoicing that Wake Forest College has been re- 
 opened. Three ministerial students were aided last 
 year. Financial showing of the Sunday School Board 
 not so good. Only $11.55 above liabilities. 
 
 "Resolved, That the thanks of this body are due 
 and are hereby tendered to -N". J3- Cobb for the faith- 
 fulness with which he has discharged the duties of 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 75 
 
 Corresponding Secretary of the Sunday School and 
 Publication Board." 
 
 Publication of the Recorder has been resumed by 
 Elder Hufham. We can never know how much it 
 meant to our cause, that the publication of the Re- 
 corder was not suspended during the war. It kept 
 intact our denomination, and it carried weekly mes- 
 sages to thousands of our soldier boys. Let us thank 
 God that through that stormy period the hand of 
 J. D. Hufham was on the helm of the old Recorder. 
 A man of less heroic mold would have given up in 
 discouragement. 
 
 The report of the Corresponding Secretary, in the 
 minutes of 1866, is thrilling, because of the circum- 
 stances. Permit a quotation or two : "The churches 
 have exhibited an interest and a spirit of self-sacrifice 
 unexampled in our former history. I am sure, in 
 some instances, at least, we have received the widow's 
 mite. As quietly and privately these contributions 
 have been thrust into my hands, and the donators 
 have turned away with throbbing hearts and stream- 
 ing eyes, I felt that all were making sacrifices, and 
 many very great sacrifices." Importance of State 
 Missions urged because of the dangerous doctrines 
 that are finding their way into our section. "The 
 Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Bap- 
 tists have hitherto had almost exclusive control of 
 the religious interests of the Southern States, but 
 now Unitarians and, indeed, all the isms which years 
 
76 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 ago gained a strong foothold in the Northern States, 
 are looking upon our section of the country as a field 
 already white for the harvest." * * * "The only 
 hope for succeeding generations is in the power of 
 the Cross of Christ, and you, dear brethren of the 
 Board, are to inaugurate measures to secure the 
 preaching of Christ and Him Crucified to the people 
 of our State, as their only hope in time and eternity. 
 May God enlarge your hearts and give you wisdom 
 and grace to do the work assigned you." 
 
 The Board finds it necessary to aid the pastors of 
 some of our strongest churches in order to give them 
 a support. Two hundred dollars was appropriated 
 to James McDaniel at Fayetteville, and two hundred 
 dollars to T. B. Kingsbury at Warrenton. 
 
 The brethren now begin to gather up the scattered 
 threads, and to weave them into a web of glorious 
 history. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 77 
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 1867—1880. 
 
 Wilmington, May 22-25, 1867. 
 
 The work of State Missions is being enlarged. 
 Seventeen missionaries were employed last year. The 
 Board says that instead of seventeen we should have 
 a hundred. All the Associations in the State are now 
 co-operating with the Board. The contributions are 
 larger than in the years of greatest prosperity. In 
 addition to the $3,000 which had been collected, there 
 was enough due in subscriptions to swell the amount 
 to $5,000 for State Missions. This increase is due, 
 in part at least, to the fact that the Associations are 
 now working through the Board rather than inde- 
 pendently. Heretofore amounts contributed for As- 
 sociational Missions did not appear in the Treas- 
 urer's report. 
 
 There is a reaction in the work of the Sunday 
 School Board. Several agents had been employed to 
 canvass the State, but had not raised enough to pay 
 their own expenses. The Board is in debt $1,000. 
 From this time until it was abolished, the Sunday 
 School Board was a kind of "white elephant" on the 
 hands of the Convention. 
 
 Work is begun for the endowment of Wake Forest 
 College. B. B. Jones, Agent, had been raising funds 
 at the rate of a thousand dollars a week. He had been 
 
78 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 in the field four months and had secured in cash and 
 subscriptions $16,000. 
 
 Dr. Boyce received subscriptions to the Seminary, 
 amounting to $1,800. 
 
 "Resolved, That we commend to the liberality of 
 the brethren at large, Elder W. M. Jones, or any 
 agent of the Church in Wilmington, who visits them 
 to secure funds for the completion of the house of 
 worship of said church." 
 
 J. B. Solomon introduced a resolution which would 
 practically have turned the work of State Missions 
 over to the Home Mission Board of the Southern 
 Baptist Convention. This is the third time such an 
 attempt has been made. This, like the other similar 
 resolutions, was voted down. One almost trembles 
 to think what the result would have been had such a 
 resolution passed. 
 
 The Committee on Periodicals recommend the 
 Recorder, Kind Words and Child's Delight. 
 
 P. W. Dowd, the first President of the Convention, 
 and Noah Richardson, who had been an attendant 
 upon the sessions for a long time, have both died 
 since the meeting of the last Convention. 
 
 Goldsboro, October 16-19, 1867. 
 
 It will be observed that two Conventions were held 
 in 1867, caused by changing the time again from May 
 to October. 
 
 Invitation to visiting brethren was 1 accepted by 
 Thomas Henderson Pritchard, of Virginia. Dr. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 79 
 
 Pritchard went from Hertford to Petersburg, Va., 
 to become pastor of the First Baptist Church there. 
 
 Dr. Skinner has resigned as pastor of the Church 
 in Raleigh and will go to another State. Resolutions 
 are passed expressing regret at his departure, and 
 appreciation of his great work in the State. They 
 also declare their high regard for "our esteemed and 
 venerated brother, C. W. Skinner, who will accom- 
 pany his son." 
 
 At the request of the colored brethren, a commit- 
 tee was appointed to aid them in the organization of 
 a colored Baptist State Convention. 
 
 Extracts from the report of the Board of Missions : 
 
 "We have collected and expended about $2,000 
 since the last meeting of the Convention, less than 
 five months. Our field of operations is steadily en- 
 larging, and we are now reaching points of destitution 
 in parts of the State far remote from us. To-day 
 North Carolina is more nearly allied in the work of 
 home evangelization than at any period of our past 
 history." Special attention is called to what is said 
 about Associational Executive Committees : 
 
 a In the plan upon which we now act we do not 
 desire the disorganization of Associational Commit- 
 tees, but urge their appointment in all the District 
 Associations. These committees look out and report 
 upon the destitution in their own bounds, and recom- 
 mend such appointments as they deem advisable." 
 They state further that the Executive Committees 
 should seek to increase the contributions from the 
 
80 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 churches, and should endorse none but worthy men 
 and needy fields. In this way they could act as safe- 
 guards, and prevent the wasting of money upon 
 fields not needing help. 
 
 Contributions to Home and Foreign Missions have 
 fallen, according to the Treasurer's report, to less 
 than $100 each. This is because each Board has an 
 agent in the State and contributions do not pass 
 through the hands of our Treasurer. 
 
 The Committee on Periodicals declare that the 
 Recorder should go into the homes of all our people. 
 "It will carry news to them from all parts uf the 
 State, and so cheaply — only three dollars." 
 
 Dr. Samuel Wait has died since the last Conven- 
 tion. He was one of the founders of the Convention, 
 first President of Wake Forest College, and President 
 of Oxford Female Seminary. 
 
 On the back of the minutes for 1867 is an adver- 
 tisement of the Biblical Recorder. Walters, Hughes 
 & Co. are proprietors ; W. G. Walters and J. H. Mills 
 are editors, and W. M. Wingate, associate editor. 
 W. T. Walters, though one of the editors of the 
 Recorder, is still Corresponding Secretary of the Con- 
 vention. 
 
 Hillsboro, October 28-30, 1868. 
 
 Dr. Pritchard is back from Virginia, having been 
 called to the Church in Kaleigh. A message is de- 
 livered from Elder James McDaniel, who is at home 
 sick. Elder Samuel G. Mason was elected President. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 81 
 
 The name of J. A. Broadus appears for the first 
 time. He represents the Seminary. 
 
 The Sunday School Board is np again. Some books 
 were returned to the Philadelphia Publication Society 
 which cut down the indebtedness to $500. Some old 
 stock of no value on hand. Some accounts due but 
 can not be collected. Reports of Committee on Sun- 
 day School Board recommend : 
 
 "First, That a committee, consisting of W. J. 
 Palmer, P. F. Pescud, John G. Williams, J. M. 
 Heck, and W. T. Walters, be appointed to settle up 
 affairs of the former Board, and report their action 
 to the next meeting of this body. 
 
 "Second. We further recommend that the Sunday 
 School and Publishing Board be discontinued and 
 that the whole work contemplated by the former 
 Board be entrusted to the Baptist Sunday School As- 
 sociation of North Carolina, upon condition that they 
 make annual reports of their operations to this body." 
 The Baptist Sunday School Association was not yet 
 organized, but plans were on foot for its organiza- 
 tion. 
 
 A collection of $385 was raised to be applied to 
 the debt of the Sunday School Board and the report 
 was adopted. J". C. Hiden, the new pastor at Wil- 
 mington, attends this Convention. 
 
 There are twenty-one missionaries on the field. 
 
 "Resolved, That in the department of State Mis- 
 sions the denomination ought to expend not less than 
 $20,000 annually." 
 6 
 
82 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 New Bern, November 10-14, 1869. 
 Elder W. T. Brooks was elected President, Elder 
 C. T. Bailey attends for the first time. The Sunday 
 School Association submits their first report, B. W. 
 Justice is Corresponding Secretary of the Sunday 
 School Association, and they have several district 
 secretaries. They report an increase in the number 
 of schools and in attendance. There are 600 schools 
 and 40,000 pupils; $2,580.96 had been collected, of 
 which amount $1,651 was given by the Church at 
 Raleigh. 
 
 Report says: ."The labors of the Corresponding 
 Secretary have been directed more to organizing 
 schools and conventions and forwarding the work in 
 different portions of the State than to raising money, 
 trusting that the Sunday School Association would 
 share, in common with the other objects of the Con- 
 vention, the contributions of the churches, but a very 
 limited number remembered us in distributing their 
 gifts." 
 
 Rather discouraging report of the Board of Mis- 
 sions. Only seventeen missionaries. Churches at 
 High Point and Thomasville about to be sold for 
 debt. 
 
 Little said about Home and Foreign Mi&sions. 
 Home Mission Board has one agent in the State, 
 and the Foreign Mission Board two. Our Board does 
 not feel the responsibility that it once did for these 
 objects. No mention made in Treasurer's report of 
 amounts raised for Home and Foreign Missions. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 83 
 
 Dr. Williams represents the Seminary. Took a col- 
 lection for students' aid fund, amounting to $101.50. 
 This is the first time this object has come before the 
 Convention. 
 
 Baleigh, November 9-13, 1870. 
 
 James McDaniel has died since last Convention. 
 He was one of those present at the formation of the 
 Convention, and served as President for eighteen 
 consecutive sessions, a longer period than any Presi- 
 dent has ever served. 
 
 Dr. Yates is at home on a second visit from China. 
 He is warmly welcomed, but does not seem to create 
 the enthusiam that he did on his first visit, due, no 
 doubt, to the fact that the Foreign Mission Board 
 has its own agent in our State and there does not 
 appear to be very close and cordial co-operation with 
 our Board. 
 
 The Sunday School Association brings a rather 
 gloomy report this year. The Corresponding Secre- 
 tary resigned at the close of last year, and the Board 
 reports a debt of $300 due a special agent. Little 
 interest was shown in this work outside of Baleigh. 
 The Secretary says he found a a general dislike among 
 the churches to paying salaries of agents." No won- 
 der ! There was the Corresponding Secretary of our 
 own Convention, the Corresponding Secretary of the 
 Sunday School Association, and two or three district 
 agents, two agents for the Foreign Mission Board, 
 one for the Home Mission Board and one for the 
 
84 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 Sunday School and Publication Society of the South- 
 ern Baptist Convention. It would be a very long 
 suffering people who could stand all that without 
 complaining. 
 
 Little has been done in the department of State 
 Missions. W. T. Walters was elected Corresponding 
 Secretary at the last Convention, but resigned at close 
 of the first quarter. At the beginning of the year 
 the Board was in debt $916.55. The Board pat out 
 three evangelists, with instructions that they were to 
 raise money for State Missions wherever they went. 
 ISTo other missionaries were employed by the Board. 
 These evangelist's collected $208.15 above their 
 salaries. This brought the indebtedness down to 
 $708.40. It is the same old trouble, the Associations 
 are swinging off and working independently, leaving 
 the Board without means to supply the destitution in 
 the State at large. The chairman of the Board, 
 through the Recorder, requested Associations to give 
 account of Mission work done within their bounds. 
 Only two responded. 
 
 The brethren see that a vigorous Corresponding 
 Secretary must be put in the field without delay. A 
 committee was appointed to nominate a Correspond- 
 ing Secretary. The name of Elder J. D. Hufham 
 was presented to the Convention. "He was unani- 
 mously elected, and the Convention was led in prayer 
 by Elder Hiden for the blessing of God upon the 
 appointment, " 
 
baptist state convention. 85 
 
 Charlotte, November 8-11, 1871. 
 W. T. Brooks, President. 
 
 These are the most complete minutes ever pub- 
 lished up to this time. N. B. Cobb is Recording 
 Secretary. He was a stenographic reporter. The 
 minutes contain the substance of the principal ad- 
 dresses made. For the first time statistics by asso- 
 ciations and churches are given, so far as the minutes 
 of the Associations could be collected by the Secre- 
 tary. 
 
 After a long and very faithful term of service as 
 Treasurer, Mr. James S. Purefoy declined re-election, 
 and Mr. J. G. Williams, of Raleigh, was elected. 
 
 In its report to the Convention the Board of Mis- 
 sions says: "There were several difficulties in the 
 way of a vigorous and efficient prosecution of State 
 Missions. There were appeals for this object going 
 before the churches from three sources : the Domestic 
 Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 
 our own State Convention, and the District Associa- 
 tions, many of which were attempting to supply the 
 wants of particular sections without co-operation with 
 with the Convention. It is easy to see how confusion 
 and sometimes clashing, would result. Then there 
 were old debts of considerable amounts, and some of 
 them of several years' standing, to be provided for." 
 
 Not many missionaries were employed by the 
 Board, but on the roll were some of the best men in 
 the State. E. Allison and C. J. Nelson were ap- 
 
86 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 pointed missionaries in the Pamlico Association. 
 They preached at Goldsboro, Snow Hill, Greenville, 
 Washington, Plymouth, Wilmington, Scotland ISTeck, 
 and other points. George W. Greene was at Tarboro ; 
 W. K. Gwaltney, at Chapel Hill; E. M. Jordan, at 
 Company Shops (now Burlington), Salisbury and 
 Winston; W. T. Walters, at Weldon and Littleton; 
 J. B. Richardson, at Greensboro; H. A. Brown, in 
 the Beulah Association ; J. K. Howell, at Lincolnton 
 and Hickory. 
 
 A. D. Phillips, missionary to Africa, was present, 
 and invited to a seat in the Convention. 
 
 "On motion, a committee (Elder Brunt, chairman) 
 was appointed to consider and report on the propriety 
 of appointing a board to assist churches in the erection 
 of houses of worship." 
 
 "On motion, J. H. Mills and Elders K A. Pure- 
 foy, Pritchard, Walters and Hufham were appointed 
 to consider and report on the propriety of appointing 
 a Sunday School Board to co-operate with the Sunday 
 School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention." 
 This committee recommended that a Sunday School 
 Board be appointed; "provided that it shall in no 
 case be authorized to impose any pecuniary obliga- 
 tion on the Convention." 
 
 The committee, to nominate the Boards of the Con- 
 vention, recommended that the Mission Board have 
 supervision of the Sunday School work. This recom- 
 mendation elicited considerable discussion, and the 
 part of the report referring to the Sunday School 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 87 
 
 Board was recommitted to the committee. R. R. 
 Overby, chairman of committee, submitted another 
 report, reiterating their former recommendation. The 
 report was amended by authorizing the appointment 
 of a Sunday School Board, to be located at Shelby, 
 and to consist of the following brethren : J. Jenkins, 
 J. B. Boone, H. C. Davis, John Durham, X. B. 
 Cobb, A. C. Dixon, and W. C. Durham. 
 
 In the report on obituaries mention is made of the 
 death of C. W. Skinner, father of Thomas E. Skin- 
 ner, and one of the fourteen who organized the Con- 
 vention. 
 
 Fayetteville, November 6-9, 1872. 
 
 W. T. Walters, President. K B. Cobb, Record- 
 ing Secretary. H. A. Tupper, Corresponding Secre- 
 tary of the Foreign Mission Board, attends this ses- 
 sion. C. H. Toy is present as representative from 
 the Seminary. 
 
 J. H. Mills, by permission, made statements in re- 
 gard to the difficulties of editing the Recorder, and 
 suggested that the Committee on Periodicals recom- 
 mend another editor. Mr. Mills was editor at that 
 time. 
 
 The Board submits a short but encouraging report, 
 There were thirty-eight missionaries under appoint- 
 ment of the Board, and substantial progress was made 
 at many important points. The amount reported for 
 State Missions was $5,626.33, and total amount for 
 all the Mission objects was $8,295.13. 
 
88 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 A movement is put on foot to raise a hundred thou- 
 sand dollars endowment for Wake Forest College. 
 
 "A collection was taken for the Greensboro Church, 
 amounting to $87.00 in cash and $35.00 in pledges." 
 
 Resolutions are passed approving the action of the 
 trustees in removing the Southern Baptist Theological 
 Seminary from Greenville, S. 0., to Louisville, Ky. 
 
 The Sunday School Board recommended the ap- 
 pointment of a Sunday School Missionary for the 
 State. A committee, which was appointed to report 
 on the recommendation, brought in an adverse report, 
 which was adopted. 
 
 From the summary of the Secretary's report, we 
 learn that there were thirty-six white Associations, 
 with 822 churches and 78,502 members, and twelve 
 colored Associations, with 282 churches and 27,560 
 members. 
 
 Warrenton, November 5-8, 1873. 
 
 President, W. T. Brooks; Corresponding Secre- 
 tary, J. D. Hufham. 
 
 Dr. Hufham read the report on State Missions. In 
 mentioning the difficulties, he says: "It was decided 
 at the last session of the Convention to make a general 
 canvass for endowment of Wake Forest, and to en- 
 deavor to raise a hundred thousand dollars during 
 the year. In view of this, we thought it would not 
 be wise to extend our operations very largely in the 
 department of State Missions.' 7 
 
 Despite the discouragements, considerable progress 
 was made. Twenty-five missionaries had operated 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 89 
 
 under the direction of the Board. There is a large 
 debt on State Missions. The appropriations amounted 
 to $4,617.00, and the receipts were only $1,857.56. 
 Dr. Hufham .says he intended to resign as Secretary 
 when he came to the Convention, but is unwilling to 
 retire while the Board is in debt, and will continue. 
 
 The Sunday School Board, through J. B. Boone, 
 chairman, submitted an interesting report to the 
 Convention. N". B. Cobb was employed as Secretary 
 of the Sunday School Board, with the understanding 
 that the Board would not be responsible -for his 
 salary. He accepted the appointment, relying upon 
 the generosity of the denomination for his support. 
 The Treasurer's report shows that a sufficient amount 
 was not raised to pay the salary of the Secretaiy. 
 
 Elder A. E. Redd has purchased the Recorder from 
 Mr. J. H. Mills. He has formed a co-partnership 
 with Edwards & Broughton, taking in the Recorder 
 as his part of the stock. There are now 3,200 pay- 
 ing subscribers. Dr. Hufham says, "the circulation 
 is larger than it ever was and the paper is better 
 than it ever was." 
 
 Dr. Broadus says he likes to put the Recorder in 
 the hands of his children, because of its excellent 
 sense. Besides, it is sound in doctrine, and some of 
 our very best writers are contributing to it. He reads 
 it with unusual interest. 
 
 It was when the subject of education was called 
 up that the Convention reached "high-water mark." 
 Dr. Wingate presented a very clear and ringing re- 
 
90 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 port in regard to the work of the endowment. He 
 estimated that $40,000 had been raised, mostly in 
 pledges. This was a year memorable for its financial 
 stringency. A money panic had swept the country 
 from side to side, and we were yet in the throes of it. 
 "But such seasons make heroes of us. Heroes many 
 of us must become if we would lift our State, nay 
 our beloved Zion, from the ashes of her sloth, and 
 possess for ourselves and our children a heritage of 
 hope. We have started from our Egypt. Let come 
 what will, our faces are to a better land. We must 
 go forward." 
 
 After a very enthusiastic discussion, participated in 
 by many of the brethren, it was unanimously agreed 
 to continue the canvass for the endowment through 
 another year. 
 
 In discussing ministerial education, Dr. Broadus 
 said: "There is no conflict between the teaching of 
 science and the Bible, but the conflict is between the 
 teachers of science and the Bible." 
 
 Wilmington, November 4-7, 1874. 
 
 J. M. Heck was elected President, and J. B. 
 Kichardson, Corresponding Secretary, Dr. Hufham 
 having resigned. No man ever entered upon any 
 work under more discouraging conditions than those 
 which confronted Dr. Hufham when he became Cor- 
 responding Secretary. There has never been an 
 hour in the history of the Convention, before or since, 
 when the outlook was so gloomy. The work had 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 91 
 
 literally gone to pieces. The year before lie became 
 Secretary, the former Secretary resigned at the close 
 of the first quarter, leaving not a missionary on the 
 field, and a debt of $916.15. Two agents were put 
 in the field to try to raise this debt. After paying 
 their salaries and expenses the debt was reduced to 
 $708.46. The Associations were working indepen- 
 dently and a state of disorganization existed from 
 mountains to sea. This was a result of the general 
 demoralization caused by the war. 
 
 Such was the condition of affairs when J. D. Huf- 
 ham came to the Secretaryship. It is to be regretted 
 that we are not able, because of the missing minutes, 
 to give his work in detail. Some general statements 
 will give an idea of what he did. One has but to 
 compare the report of 1870 with that of 1873 to see 
 the very remarkable advance. In 1873 a goodly num- 
 ber of the Associations had been brought into har- 
 monious co-operation with the Convention ; about two 
 thousand dollars had been raised for State Missions, 
 and twenty-five missionaries were employed by the 
 Board and the co-operating Associations. In other 
 words, during these four years, order was brought 
 out of chaos, and the Convention once more started 
 upon an onward and upward career. 
 
 Shelby, November 10-13, 1875. 
 
 John Kerr, President ; J. D. Hufham, Recording 
 Secretary. 
 
 The Board presents a gloomy report. They have 
 been carrying a debt for two years. In 1872, 
 
92 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 $5,626.33 was reported for State Missions, while in 
 1873 the contributions reached only $1,857.56. This 
 is accounted for in part by the fact that Assoeia- 
 tional Missions were included in the receipts of 
 1872, and not in those of 1873. But after making 
 this allowance, there is a falling off of more than 
 fifty per cent in one year. "This remarkable deficit 
 was due, mainly, to the monetary panic with which 
 the whole country was afflicted that year." The year 
 1875 was begun with a debt of nearly $2,000. 
 
 Here is a characteristic speech from Elias Dodson 
 on State Missions : "The Devil makes and misapplies 
 Scripture. ' Charity begins at home' is Beelzebub's 
 Scripture. There are some primary and some second- 
 ary duties. What God calls primary duties the De^vil 
 calls secondary duties. Duty to God is a primary 
 duty ; duty to self is secondary. A remark in regard 
 to towns. Christ and his apostles labored in the 
 towns. All the epistles addressed to churches, except 
 one, are addressed to town churches." 
 
 C. T. Bailey and J. D. Hufham are editing the 
 Recorder. 
 
 Raleigh, November 15-18, 1876. 
 
 C. M. Cooke, President. 
 
 The report of the Board shows that at the begin- 
 ning of this year there was an accumulated indebted- 
 ness of about $2,000. For this reason it was thought 
 best to employ only nine missionaries. The debt re- 
 ported to this Convention was $481.83. The same 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 93 
 
 old difficulty confronts the Board, viz: want of co- 
 operation on the part of the Associations with the 
 Convention. 
 
 "We would urge upon our pastors and churches the 
 importance of prosecuting, so far as possible, the 
 work of giving religious instruction to the colored peo- 
 ple among us, and we request our Mission and Sun- 
 day School Boards, so far as practicable, to give aid 
 in organizing and expending among them Sunday 
 School and church privileges." 
 
 T. H. Briggs, Jr., offered the following resolu- 
 tions : 
 
 "Resolved, That we heartily commend to our 
 brethren the orphan work of the State, at present 
 under management of Bro. J. H. Mills. 
 
 "Resolved, That we earnestly request the pastors 
 of our churches to make stated collections for said 
 object, using every effort to promote the noble charity 
 and great work of so much importance to the Com- 
 monwealth of North Carolina. 
 
 "Resolved, That one-half of the collection to-mor- 
 row morning shall be appropriated to this cause." 
 
 Dr. William Hooper has died since the last Con- 
 vention. He was eighty-four years old. 
 
 Durham, November 7-10, 1877. 
 John Kerr, President. 
 
 The Sunday School Board makes a fine report 
 They began the year with a debt of $275.45. Decided 
 to employ no Secretary. The services of Mr. John 
 
94 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 E. Ray were secured for as much time as he could 
 give to the Board. He was a teacher in the School 
 for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind, over which institu- 
 tion he now presides. They gave him a salary of ten 
 dollars per month for two and a half months, and 
 then raised it to fifteen dollars per month. The 
 young people of the Raleigh churches aided him in 
 his correspondence. The "Little Leader" plan was 
 adopted, and bands were organized in many schools, 
 but what they raised was used largely at home. A 
 system of colportage was begun on a small scale. An 
 office was secured in the Briggs Building, on Fayette- 
 ville Street, in Raleigh. The Board is out of debt 
 and has something over $900 to its credit. 
 
 The Woman's Central Committee was organized 
 in April, 1877, with Mrs. J. M. Heck, President ; 
 Mrs. A. M. Lewis, Vice-President; Mrs. P. L. Mah- 
 ler, Secretary; Mrs. J. C. Scarborough, Correspond- 
 ing Secretary; Mrs. T. H. Pritchard, Treasurer. 
 They report seventeen societies organized and col- 
 lections from them amounting to $342.16. 
 
 Dr. Pritchard introduced the following resolu- 
 tions : 
 
 "Resolved, That the Convention has heard with 
 pleasure of the formation of the Central Committee 
 of the Woman's Missionary Societies of the State 
 and the good work it has accomplished. 
 
 "Resolved. That we commend this enterprise, 
 which has as its end the development of the gifts and 
 graces of the Christian women of the State, as worthy 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 95 
 
 of the confidence and support of all ministers and 
 churches. 
 
 "Resolved, That we cordially invite this com- 
 mittee to report the work they may be able to accom- 
 plish to this Convention at its next session." 
 
 A most spirited discussion followed, and the Con- 
 vention adjourned without voting on the resolutions. 
 Subsequently Dr. Pritchard amended his resolutions 
 by making the last one read as follows : 
 
 "Resolved, That we cordially invite this commit- 
 tee to report the work the societies organized in the 
 churches may be able to do to this Convention at its 
 next annual session." 
 
 After more discussion, the report, as amended, was 
 adopted. 
 
 J. B. Hartwell, missionary to China, was intro- 
 duced. 
 
 The North Carolina Baptist Students' Aid Asso- 
 ciation was represented by J. W. Denmark, and 
 recommended by the Convention. 
 
 Dr. Walters has died since last Convention. 
 
 Charlotte, November 6-7, 1878. 
 W. A. Graham, President. 
 
 J. B. Richardson served one quarter as Correspond- 
 ing Secretary, at the conclusion of which time he re- 
 signed. Mr. Richardson's administration was handi- 
 capped from the beginning by debt. The year be- 
 fore he came into the office, the energies of the de- 
 nomination were centered on raising a hundred thou- 
 
 I 
 
96 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 sand dollars endowment for Wake Forest College. 
 With this effort came the money panic, to which 
 reference was made above. The Board had laid out 
 its work on a large scale, and were forced to report 
 a $2,000 debt. The clearing aw T ay of this debt was 
 the chief work of Dr. Richardson, and he succeeded 
 admirably. He left the Board free of debt. Messrs. 
 Hufham and Richardson steered the State Mission 
 work through a most perilous period, and deserve the 
 lasting gratitude of the denomination. 
 
 Mr. John E. Ray was asked to do the correspon- 
 dence for the Board after the resignation of Dr. Rich- 
 ardson at a salary of ten dollars per month. For 
 several years Mr. Ray did the work in this way. 
 
 In its report the Board says: "There are three 
 kinds of Associations : 
 
 (1) Those in which there is no destitute territory, 
 but such as can be reached by pastors. (2) Those in 
 which there is some destitution, but not enough to re- 
 quire all the funds which could be raised by the 
 churches. (3) Those in which there is destitution 
 so extensive that it can not be supplied without help 
 from other Associations. Now, can not these Asso- 
 ciations be induced to work together with the Con- 
 vention as a common centre or vehicle of communica- 
 tion? If it can be done, the most serious difficulty 
 in our way, will have been removed." 
 
 Foreign Missions is looking up. There is an in 
 crease in contributions of $800 over last year. For 
 several years the Central Association has been paying 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 97 
 
 half of Dr. Yates's salary. The Raleigh Association, 
 at its last session, assumed the other half. 
 
 The Woman's Central Committee reports thirty-six 
 societies and $500 contributed, as against seventeen 
 societies and $340 contributed last year. 
 
 A collection was taken for the Charlotte Church, 
 amounting to $919.50. 
 
 The Sunday School Board is pressing its work 
 vigorously. Thirty-five new schools were established 
 last year and the colportage department is flourish- 
 ing. 
 
 Oxford, November 5-8, 1879. 
 ~N. B. Cobb, President. 
 
 Secretary Ray gave six weeks to visiting Associa- 
 tions, for which he received nothing except expenses. 
 There are eighteen missionaries of the Board in the 
 field, and nearly as many associational missionaries. 
 Elder Dodson rarely writes a report or makes a 
 speech that he does not emphasize the importance of 
 cultivating the towns. 
 
 The Sunday School Board is doing well. A good 
 many schools were supplied with literature, and there 
 is money in the treasury. Receipts were nearly 
 $1,900, of which $580 was from sales. 
 
 Seventeen ministerial students were aided at Wake 
 Forest last year. 
 
 The total amount raised for Foreign Missions, 
 including the contributions from the Woman's Mis- 
 
 7 
 
98 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 sionary Societies, was $2,875.70. Of this amount 
 the Raleigh and Central Associations paid $1,200 for 
 the support of Dr. Yates. 
 
 Nearly $2,000 was raised in cash and pledges for 
 Home Missions. 
 
 Dr. Wingate, President of Wake Forest College; 
 Judge John Kerr, President of the Convention sev- 
 eral times, and Mr. John G. Williams, former Treas- 
 urer, have all died since last Convention. 
 
 Goldsboro, November 17-20, 1880. 
 1ST. B. Cobb, President. 
 
 Dr. Graves, missionary from China, attends this 
 Convention. Foreign Missions makes the best finan- 
 cial showing yet made. T. Harrison was in the field 
 as special agent for the Foreign Mission Board. 
 Total amount raised for Foreign Missions was 
 $4,696.46. 
 
 The following report was submitted by T. H. 
 Pritchard, T. Whitfield and J. B. Richardson, com- 
 mittee : 
 
 "The committee appointed to consider the propriety 
 of creating a Board of Foreign Missions for the Bap- 
 tists of North Carolina, beg to recommend the ap- 
 pointment of such a Board, and would suggest that it 
 be located in Wilmington." A motion to table the 
 report was lost by the casting vote of the President. 
 After discussion by Hufham, Taylor, Pritchard, 
 Whitfield and Skinner, a vote on the main question 
 was taken and the motion to adopt the report was 
 ^ost. The following resolution was adopted: 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 99 
 
 "Kesolved, That the Foreign Mission Board of 
 the Southern Baptist Convention be requested to ap- 
 point agencies for the collection of funds in this 
 State only on the recommendation of the Mission 
 Board of this Convention. " 
 
 A collection was taken for ministerial education 
 amounting to $7 00, perhaps the largest in the history 
 of the Convention, for this object. 
 
 This is the semi-centennial year of the organization 
 of the Convention. A semi-centennial celebration 
 was held on Saturday night. The past history of 
 the Convention was reviewed, and speeches made on 
 the progress of the different departments of the work. 
 When the Convention was organized, there were 15,- 
 000 Baptists in the State. In 1880, fifty years later, 
 there were one hundred thousand white and eighty 
 thousand colored Baptists in North Carolina. 
 
100 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 CHAPTEE VI. 
 1881—1888. 
 
 Winston, November 9-13, 1881. 
 
 There are twenty-three ministerial students at 
 Wake Forest College. 
 
 Some idea of the growth of State Missions can be 
 gained from the fields mentioned this year. Shoe 
 Heel (now Maxton), Rockingham, Pittsboro, Hick- 
 ory, Morganton, High Point, Salisbury, Mooresville, 
 Statesville, Weldon, Greenville and Mount Airy are 
 the points mentioned in addition to what was done for 
 Associational Missions. Of the above points, all save 
 Mooresville have become self-sustaining, and many 
 of them are strong churches. 
 
 Number of white Baptists in the State at this time, 
 103,002. Raised for State Missions last year, 
 $2,372.90. Elias Dodson is agent for Home Mis- 
 sion Board. No special agent for Eoreign Missions. 
 Reported for Eoreign Missions, $3,791.55. 
 
 Treasurer reported total of $10,967.95^. As to 
 how change was made for the half cent, the reader is 
 referred to B. E. Montague, Esq., who was Treasurer 
 at that time. 
 
 Treasurer Montague requested that a committee be 
 appointed to consider the advisability of making the 
 Treasurer a bonded officer. Committee recommended 
 that Treasurer be required to give bond of $10,000. 
 Report adopted. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 101 
 
 Pledges taken for State Missions for next year's 
 work. This is the first time this was done, but the 
 custom was kept up for some years after this. 
 
 The Committee on Sunday School Board recom- 
 mended : 
 
 "1. That the Sunday School Board be instructed 
 to raise, during the coming year, a sufficient capital 
 to enable it to purchase and keep on hand a supply 
 of the Word of God, Sunday School literature (song- 
 books, maps, papers, etc.), in order that it may fur- 
 nish our Sunday Schools said literature, selling to all 
 who can buy at the lowest prices, and also supplying, 
 as far as possible, and without cost to them, the desti- 
 tute places within their borders. 
 
 "2. We earnestly recommend that all of our 
 churches take up stated collections in behalf of the 
 Sunday School Board. " 
 
 Pending the adoption of this report, pledges were 
 taken amounting to $1,000 as capital with which to 
 begin business. This was the beginning of the Sun- 
 day School Supply Store. 
 
 There are at this time 622 ordained ministers in 
 the State, not including those in the Western Con- 
 vention. 
 
 Warrenton, November, 14-18, 1882. 
 
 J. C. Scarborough, President; ST. B. Broughton, 
 Recording Secretary. 
 
 The report of the Sunday School Board shows that 
 of the $1,000 subscribed at Winston for the Supply 
 
102 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 Store, only $273.00 had been paid. Beginning with 
 this small capital, the store did a business of $1,- 
 689.45 during the year, and reports no debt. 
 
 The Board of Missions reports gracious revivals in 
 fifty-three towns, and two hundred and eighty coun- 
 try churches. About six thousand were added by 
 baptism. This was in the State at large, and not the 
 work of missionaries of the Board, though, of course, 
 their work is included. The Board had thirty-eight 
 missionaries in the field last year. There are three 
 counties in the East with neither a Baptist Church 
 nor Baptist preacher; five other counties with only 
 one Baptist Church each, and twelve counties with 
 only two self-supporting churches. 
 
 Attention was called to the "seemingly inappro- 
 priate names given to some of our churches, and the 
 cause they represent, and that they should be 
 changed." 
 
 Dr. I. T. Tichenor, new Secretary of the Home 
 Mission Board, attends for the first time. 
 
 The following telegram was received: 
 
 "We send greetings. Beg that you will remember 
 our Memorial Church at Greenville. (Psalm 19 :1T). 
 Ladies Baptist Sewing Society." For a number vi 
 years the Convention is not allowed to forget the 
 Memorial Church at Greenville. 
 
 W. F. Marshall, senior editor of the Wake Forest 
 Student, presented claims of that periodical. R. H. 
 Marsh, editor of the Orphans Friend, asks for 
 patronage. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 103 
 
 Edenton, November 14-19, 1883. 
 
 J. C. Scarborough, President. 
 
 The endowment of Wake Forest College is called 
 to the attention of the Convention. Dr. Taylor had 
 Been in the field to raise balance of $100,000. Sa'd 
 if he could get $3,000 at this Convention, he felt 
 sure of the balance. Three thousand and five dollars 
 was raised, Dr. Skinner heading the list with one 
 thousand. Raised for State Missions last year nearly 
 five thousand dollars and a little more than this for 
 Associational Missions. Treasurer's report shows 
 $18,584.45. Contributions are growing beautifully. 
 Five thousand six hundred dollars pledged for State 
 Missions for next year. 
 
 On the first of last August the location of the 
 Woman's Central Committee was changed to Char- 
 lotte. 
 
 This was a great Convention. During last year the 
 receipts show $106,000, including amount of endow- 
 ment. 
 
 The report on obituaries informs us that three of 
 the most useful members of the Convention have 
 passed away since last Convention, viz : Elder W- H. 
 Jordan, Elias Dodson, and W. T. Brooks. 
 
 Raleigh, November 12-16, 1884. 
 J. C. Scarborough, President. 
 
 At the meeting just after the last Convention, the 
 Board instructed the Corresponding Secretary to em- 
 ploy ministerial students at Wake Forest and the 
 Seminary to do evangelistic work. They were to aid 
 
104 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 pastors who desired their services, and take collections 
 for State Missions. Twelve students were engaged. 
 Their reports show 870 professions, 663 baptisms and 
 $1,044.55 collected. 
 
 It had been customary from the founding of Wake 
 Forest College up to a few years ago for the Conven- 
 tion to suggest a number of names, from which 
 number brethren were to be selected to fill vacancies 
 on the Board of Trustees of Wake Forest College. A 
 motion was made at this meeting that the Convention 
 elect trustees to fill vacancies. After much discus- 
 sion, the whole matter was tabled. 
 
 Dr. Hufham introduced the following, which was 
 adopted : 
 
 "Whereas, it is a matter of exceeding great im- 
 portance, that the connection between our college and 
 the great body of Baptists in the State should be as 
 close as possible, and, 
 
 "Whereas, The custodians of the college, feeling 
 this, were wont for many years to ask this body to 
 recommend suitable persons from whom to fill vacan- 
 cies in the Board of Trustees ; and, 
 
 "Whereas, We believe this to be a safe and whole- 
 some precedent; therefore, 
 
 "Resolved, That a committee be appointed to 
 recommend seven brethren from whom to fill vacan- 
 cies on the Board of Trustees." 
 
 This is the last seen in the minutes of this method 
 of electing trustees. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 105 
 
 "Resolved, That the Convention most heartily en- 
 dorse the action of the Board of Trustees in electing 
 Prof. C. E. Taylor to the presidency of Wake Forest 
 College, and that we pledge to Prof. Taylor our sym- 
 pathy and support." 
 
 Elder R. R. Overby announced that a meeting was 
 held this afternoon and that the North Carolina Bap- 
 tist Orphanage Association had been organized wirh 
 the following officers : President, J. C. Scarborough • 
 Vice-Presidents, R. R. Overby and W. B. Clements; 
 Secretary, George W. Greene ; Treasurer, C. Dur- 
 ham. 
 
 Nothing is said of the discussion in the Conven* 
 tion. 
 
 Reidsvilee, November 11-15, 1885. 
 C. T. Bailey, President, 
 
 A committee was appointed to report on the 
 Orphanage. Though there was some opposition to 
 establishing the Orphanage, it now takes its place 
 with the objects of the Convention, and becomes en- 
 trenched in the affections of the Baptists of the State. 
 Committee on Orphanage report that 171 acres of 
 land has been purchased near Thomasville, one house, 
 the gift of Elder John Mitchell, has been completed, 
 another, the gift of Mr. John Watson, will soon be 
 finished, and still another, the gift of Mr. Noah 
 Biggs, will be built as soon as possible. 
 
 Greenville Memorial is before the Convention 
 again. A $5,000 mortgage rests on the church. A 
 committee was appointed to raise the amount. 
 
106 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 There is a debt on State Missions to the amount 
 of $557.31. John E. Kay is elected Secretary, to 
 give his whole time to the work. 
 
 Trustees of Wake Forest College make report. 
 One hundred and fifty-nine students present. This is 
 the largest number ever present at the fall term up 
 to this time. Endowment $102,999.82. 
 
 ~N. B. Broughton offered the following resolution: 
 
 " Whereas, the ninth day of December next is the 
 time fixed for the sailing to China of Brother and 
 Sister Herring and Brother and Sister R. T. Bry an ; 
 therefore, 
 
 "Resolved, That we make the ninth day of Decem- 
 ber a day of special prayer, for their safety on the 
 journey, and for the Lord's blessings upon their 
 labors in His service." 
 
 Wilmington, November 17-21, 1886. 
 C. T. Bailey, President, 
 
 Raised for State Missions last year $8,059.27. No 
 debt. 
 
 "Resolved, That our State Mission Board be au- 
 thorized to expend $10,000 in the mission fields of the 
 State next year, and we, in Convention assembled, 
 representing 95,000 members of our churehcs, pledge 
 ourselves each individually, to do more this year than 
 we did last, and use our best efforts to induce others 
 to do so." 
 
 We have here the first report of woman's work 
 since 1878. The Central Committee is back in 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 107 
 
 Raleigh, with Miss Fannie E. S. Heck, President, 
 and Miss Sallie Bailey, Corresponding Secretary. 
 The contributions of the societies are now divided 
 between State, Home and Foreign Missions. 
 
 Committee appointed to borrow money, if neces- 
 sary, and pay the debt on the Greenville church. 
 
 On motion of Elder McManaway, the report on 
 time and place of next meeting was considered, and 
 on motion of Elder Durham the word "Greensboro" 
 was stricken out and the word "Durham" inserted. 
 
 Report on Orphanage states that there are forty- 
 eight orphans at Thomasville. 
 
 North Carolina now has three men preaching the 
 Gospel in China. 
 
 Durham, November 16-20, 1887. 
 W. H. Pace, President. 
 
 Instead of having a special agent in the State, the 
 Home and Foreign Mission Boards now have vice- 
 presidents for each State. Theo. Whitfield was the 
 first vice-president of the Foreign Mission Board 
 for North Carolina, and A. G. McManaway for the 
 Home Board. 
 
 A little paper, the Missionary Talk, was published 
 monthly by the Woman's Central Committee, and dis- 
 tributed free of charge. The women raised last year 
 $1,717.46. 
 
 Sunday School institutes, under the direction of 
 the Board, were held during the year, at a number 
 of important central points, and their influence, we 
 are led to believe, was widespread and helpful. 
 
108 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 At this session W. L. Wright was recommended to 
 the Foreign Mission Board as a suitable man for 
 vice-president for North Carolina in place of Theo. 
 Whitfield, who had removed from the State. Mr. 
 Wright was appointed. 
 
 The following resolution was introduced by Dr. 
 Hufham : 
 
 "Resolved, That as much of the report of the 
 Board of Missions as refers to woman's work, be 
 referred to a committee of seven, with instructions to 
 consider the expediency of admitting female dele- 
 gates into this body, and the conditions and re- 
 strictions under which they are to be admitted." The 
 committee was appointed and reported, but the report 
 was tabled and is not printed in the minutes. 
 
 Resolution by Dr. Hufham: 
 
 "Resolved, That we receive with pleasure the re- 
 port of the excellent work done by the Woman's Cen- 
 tral Committee on Missions, and we cordially bid 
 them continue the same, assuring them of our sym- 
 pathy, co-operation and aid." 
 
 The Committee on Plan for Caring for Indigent 
 and Infirm Preachers, "recommend that the North 
 Carolina Baptist Orphanage Association make pro- 
 vision, so far as practicable, for the worthy and 
 needy worn-out ministers of the State. Churches are 
 asked to take at least one collection a year for this 
 object." 
 
 a Resolved, That we sympathize with and heartily 
 endorse the effort of our colored brethren to found 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 109 
 
 an Orphanage at Oxford, as represented before this 
 Conventon by Eev. W. A. Patillo." 
 
 The Board of Missions and the Sunday School 
 Board were consolidated under the name of "Board 
 of Missions and Sunday Schools." 
 
 A resolution was introduced by C. Durham looking 
 to a union of the State and Western Conventions. 
 
 A collection was taken in cash and subscriptions, to 
 the amount of $1,037.55, to complete the Bryan 
 House in China. 
 
 There are seventy-five children at the Orphanage. 
 Charity and Children has been started and indorsed 
 by the Convention. A collection of $531.98 was 
 raised for outfit for Charity and Children. 
 
 John E. Ray resigned as Secretary and left the 
 State to take a position in the Institution for the 
 Blind in Colorado. Mr. Ray left in September, and 
 Mr. C. Durham was selected by the Board to fill the 
 unexpired term. 
 
 It is but just to speak a word of Mr. John E. Ray's 
 work as Corresponding Secretary of the Convention. 
 Steady progress was made from the beginning to the 
 close of his career as Secretary. It would be unfair 
 to institute a comparison of his administration based 
 on visible results, with those which had preceded it, 
 because of changed conditions. Up to the time that 
 Mr. Ray began his work as Secretary, the denomina- 
 tion had not been organized into a compact body. It 
 is hard to understand the peculiar difficulties of those 
 earlier days. Ignorance, prejudice and suspicion had 
 
110 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 to be overcome. To do this required great patience. 
 It was "line upon line and precept upon precept/' 
 year after year. Conditions were improving, how- 
 ever, when the war came with its demoralizing in- 
 fluence, and we had almost to begin over again. 
 
 It was seen under what difficulties Dr. Hufham 
 began his work, and how admirably he succeeded 
 under the circumstances. Dr. Richardson came next 
 and "cleared the deck for action'' by paying off a 
 debt which had been accumulating for years. The 
 circulation of the t Recorder had greatly increased. 
 This, as it has ever been since, was a mighty agency 
 for breaking down prejudice, disseminating truth and 
 unifying our people. Wake Forest College was now 
 being felt in a better equipped ministry. It was at 
 this propitious time that Mr. Ray became Secretary. 
 He was just the man to seize the opportunity and 
 use it to the best advantage. This he did, as a review 
 of his work plainly shows. He first became Secretary 
 of the Sunday School Board at a salary of ten dollars 
 a month, giving what time he could to it, in con- 
 nection with his duties as a teacher. The Board had 
 nothing save a debt of nearly three hundred dollars 
 when he became Secretary. This debt was paid off 
 with a little surplus in the treasury the first year. 
 During his administration, the Supply Store was 
 established, a system of colportage inaugurated and 
 Baptist headquarters located in Raleigh. On the 
 resignation of Mr. Richardardson in 1877, Mr. Ray 
 was employed to give what time he could to the 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 Ill 
 
 work of the Mission Board, and during the remainder 
 of his term of office, he was Secretary of the Board 
 of Missions and the Sunday Schools. When Mr. 
 Kay took charge of the mission work there were 
 but two or three Associations co-operating with the 
 Convention. When he resigned, all the Associations 
 were co-operating; there were seventy-five missiona- 
 ries; and contributions to State Missions amounted 
 to $8,059.27. Mr. Bay gave his whole time to the 
 work from November, 1885, to September, 1887. 
 
 The following resolutions were presented by Dr. 
 Hufham and adopted: 
 
 "Whereas, Our beloved Bro. John E. Ray, for 
 nine years the Corresponding Secretary of this body, 
 has removed from our borders to a distant State ; and, 
 
 "Whereas, His wise, unselfish and untiring labors 
 aided materially in bringing our work up to its 
 present degree of prosperity; and, 
 
 "Whereas, He greatly endeared himself to the 
 Baptists of the State by his uniform courtesy, and 
 by the sweetness of his spirit; therefore, 
 
 "Resolved, That we hold in grateful remem- 
 brance his labors of love while among us." 
 
 C. T. Bailey bought Edwards & Broughton's in- 
 terest in the Biblical Recorder. Until his death he 
 was sole proprietor of the paper. 
 
112 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 CHAPTEE VII. 
 1888—1900. 
 
 Greensboro, November 14-18, 1888. 
 
 W. H. Pace, President ; W. S. Grandy, Treasurer. 
 
 Report of Board of Missions : 
 
 Three difficulties last year ; Enlarged work, poor 
 crops and political year. (It is remarkable how many 
 poor crop years we find in the history of the Conven- 
 tion.) Nevertheless $2,000 more was raised for 
 State Missions than in 1887. There were ninety-five 
 missionaries who reported 3,252 conversions and 879 
 baptisms. It will be observed that there were more 
 missionaries in proportion to the money raised than 
 we have today. A glance at the fields will explain 
 this. Most of the missionaries were pastors, whose 
 salaries were supplemented by the Board, by far the 
 larger amount being paid by the field. Now we 
 have many new fields, on which the pastors are 
 largely supported by the Board. 
 
 The Gospel Herald, & little paper, was published 
 monthly by C. Durham, in the interest of all mission 
 work. 
 
 "Every pastor, aided by the Board, should most 
 earnestly urge his people toward self-support, and 
 should not be a party to a request for aid, when it is 
 the duty of the Church to support itself." 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 113 
 
 "Recommendations : 1. That no appropriations be 
 made at the Convention, as this matter needs calm, 
 deliberate consideration. 
 
 "2. That the length of time any Church has been 
 helped be duly considered by the Board. 
 
 "3. That the Board be instructed to supply real 
 destitution as rapidly as possible, even if in so doing 
 they have to withdraw from some of the churches 
 now receiving it." 
 
 As timely as these recommendations seem to have 
 been they were stricken out before the adoption of 
 the report. 
 
 The Woman's Central Committee report the organi- 
 zation of the children into Sunbeam Societies. 
 
 Collection was taken for the Orphanage in cash 
 and pledges amounting to $495.75, and twelve boxes 
 of clothing and provisions. 
 
 Raised for Foreign Missions last year $8,119.24. 
 
 Dr. Yates has died since last Convention. Yates 
 memorial services were held, special envelopes were 
 sent out for a memorial offering, and more than 
 $1,500 was received. 
 
 The spirit of progress is in the air as the follow- 
 ing resolutions show: 
 
 "On motion of C. Durham, it was voted that North 
 Carolina try to raise $11,000 for Foreign Missions 
 next year." 
 
 C. Durham introduced the following resolution: 
 "Resolved, That this Convention undertake to 
 raise $5,000 next year for Home Missions." 
 8 
 
114 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 On motion of F. P. Hobgood, it was voted to at- 
 tempt to add $50,000 to the endowment of Wake 
 Forest College. 
 
 Baptist Female University: Resolution by L. L. 
 Polk: 
 
 "Resolved, That a committee of nine, to-wit : W. 
 R. Gwaltney, R. R. Overby, T. H. Pritchard, J. D. 
 Hufham, R. T. Vann, K B. Broughton, A. G. Mc- 
 Manaway, H. W. Battle be, and is hereby appointed, 
 to consider the expediency and feasability of estab- 
 lishing a Baptist Female University in this State. 
 
 "Resolved, That said committee be, and is hereby 
 authorized, to ascertain the best available locality, 
 and to make estimates on the approximate cost of 
 inaugurating such institution and report the same to 
 the next annual session of this Convention. On 
 motion, Colonel Polk was added to the committee as 
 chairman. 
 
 R. T. Vann offered the following, which was 
 adopted : 
 
 "Resolved, That this Convention recognizes and 
 hereby gratefully expresses its high obligation to 
 Brother Noah Biggs for his large generosity and 
 faithful services in the cause of our Master in the 
 matter of the Greenville Church, and pray God's 
 blessings upon him." 
 
 Henderson, November 13-17, 1889. 
 L. L. Polk, President; J. D. Boushall, Treasurer. 
 It may be stated that Mr. Boushall served as Treas- 
 urer for eleven years, which was the second longest 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 115 
 
 term of service as Treasurer in the history of the 
 Convention. The longest term was that of Elder 
 J. S. Purefoy, who for twenty-six years was Treas- 
 urer. 
 
 Since the last Convention thirteen missionaries 
 have gone from ISTorth Carolina to the foreign field, 
 though not all under the appointment of the Board. 
 
 The Board recommend that Sunday School and col- 
 pcrtage be made one department. Adopted. 
 
 Woman's work is steadily advancing. They report 
 nearly $2,000 this year. 
 
 W. H. Whitsett, Professor in the Seminary, is in- 
 troduced, as are I. T. Tichenor, Secretary of the 
 Home Board, and A. J. Diaz, Missionary to Cuba. 
 Convention agreed to raise $5,000 for the house of 
 worship in Havana. 
 
 A minister's Relief Board was established, whose 
 duty it should be to "collect, appropriate and invest 
 funds for aged and indigent Baptist ministers." The 
 Board was located in "Wilmington. 
 
 A Committee on Baptist Female University sub- 
 mit a favorable report, but are unable to name the 
 best available locality, or make estimate as to cost. 
 The committee asks for further time, which is 
 granted. 
 
 "Resolved, That the Committee on the Establish- 
 ment of a Female College be increased to twenty-five 
 and that these shall constitute a Board of Trustees 
 to establish and govern such institution." 
 
 The above resolution was adopted. 
 
116 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 E. Z. Simmons, missionary to China, was intro- 
 duced. 
 
 Report on periodicals evoked quite a warm discus- 
 sion. The report is not given in the minutes, as it 
 was tabled. On motion of R. T. Vann, the Conven- 
 tion voted its endorsement and recommendation of 
 the Biblical Recorder. 
 
 Committee on Obituaries report the death of 
 Elders Henry Spivy, John Monroe, John Mason, 
 James S. Purefoy, William Turner, J. M. Beasley, 
 J. W. White, Joseph E. Carter, Deacon George R. 
 Erench, and Prof. W. G. Simmons. 
 
 Shelby, November 12-16, 1890. 
 L. L. Polk, President. 
 
 Foreign Missions is pitched on a high key. C. 
 Durham offers a resolution that the Convention under- 
 take to raise $15,000 for Foreign Missions. 
 
 State Missions is in debt $1,028.58. 
 
 K. B. Broughton offered an amendment to the 
 Constitution, which is not recorded. The following 
 substitute, by Thos. Hume, was adopted: 
 
 "Resolved, 1 That the Convention instruct the Board 
 of Missions and Sunday Schools to employ a suitable 
 brother as secretary, who shall have charge of the 
 Sunday School and colportage work, and the Sunday 
 School Supply Store. " 
 
 Location of Ministers' Relief Board was changed 
 to Durham. 
 
 A subscription was taken for the endowment of 
 Wake Forest College, amounting to $3,376. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 117 
 
 The Board of Trustees of the Baptist Female 
 University report that it was the ■unanimous decision 
 of the Board to locate the school in Raleigh. 
 
 "Resolved 1. That we have heard with pleasure 
 the report of the Trustees of the Baptist Female 
 University. 
 
 "Resolved 2. That the Board of Trustees be re- 
 quested to press with all the speed their wisdom shall 
 dictate, the completion of the work committed to 
 them. 
 
 "Resolved 3. That this work is most heartily com- 
 mended to the sympathy and co-operation of the 
 Baptists of the entire State." 
 
 Goldsboro, November 11-15, 1891. 
 
 R. H. Marsh was elected President. No other 
 man has presided so long over our Convention save 
 the gifted James McDaniel. 
 
 A larger amount was collected and paid out to 
 missionaries than ever before, and yet there is a debt 
 of $1,800. In discussing this debt and how to raise 
 it, Dr. Hufham read Acts 11 :27-30, and stated that 
 this was the only way out of the difficulty. A collec- 
 tion was taken in cash and pledges amounting to 
 $1,074.55. 
 
 Arthur 0. Melke bequeathed $6,000 to Ministers' 
 Relief Board, and also made large bequests to Minis- 
 terial Education and the Orphanage. In addition to 
 these gifts he left a considerable sum to establish an 
 Associational School at Lumberton. 
 
118 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 M. L. Kesler was elected Sunday School Secretary, 
 and began work June 15, 1891. The Board said of 
 his work: "It has been almost impossible to get the 
 churches to pledge for this department. Their ener- 
 gies and sympathies are pre-occupied by the other 
 objects. Mr. Kesler did faithful, earnest work, but 
 there were no definite methods outlined by the Board, 
 and everything was in a chaotic state. The same diffi- 
 culty obtained then, that has ever since, concerning 
 the support of this department. The churches have 
 never contributed enough to the Sunday School work 
 for the support of the Secretary. Mr. J£esler re- 
 signed at this Convention to go into the pastorate. 
 
 W. R. Gwaltney, Corresponding Secretary of the 
 Board of Ministerial Education, reported $2,299.32 
 raised, and no debt. 
 
 The first annual meeting of the Woman's Mis- 
 sionary Societies was held at this Convention. Pas- 
 tors are taking more interest in woman's work. The 
 contributions increased last year sixty per cent. 
 
 In his speech on the Orphanage, Mr. Mills says: 
 "A characteristic of orphans, when educated, is hos- 
 pitality and kindness. A large number of orphan 
 girls marry widowers. They make good wives and 
 good stepmothers." He says again: "We hear a great 
 deal about the Lord's Supper, but very little about the 
 Lord's dinner, as recorded in Luke 14." 
 
 Dr. J. M. Frost, representing the new Sunday 
 School Board, is welcomed. He said in his speech 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 119 
 
 that three-fifths of all the white Baptist churches in 
 the South are without Sunday Schools." 
 
 "Resolved, That this Convention will co-operate 
 with the Sunday School Board of the Southern Bap- 
 tist Convention." 
 
 Raeeigh, December 8-12, 1892. 
 
 Institute work is begun among the colored people. 
 
 Centennial of Foreign Missions. Southern Baptist 
 Convention is undertaking to raise a fund of $250,- 
 000 as a permanent building fund, to be divided 
 equally between the Home and Foreign Boards. 
 North Carolina is asked to raise $15,000 of this 
 amount. 
 
 After addresses on Centennial of Missions by 
 F. M. Ellis and W. D. Powell, a collection was 
 taken in cash and pledges amounting to $6,980. 
 
 C. Durham introduced the following resolution: 
 
 "We recommend that each Baptist Church in the 
 State hold a special service in their house of worship 
 on Thanksgiving Day of each year, and take a 
 collection in cash and kind for the Orphanage at 
 Thomasville." 
 
 Best financial report yet made for the regular ob- 
 jects of the Convention. In round numbers State 
 Missions, $14,000 ; Foreign Missions, $10,000 ; Home 
 Missions, $7,000; Education, $3,000; Baptist 
 Female University, $12,800; Orphanage, $10,000. 
 Grand total, $76,000. 
 
120 history of the north carolina 
 
 Elizabeth City, December 7-11, 1893. 
 
 J. D. Hufham introduced a series of resolutions 
 which called forth an animated discussion. The reso- 
 lutions are not printed as originally offered, but as 
 amended and adopted they are here given : 
 
 "Resolved, That a committee of five brethren be 
 appointed to memorialize the Legislature at the next 
 session of that body on the friction and competition 
 between the State schools and the denominational 
 schools ; and also to secure, if possible, such arrange- 
 ments as will enable the schools, founded and con- 
 ducted by citizens, to do their work without unneces- 
 sary competition with the State schools. 
 
 "Resolved, That this committee be instructed to 
 confer with similar committees, to be appointed by 
 other religious bodies in the State, so as to secure 
 concert of action." The competition complained of 
 was brought about by large appropriations made to 
 the State University by the Legislature. Dr. Taylor 
 wrote a series of articles which were put in pamphlet 
 form on the question, "How Far Should a State 
 Undertake to Educate ?" In these articles Dr. Tay- 
 lor argued that the State should furnish primary 
 education because such education was necessary to 
 intelligent citizenship ; but it had no right to furnish 
 higher education. He held that to tax all the citizens 
 of the State for the support of State institutions, was 
 unjust and wrong in principle. Eor years the Con- 
 vention passed resolutions protesting against the ap- 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 121 
 
 propriation of large sums to State colleges. Because 
 of their attitude on this question, the Baptists have 
 been greatly misunderstood and misrepresented. It 
 has been charged that they are opposed to public 
 education. There never was a more unjust charge. 
 They have always been the friends of public educa- 
 tion and in legislative halls and on the hustings they 
 have advocated larger appropriations to the State 
 primary schools. 
 
 T. P. Bell, Secretary of the Sunday School Board ; 
 F. C. McConnell, Assistant Secretary of the Foreign 
 Mission Board, and B. T. Bryan, of China, are at 
 this Convention. 
 
 On motion of N". B. Broughton, a committee is 
 appointed to report on the advisability of establish- 
 ing a separate Board for the Sunday School work. 
 The committee called for by the above motion re- 
 ported, recommending the establishment of a Sunday 
 School Board. C. Durham offered, as an amendment, 
 that the matter be referred to a committee of seven 
 who should report at the next session. Beport, as 
 amended, was adopted. 
 
 The Board reports a tremendous debt. State Mis- 
 sions is in debt $3,097.10, and the Sunday School de- 
 partment $2,086.64, making a total indebtedness of 
 $5,183.74. The Board accounts for the debt as 
 follows: (1) Low price of cotton and tobacco; (2) 
 Columbian Exposition took out of the State a large 
 sum of money which would have gone to State Mis- 
 sions. These are the causes assigned by the Board 
 
122 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 for this indebtedness; but another, and perhaps the 
 chief cause, was the high pressure methods resorted 
 to by the committee having in charge the Centennial 
 Missionary Campaign. Those who were pastors in 
 the State at that time will recall what pressure was 
 brought to bear on the pastors and churches. Every- 
 thing else was side-tracked for this movement. The 
 sum of $5,152.05 was raised for the Centennial of 
 Missions, but it was done largely by cutting down con- 
 tributions to other things, and there was a reaction 
 from which it took years to recover. 
 
 The Board recommended that "a committee be ap- 
 pointed to try to secure one hundred Associations, 
 churches or individuals, who will agree to pay the 
 entire debt on State Missions in ninety days from 
 January 1st" Recommendation adopted. 
 
 R. J. Willingham, the new Secretary of the For- 
 eign Mission Board, attended this Convention. 
 
 O. L. Stringfield was elected by the Trustees as 
 Financial Secretary of the Baptist Female Univer- 
 sity. 
 
 French Broad, Yancey County, and Mitchell 
 County Associations come to the Convention from 
 the Western Convention. 
 
 W. H. Pace has died since last Convention. 
 
 Charlotte, December 6-10, 19^4. 
 
 Mrs. M. T. Yates, of China, Mr. and Mrs. C. C. 
 Newton, of Africa, and Col. J. M. Heck, of Raleigh, 
 have all passed away since last Convention. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 123 
 
 By April 1st all the debt on State Missions, brought 
 over from last year ($3,097.11) was paid and $500 
 of the debt on the Sunday School department. The 
 debt on the Sunday School department seems to have 
 been on account of the Supply Store. By rigidly en- 
 forcing the cash system, the Board was able last year 
 to increase the assets and decrease the liabilities. 
 They feel sure that the store will work itself out 
 of debt. 
 
 The Trustees of the Baptist Female University in 
 their report state that they "have unanimously agreed 
 to ask the next General Assembly to change the name 
 of the proposed institution, and a committee has been 
 appointed to carry this determination into effect." 
 Subsequent history does not tell us what became of 
 the committee and the new name. Perhaps the 
 General Assembly Avas so delighted with the present 
 name that they would not agree to change it. It 
 seems by this report, that the Trustees had already 
 unanimously agreed. It may be stated here, that 
 some years after this the Trustees changed the name 
 to "The Baptist University for Women." 
 
 "Resolved, That the Board of Missions and Sun- 
 day Schools be instructed to appoint a Sunday School 
 missionary or missionaries, to labor in the bounds of 
 the North Carolina Baptist State Convention." 
 
 "Resolven, That a committee of seven brethren, 
 viz: R. H. Marsh, J. D. Hufham, H. A. Brown, J. 
 L. Carroll, W. L. Poteat, C. Durham and J. B. 
 Boone, be appointed to consider the interests of our 
 
124 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 denominational organ, with special reference to the 
 propriety and feasability of the consolidation and 
 unification of all the Baptist newspapers in the 
 bounds of our Convention. And that the above com- 
 mittee be authorized to advise the best plans possible 
 in this matter/' 
 
 Greensboro, December 5-9, 1895. 
 Since the meeting of the last Convention, two of 
 the most prominent and useful brethren have been 
 called to their reward. For several years C. T. 
 Bailey and C. Durham had wrought together in build- 
 ing up the Redeemer's kingdom on earth, and now 
 they are rejoicing together over their finished work. 
 Dr. Bailey was editor of the Biblical Recorder for 
 twenty years. During this period he guided the 
 paper through many a storm, and kept it off the 
 breakers. He was a man of remarkable foresight and 
 this stood him in good stead as an editor. His ability 
 to "discern the signs of the times" kept him from 
 many mistakes into which men of less keen insight 
 would have fallen. He put the paper on a solid 
 basis, and greatly increased its circulation and in- 
 fluence. Under his wise management, the Recorder 
 was sound to the core, and as true as the needle to 
 the pole. As the leader of the Baptist hosts, the 
 paper was followed by its friends, and feared by its 
 foes, for all recognized the wisdom, ability and fear- 
 lessness of its editor. Our rapid growth and de- 
 velopment through these two decades was largely due 
 to the influence of the Biblical Recorder. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 125 
 
 For seven years Columbus Durham had been Cor- 
 responding Secretary of the Baptist State Conven- 
 tion. He entered the service of his country when a 
 boy, and fought through the Civil War. ~No braver, 
 truer soldier than he ever shouldered arms. He 
 carried his military spirit into the army of his Lord, 
 and was as true and loyal there as when fighting for 
 his country. He was a man of remarkably strong 
 convictions, and he had the courage to defend them. 
 Like the Psalmist, he could say : "I believe and there- 
 fore I have spoken." As might have been expected, 
 he did more than any other man of his day, perhaps, 
 to create a denominational spirit among our people. 
 He was an optimist in regard to the Lord's work. 
 He believed in God and in his brethren. He was 
 rather stimulated than discouraged by difficulties, and 
 he had the power to inspire others by his spirit of 
 confidence. He never knew how to spare himself in 
 the work of the Lord, but put himself and his all 
 upon the altar. The value of his life to our denomi- 
 nation can never be estimated. 
 
 Is it strange that a feeling of sadness pervaded the 
 Convention when it was called to order in 1895 % 
 "The workers die, but the work goes on." 
 
 Mr. John C. Scarborough acted as Secretary from 
 the time of Dr. Durham's death until the meeting of 
 the Convention. A hearty vote of thanks was ten- 
 dered Mr. Scarborough for this service. 
 
 On motion, a committee was appointed with C. E. 
 Taylor as chairman, and a representative from each 
 
126 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 Association, to nominate a Corresponding Secretary. 
 John E. White was nominated and unanimously 
 elected. Thomas E. Skinner led in prayer, asking 
 God's blessing on the new Secretary. 
 
 Dr. Bailey had been ill for two years, during which 
 time J. W. Bailey had edited the Recorder. A com- 
 mittee on our denominational organ reported that, 
 in their opinion, "it would be best that the publication 
 of the paper go on under the ownership of the family 
 and under the sole editorial management of Mr. J. W. 
 Bailey, son of our deceased brother, who has for two 
 years been practically the editor-in-chief." 
 
 The Committee on "Separate Board for Sunday 
 Schools," report, recommending a separate Board. 
 J. C. Scarborough submitted a minority report. 
 These two reports were referred to the Committee on 
 Sunday Schools and Colportage. The report, of this 
 committee, which was adopted, provides for the ap- 
 pointment of a committee of fifteen from the Board 
 of Missions and Sunday Schools, to whom shall be 
 entrusted the Sunday School work, and also the Sup- 
 ply Store. This committee is to elect a Sunday School 
 Secretary. The work of the Sunday Secretary, under 
 the direction of a committee is to be (1) to gather 
 statistics concerning the Sunday School work in the 
 State. (2) To establish new Sunday Schools wherever 
 practicable and to increase the efficiency of existing 
 ones. (3) To hold Sunday School institutes, and 
 introduce the best literature. (4) To report to the 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 127 
 
 Board of Missions and Sunday Schools and through 
 them to the Convention. 
 
 J. W. Carter, chairman of Committee on Baptist 
 Female University, reports that the contract for the 
 first building was let, and the walls are going up. 
 
 J. B. Boone was elected General Manager of the 
 Orphanage at the last meeting of the Orphanage As- 
 sociation, and Archibald Johnson was elected editor 
 of Charity and Children. The report states that 
 there are 126 children at the Orphanage. 
 
 MOJKGANTON, NOVEMBER 11-15, 1896. 
 
 B. W. Spilman was elected Sunday School Mis- 
 sionary by the Sunday School Committee which was 
 appointed at the last Convention. Mr. Spilman car- 
 ried our Sunday School work through its darkest and 
 most trying days. He met discouragements on every 
 band, but bravely overcame them. The work was 
 new, the brethren were skeptical about it, and the 
 support it received was very meagre ; but despite all 
 this, Mr. Spilman held on until he saw the Sunday 
 School department on a firm footing. He made great 
 sacrifices for the Sunday School Cause in North 
 Carolina, but he has become an expert, whose ability 
 is recognized throughout the country, North and 
 South. 
 
 Ten years ago the Woman's Central Committee re- 
 sumed work after a lapse of several years. At that 
 time they reported ten societies ; at this Convention 
 (1896) they reported 250 societies, and they have 
 
128 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 raised, during these ten years, $31,499.05. A Band 
 department has been organized with Miss Elizabeth 
 Briggs, of Raleigh, as Superintendent. 
 Resolution by Dr. Hufham : 
 
 "Resolved, That we undertake to raise $10,000 for 
 Foreign Missions during the present year. 
 
 The State Mission Board is in debt $2,350. Sev- 
 eral reasons for this: 1. Dr. Durham's sickness and 
 death came in the midst of the Associations last year, 
 hence State Missions was represented at only twelve 
 of the forty-four Associations. 2. There was great 
 political excitement. 3. The Convention meets a 
 month earlier this year. The Convention resolved to 
 undertake to raise this money within the next thirty 
 days. 
 
 Dr. Pritchard, one of the most useful and beloved 
 pastors of the State, has died since last Convention. 
 
 Oxford, December 9-13, 1897. 
 
 The Board of Missions and Sunday Schools makes 
 an excellent report. For the first time in its history 
 the Convention reached $15,000 for State Missions, 
 Last year's debt of $2,350 has been paid, and the 
 Board reports this year a debt of only $350. 
 
 On December 5th of last year, Brother Spilman, 
 becoming convinced that the Book Store, on which 
 the Sunday School department had depended for a 
 support, could not be made to sustain the work, gave 
 up the Book Store and took the field as General 
 Missionary, to arouse an interest in Sunday Schools. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 129 
 
 Since the first of March he has been doing his work 
 practically without salary. 
 
 Woman's Central Committee reports larger in- 
 crease in contributions and a greater number of 
 societies organized than ever before. For the first 
 time a committee was appointed to report on woman's 
 work. 
 
 "Resolved, That we will try to raise for Home 
 Missions $4,000 by April 30th, in accordance with 
 the terms of appropriation made to our work, and 
 that we raise $9,000 for Foreign Missions." 
 
 B. W. Spilman offered resolutions looking to the 
 preservation of the history of our Convention. The 
 resolutions suggest that the Statistical Secretary keep 
 a file of all our denominational papers, school cata- 
 logues, associational and conventional minutes, the 
 monthly and weekly publications to be bound an- 
 nually and the annuals every decade. The resolution 
 further suggests that a fire-proof vault be built as 
 soon as possible for the safe keeping of this collec- 
 tion. 
 
 Committee on Female University report that the 
 roof is now on the building and scaffolding is being 
 taken down. It will take $20,000 to get the building 
 in condition to open next fall. A collection in cash 
 and pledges was taken for the Uuniversity, amount- 
 ing to $4,714. 
 
 At the conclusion of the discussion of the report 
 on Orphanage, a collection in cash and pledges was 
 taken, amounting to $1,260. This collection was for 
 
 9 
 
130 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 the purpose of building a house for the General Mana- 
 ger. The collection was taken on Sunday evening. 
 Dr. Hufham says this is the first time the Baptists 
 in this State have ever built a house on Sunday. 
 
 Greenville, December 8-12, 1898. 
 
 It was here that the Convention was organized in 
 1830 — sixty-eight years ago. "The little one has 
 become a thousand. 77 This was an epoch-making 
 session of the Convention, too, for it was at Green- 
 ville in 1898 that the State and Western Conven- 
 tions were untied. An address of welcome was de- 
 livered by C. E. Taylor to the messengers from West- 
 ern North Carolina. Remarks were also made by 
 J. B. Boone, W. R. Gwaltney and T. E. Skinner. 
 The hand of welcome was extended, and "Blest Be 
 the Tie," was sung. 
 
 G. W. Greene, from China, is at this Convention. 
 He spoke on Eoreign Missions. 
 
 Enlargement of State Missions work. "Your com- 
 mittee recommend that the recommendations of the 
 Secretary of the Convention, as to the enlargement of 
 the work, be adopted, and that the State Mission 
 Board be instructed, as suggested, to operate on a 
 basis of $20,000 the ensuing year." The Board of 
 Missions and Sunday Schools was instructed to select 
 and secure a general missionary, or missionaries, for 
 the mountain section of the State, who shall work 
 under the direction of the Board. It may be said 
 here that the Board secured the services of A. E. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 131 
 
 Brown. Mr. Brown's work was chiefly that of found- 
 ing and fostering educational institutions in the 
 West. To A. E. Brown is due largely the educa- 
 tional awakening in Western North Carolina. 
 
 J. W. Bailey was instructed to send a telegram of 
 congratulation to H. A. Brown, of Winston, who, 
 to-morrow, completes the twenty-first year of his min- 
 istry with the First Church in that city. 
 
 Asheville, December 6-10, 1899. 
 E. Y. Mullins made an address on the Seminary. 
 A collection in cash and pledges was taken for the 
 students' aid fund at the Seminary, amounting to 
 $848. 
 
 Report on woman's work : "In round numbers the 
 Woman's Missionary Societies have grown in four- 
 teen years, from 14 to 400; have given during these 
 fourteen years nearly $52,000 to State, Home and 
 Foreign Missions." 
 
 The State Mission Board makes a great report. 
 All the old debt has been wiped out (about $1,500 
 in all) and the Board is due its missionaries on this 
 year's work only $400. There were more mission- 
 aries employed by the Board last year than ever 
 before. The Treasurer's report shows total contribu- 
 tions to be $8,000 more than last year. 
 
 Baptist Female University, with J. C. Blasingame, 
 President, opened its doors September 27th, 1899. 
 There was an enrollment of 180, of which number 120 
 were boarders. R. T. Yann presented the following, 
 which was adopted: 
 
132 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 "Resolved, That the Baptist State Convention ex- 
 press its high appreciation of the faithful and effi- 
 cient and self-denying service rendered by Miss 
 Fannie E. S. Heck in securing funds for the Baptist 
 Female University, and that we cordially commend 
 her to the sympathy and co-operation of all our peo- 
 ple." 
 
 Raleigh, December 5-9, 1900. 
 
 John E. White, having accepted a call to become 
 pastor of the Second Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga., 
 it became necessary to- elect his successor. A com- 
 mittee of one from each Association was appointed to 
 nominate a Corresponding Secretary. The commit- 
 tee nominated Livingston Johnson, pastor of the 
 First Church, Greensboro, who was elected by the 
 Convention. 
 
 J. D. Boushall declined re-election as Treasurer, 
 and Walters Durham was elected to that office. 
 Baxter Durham had for some time been, manager of 
 the Book Store. These are both sons of the beloved 
 and lamented C. Durham. 
 
 The Convention was addressed by John E. White, 
 reviewing and forecasting the State Mission work. 
 Mr. White did much for North Carolina during his 
 five years of service as Secretary of the Convention. 
 He gave our State a standing and prominence among 
 the sisterhood of States in the Southern Baptist Con- 
 vention, that she had never enjoyed before. He 
 possessed ability as an organizer in an unusual degree 
 and left as a heritage to his successor a superb organi- 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 133 
 
 zation. J. D. Hufham introduced the following reso- 
 lutions, which were adopted by a unanimous rising 
 vote : 
 
 "Whereas, Our beloved brother, John E. White, 
 is with us for the last time as our Corresponding 
 Secretary, and goes soon to make his home in another 
 State; therefore, 
 
 "Resolved, That we will ever hold in grateful re- 
 membrance the wisdom, courage and unselfishness 
 with which he has labored among us for five years. 
 
 "Resolved, That our hearts' desire and prayer to 
 God for him is, that grace, mercy and peace may con- 
 tinue to rest upon him honceforth and forever." 
 
 J. W. Bailey, for the donors, presented a silver ser- 
 vice to John E. White, the retiring Corresponding 
 Secretary. 
 
 The report of the Woman's Central Committee 
 shows progress, as usual. The volunteer teachers' 
 movement has been inaugurated. Last year there 
 were sixteen teachers in the West who taught from 
 six weeks to two months "without money and with- 
 out price," receiving only their expenses. They re- 
 port a total enrollment of 772 pupils. Eourteen years 
 ago the Woman's Central Committee reported for all 
 objects $1,000.95. This year (1900) their report 
 shows $9,710.84 for all objects. 
 
 The Female University has entered upon its second 
 year. R. T. Vann was elected President and as- 
 sumed his duties at the beginning of the present 
 session. There is a $40,000 debt on the University, 
 
134 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 owing to the fact that the Trustees were forced to 
 buy other buildings in order to accommodate those 
 who desired to attend. 
 
 The following by J. D. Hufham was adopted: 
 "Resolved, That the Convention recommend the or- 
 ganization of a corporation to own and operate the 
 Biblical Recorder, and the North Carolina Baptist, 
 if desired, and appoint a committee of five to effect 
 the same by the first of February, 1901, or earlier 
 if possible." The stock company was formed, the 
 Recorder was purchased, and J. W. Bailey was 
 elected editor. 
 
 Mr. Bailey is conceded to be one of the brightest 
 editors in the South. He is an independent thinker 
 and vigorous writer, and under his editorial manage- 
 ment the Recorder has taken its place in the very 
 front rank among Southern Baptist periodicals. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 135 
 
 CHAPTEK VIII. 
 1901—1907. 
 
 Winston-Salem, December 4-8, 1901. 
 
 The Mission Board began the year in debt. The 
 work was laid out on a basis of $25,000, which was 
 $5,000 advance over the preceding year. There was 
 an indebtedness of $4,611.16. This added to the 
 $25,000 appropriated, made, in round numbers, $30,- 
 000 to be raised for State Missions. The Treasurer's 
 report shows that $23,637.90 was raised and $2,000 
 borrowed from the bank. The missionaries were all 
 paid in full, but it was necessary to carry over the 
 $4,000 debt into the next year. 
 
 At the Convention held in Ealeigh in 1900 a move- 
 ment was put on foot to raise $100,000 as a "Cen- 
 tury Fund," the money to go to the endowment and 
 equipment of our Baptist schools. The Convention 
 desired, by the raising of this fund, to mark the close 
 of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth 
 century. O. L. Stringfield was elected Financial 
 Agent. Financially the movement was practically a 
 failure. The committee attributes lack of interest on 
 the part of the denomination to short crops and to 
 fear that we would fail in our efforts to raise amount 
 for State Missions. All will now agree, perhaps, that 
 the churches could not be enlisted because there was 
 nothing definite in the undertaking. One hundred 
 
136 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 thousand dollars was to be raised, of which "one-half 
 shall be given to our Baptist Female University in 
 Kaleigh, three-tenths to Wake Forest College, one- 
 tenth to the Chowan Female Institute, and the re- 
 mainder to be divided among the other institutions 
 in North Carolina, which are owned and controlled 
 in trust for the Baptists of North Carolina by Boards 
 of Trustees." That was too much of a sheet lightning 
 affair to appeal to North Carolina Baptists. We shall 
 see that the needs of all of these institutions were met, 
 when each appealed directly to the denomination for 
 aid. 
 
 The great event of the Convention was the raising 
 of $42,647.00 in pledges to pay a debt that rested on 
 the Baptist Female University. 
 
 Judge W. T. Faircloth, Chief Justice of North 
 Carolina, has died since last Convention. While liv- 
 ing, Judge Faircloth gave largely of his means to the 
 Lord's cause, and left in his will valuable property 
 to the Orphanage and the Baptist Female University. 
 With the money realized from its part of the bequest, 
 the University erected the magnificent building which 
 bears the appropriate name of "Faircloth Hall." 
 
 O. L. Stringfleld resigns as Financial Agent of the 
 Baptist Female University. To no other man are we 
 so much indebted for the school, which is now the 
 pride of our denomination. His strong faith sus- 
 tained him in the face of greatest discouragement 
 All over the State he went pleading that we give our 
 Baptist girls educational facilities equal to those 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 137 
 
 which we had provided for our boys. Not only did 
 he succeed in raising a large part of the money with 
 which the main building was erected, but while doing 
 that he awakened an interest in the education of 
 women, as a result of which more students were 
 present at the opening of the school than could be 
 accommodated in the first building. The main build- 
 ing in the University for Women will stand as a 
 monument to 0. L. Stringfleld. 
 
 Durham, December 9-14, 1902. 
 
 Subscriptions amounting to four hundred dollars 
 were taken, for the purpose of erecting a moment at 
 the grave of Columbus Durham, and a committee, 
 consisting of J. W. Bailey, J. C. Caddell and Noah 
 Biggs, were appointed to complete the arrangements 
 for the erection of the proposed monument. 
 
 At this session of the Convention, interest centers 
 on Foreign Missions. W. C. Newton, pastor of the 
 First Church, Greensboro, since last Convention, re- 
 signed as pastor, applied to the Foreign Mission Board 
 for appointment as missionary to China, and was 
 accepted. He expects to sail for his field of labor 
 in a. few weeks. Very touchingly he told of his call 
 to the foreign field. The great congregation was 
 mightily moved. The Convention was led in prayer 
 by A. C. Barron, in behalf of Brother Newton and 
 his wife. 
 
 It was stated on the floor of the Convention that in 
 some of our denominational schools the public schools 
 
138 
 
 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 were being taught, and public money received for 
 same. The following was introduced by J. W. Bailey 
 and passed unanimously: 
 
 "Resolved, That we reaffirm ourselves unalterably 
 opposed to the policy of denominational schools re- 
 ceiving aid from the State." 
 
 A committee, which had been appointed to report 
 on Baptist History, recommended that a committee 
 of three be appointed to employ a competent person 
 to collect material for a history of the North Carolina 
 Baptists, and that said committee be instructed to 
 collect funds to pay the historian a salary not to 
 exceed five hundred dollars. 
 
 Archibald Johnson offered the following resolution, 
 which was adopted : 
 
 "Resolved, That this Convention is in favor of the 
 establishment, by the Legislature, of a reformatory 
 for young criminals." 
 
 By request of an informal conference, a commitee 
 was appointed to arrange for a mid-summer meeting 
 of the Baptists of North Carolina. This committee 
 selected Jackson Springs, in Moore County, as the 
 place for the mid-summer meeting. For several years 
 a meeting was held in a. large tabernacle built for 
 the purpose, by the proprietors of the Jackson Springs 
 Hotel. Social pleasure and spiritual development 
 were combined, and these gatherings were very en- 
 joyable and uplifting. 
 
 W. ~N. Jones, chairman of the Educational Com- 
 mittee, reports that of the $42,000 pledged at the last 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 139 
 
 Convention, $31,517.50 has been raised. The debt on 
 the University has been reduced to $21,500. 
 
 Resolutions of sympathy are expressed to our 
 brethren of Great Britain, and the non-conformists 
 in general, in their proposed policy of resistance to 
 the English Education Bill. 
 
 Charlotte, December 9-13, 1903. 
 
 B. D. Gray attends for the first time, as Cor- 
 responding Secretary of the Home Mission Board. 
 
 The Convention was held in Charlotte in 1894 — 
 just nine years ago. A comparison of figures for this 
 year with those of 1894, shows that the total con- 
 tributions have grown, during these nine years, from 
 $38,420.12 to $82,568.38, an advance of more than 
 a hundred per cent in nine years. 
 
 T. Neil Johnson resigned in April as Sunday 
 School Secretary, to accept a position as teacher in 
 the Baptist University for Women. The Convention 
 instructed the Board, through its Sunday School Com- 
 mittee, to secure the services of a suitable man for 
 the Sunday School work, and put him in the field as 
 soon as possible. At its meeting, which was held in 
 Raleigh a few clays after the Convention, Hight C. 
 Moore, pastor of the Church at Chapel Hill, was 
 elected Sunday School Secretary. 
 
 Upon suggestion of J. D. Hufham, a free-will 
 offering of $32 was made for the purpose of placing 
 in Memorial Hall at Wake Eorest College, a portrait 
 of Martin Ross, "founder of this Convention, and 
 one of the first citizens of North Carolina." 
 
140 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 The following resolution, presented by J. W. 
 Bailey, was unanimously adopted: 
 
 "Resolved, That the Baptist State Convention of 
 rTorth Carolina approves the suggestion made by 
 the General Association of Virginia to the Southern 
 Baptist Convention, that a commission be appointed 
 to consider the obligation of the Southern Baptists to 
 the negroes, and, if it seems to them well, to recom- 
 mend to us ways and means of discharging that ob- 
 ligation." 
 
 "On motion of Livingston Johnson, the President 
 was requested to appoint a committee to present a re- 
 port on the Sunday School Board of the Southern 
 Baptist Convention." This is the first time that the 
 work of the Sunday School Board is presented to the 
 Convention by a formal report. 
 
 The amount to be raised for State Missions next 
 year was fixed at $30,000. 
 
 On motion of A. E. Brown, pledges were taken to 
 make up the balance due on the indebtedness of Bap- 
 tist Female University; $3,565 was raised, an 
 amount sufficient to cover the indebtedness. 
 
 Elizabeth City, December 7-11, 1904. 
 The Committee on Enrollment reported a hundred 
 and forty-eight delegates present when the Conven- 
 tion assembled. A few delegates came in after the 
 first day, but the total number enrolled was the 
 smallest in years. This is to be accounted for from 
 the fact that Elizabeth City, the place of meeting, is 
 in the extreme eastern section of the State. 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 141 
 
 R. H. Marsh, for the fourteenth successive year, 
 was elected President of the Convention. At this 
 session he announced that he would not accept the 
 nomination for re-election, after this year. Dr. 
 Marsh's term of service comes next in length to that 
 of James McDaniel, one of the founders of the Con- 
 vention. Dr. Marsh is a master of parliamentary 
 practice, and presided with ease and dignity. During 
 his administration the Convention often got itself 
 into parliamentary tangles, but he led it safely 
 through them all. He was cool-headed, just in his 
 rulings and uniformly courteous. A dignified gentle- 
 man, an accomplished parliamentarian, he graced the 
 position which he held so long. 
 
 In the report of the Mission Board this paragraph 
 is found : "We believe, that in the matter of disburs- 
 ing funds, appointing workers and in the manage- 
 ment of mission matters in this State, by all Boards, 
 the influence of the State Mission Board should be 
 paramount.' 7 
 
 At this Convention there is a great call for men. 
 On the mission fields, at home and abroad, there is 
 need for more ministers. On Friday morning the 
 devotional hour was given to prayer for the call of 
 ministers from the ranks of our Sunday Schools and 
 churches. 
 
 The Convention heartily commended the great 
 work being done by the Woman's Missionary Socie- 
 ties, and urged the pastors and churches to give to 
 
142 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 these good women their sympathy and encourage- 
 ment. 
 
 W. E. Entzminger, missionary to Brazil, is at this 
 Convention and speaks about the work in Brazil. 
 
 J. C. Massee introduced the following resolution: 
 
 "Besolved, That this Convention instruct its Board 
 of Missions and Sunday Schools to appoint an 
 evangelistic committee of seven, to receive its neces- 
 sary expenses from the Treasurer of the Convention, 
 not more than $250." 
 
 Two years later, largely as a result of the above 
 resolution, two evangelists were employed by the 
 Board. 
 
 T. J. Taylor, chairman of the Historical Commit- 
 tee, submitted the following report: 
 
 "Your committee found our people willing to 
 furnish funds to have the history of North Carolina 
 Baptists written, but not being able to have the work 
 done, we beg to be discharged." 
 
 A telegram of sympathy is sent to C. A. G. Thomas, 
 former pastor of the Eirst Church, Elizabeth City, 
 and builder of the present house of worship, whose 
 illness prevented his attendance at this session. 
 
 On motion of C. W. Scarborough, a committee was 
 appointed to confer with the Trustees of the Orphan- 
 age with a view to establishing, if possible, some 
 organic connection between the Orphanage and the 
 I Convention. It will be remembered that there was 
 strong opposition to establishing a Baptist Orphan- 
 age, when the resolution, providing for its establish- 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 143 
 
 ment, was introduced. The friends of the measure 
 withdrew the resolution, and the Baptist Orphanage 
 Association was organized. There was, of course, no 
 organic connection between the Convention and the 
 Orphanage. The Orphanage was built and the 
 churches have gladly supported it ; indeed it is now 
 the pet of the denomination. Since the adoption of 
 the resolution introduced by Mr. Scarborough, the 
 Orphanage presents reports of its work to the Con- 
 vention just as do Wake Forest College and the Bap- 
 tist University for Women. 
 
 Raleigh, December 6-10, 1905. 
 
 While the last Convention was the smallest held 
 for several years, the enrollment at Raleigh in 1905, 
 was the largest in the history of the Convention. 
 
 W. ~N. Jones was elected President. 
 
 The Board recommended that the money appro- 
 priated by the Home Board to the Mountain Schools 
 be so designated, and that it be not counted as State 
 Mission funds. "This will make the contributions to 
 State Missions appear less, but it will correctly repre- 
 sent the amount we contribute to that object.'' 
 
 The Convention adjourned, at 12 o'clock on Thurs- 
 day, to attend in the afternoon, at Wake Forest Col- 
 lege, the exercises in connection with the inaugura- 
 tion of W. L. Poteat, as President of the College. 
 
 The discussion of State Missions was unusually in- 
 teresting. Missionaries from different sections gave 
 briefs accounts of their work, and the Convention 
 
144 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 was stirred as they listened to these stories of trials 
 and triumphs. 
 
 In the summer of 1905, J. B. Boone resigned as 
 General Manager of the Orphanage, and M. L. Kes- 
 ler was elected to succeed him. When Mr. Boone as- 
 sumed charge there were 126 children in the Orphan- 
 age. When he left there were more than 300. Mr. 
 Boone's was a very wise and aggressive administra- 
 tion. He will go down in history as the "Building 
 Manager" of the Orphanage. Several excellent and 
 much-needed buildings were erected, and some of the 
 old ones greatly improved, under his management. 
 
 The following important resolution was offered by 
 J. W. Bailey and unanimously adopted: 
 
 "Resolved, That this Convention propose to the 
 churches that they undertake right away $150,000 
 for the endowment fund of Wake Forest, and to this 
 end that the Trustees of the College be authorized to 
 devise ways and means." 
 
 A resolution was introduced by B. W. Spilman, 
 providing for the appointment of a committee of five 
 to take into consideration the advisability of securing 
 one or more assembly grounds. The resolution was 
 adopted, and a committee appointed, consisting of J. 
 H. Tucker, B. W. Spilman, Hight C. Moore, ST. B. 
 Broughton, and H. W. Battle. 
 
 The Woman's Auxiliary Union, which for years 
 held its annual meetings at the same time and place 
 at which the Convention held its sessions, decided 
 to hold their next meeting with the First Church in 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 145 
 
 Durham, and selected April instead of December, as 
 the time of meeting. This change was made because 
 the large number of delegates which attended both 
 meetings, made the entertainment of the two meet- 
 ings quite a burden to any community. Miss Fannie 
 E. S. Heck, who, practically since the beginning of 
 the woman's work in the State, has been President 
 of the Union, was, in May, 1906, elected President 
 of the Woman's Missionary Union Auxiliary to the 
 Southern Baptist Convention. This so increased her 
 burdens, that it was found necessary to create the 
 office of Corresponding Secretary of the Woman's 
 Missionary Union of North Carolina. Mrs. Hight 
 C. Moore was elected to this position and is filling 
 the place most acceptably. Miss Heck is still Presi- 
 dent of the Union in this State, and her interest in 
 the State work has not abated one whit. Too high 
 an estimate can not be put upon the work of Miss 
 Heck as President, and Mrs. W. N. Jones, as Secre- 
 tary and Treasurer of the Woman's Auxiliary Union. 
 Through all these years they have wrought together, 
 and the remarkable success of the societies in the 
 State is largely attributable to their unselfish labors. 
 "The Young Woman's Auxiliary Department" was 
 organized, with Miss Mary K. Applewhite, Dean of 
 the Normal Department in the Baptist University for 
 Women, as Secretary. 
 
 Braxton Craig, Rocky Mount, was elected evan- 
 gelist for the East, and W. R. Bradshaw, of Reids- 
 ville, evangelist for the West. 
 10 
 
146 HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 Greensboro, December 5-9, 1906. 
 
 The Committee on "Assembly Grounds" report 
 that they had secured an option on 940 acres of land 
 at the Swannanoa Tunnel, on the crest of the Blue 
 Bidge Mountains. This property was afterward pur- 
 chased, and a charter obtained from the Legislature, 
 which convened in 1907. Lots are being sold to Bap- 
 tists throughout the South and as rapidly as possible 
 the grounds will be developed. 
 
 There were two mountain peaks in this Conven- 
 tion: one was the discussion of State Missions and 
 the other the endowment movement for Wake Forest 
 College. 
 
 The report on State Missions came up at 11 o'clock 
 on Friday. One of the most notable speeches ever 
 delivered on the floor of the Convention, was made 
 by J. W. Bailey, on "The Strategic Hour in North 
 Carolina Baptist Progress." Last year the Board 
 operated on a basis of $30,000. They recommended 
 in their report to the present Convention that the 
 figures be fixed at $40,000. In speaking of our great 
 opportunity, Mr. Bailey said, "The Board has recom- 
 mended that we raise $40,000 next year. We could 
 use $50,000 to great advantage." Cries of "Make it 
 fifty! Make it fifty!" were heard from every part of 
 the building. It was a remarkable hour in the Con- 
 vention's history. Mr. Bailey's speech was put in 
 tract form and did much to arouse the Baptists of the 
 State to the importance of sustaining the work of 
 State Missions in this "strategic hour." 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 147 
 
 Friday evening the endowment of Wake Forest 
 College was made the special order. The General 
 Education Board had proposed to give $37,500 on 
 condition that the Baptists of the State raise $112,- 
 500, making a total of $150,000. A subscription was 
 taken in pledges amounting to $32,000. There was 
 great enthusiasm during the discussion and raising 
 of these pledges. To J. B. Carlyle, Professor of 
 Latin in Wake Forest College, was entrusted the 
 work of securing the $112,500 to be contributed by 
 the Baptists of the State. He entered upon his duties 
 as Financial Agent in the spring and was inde- 
 fatigable in his labors until the meeting of the Con- 
 vention in 1907. Prof. Carlyle not only succeeded 
 in securing in notes the full amount he set out to 
 raise, but his canvass did much to strengthen the tie 
 between the college and the denomination. 
 
 The Convention has not held a greater meeting in 
 recent years than the one which closed its session in 
 Greensboro, December 9, 1906. 
 
 Wilmington, December 4-7, 1907. 
 
 W. ~N. Jones declined re-election as President, and 
 J. B. Carlyle was elected. Mr. Jones is a man whom 
 the Baptists delight to honor. He is a modest Chris- 
 tian gentleman, and did not want the position of 
 honor which his brethren forced upon him. For two 
 years he presided with grace and dignity, and it was 
 only out of deference to his wishes that the Conven- 
 tion allowed him to retire from the President's chair. 
 
148 HISTOEY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 J. W. Bailey sold his interest in the Biblical Re- 
 corder to C. W. Blanchard, who became editor May 
 the first, 1907. Just before the Convention the Re- 
 corder Company bought the North Carolina Baptist, 
 which had been owned and edited for several years 
 by John A. Oates, of Fayetteville. 
 
 In order that there might be a more vital relation 
 between the Convention and the Recorder, the Direc- 
 tors of the Recorder Company submitted a proposi- 
 tion to the Convention, asking the Convention to "ap- 
 point a committee of seven, who shall be non-stock- 
 holders, who, with the Directors, shall constitute a 
 committee, which committee shall elect the editor of 
 the paper. " This proposition was accepted, and the 
 following brethren were apointed as the Convention's 
 committee : W. C. Dowd, F. P. Hobgood, J. C. Mas- 
 see, J. T. Alderman, Wm. Lunsford, C. A. Jenkens 
 and C. J. Thompson. The committee met in Raleigh 
 after the Convention and elected Rev. Hight C. 
 Moore editor of the Biblical Recorder. 
 
 Mr. Blanchard left a pleasant pastorate to become 
 editor of the Recorder. It will be remembered that 
 on two occasions the Convention, by resolution, ex- 
 pressed its wish that there might be a unification of 
 the Baptist papers in the State. The suggestion of 
 the Convention was carried into effect while Mr. 
 Blanchard was editor of the Recorder. A very 
 amicable and satisfactory arrangement was made 
 with Mr. John A. Oates, editor and proprietor of 
 the North Carolina Baptist, whereby the Recorder 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 149 
 
 Company, by purchase, became the owner of the 
 North Carolina Baptist. Mr. Blanch ard made many 
 friends while editor of the Recorder, who will wish 
 for him the highest measure of success as he re- 
 enters the pastorate. During his management of the 
 paper it was safe, sane and sound. 
 
 Mr. Moore comes to the editorial chair well fitted 
 for his work. He is a man of gentle spirit, ripe 
 scholarship, broad culture and editorial instinct. He 
 is the author of several books of merit, and has been 
 a valuable contributor to both the secular and reli- 
 gious press. For years he has been a close and critical 
 student of the Bible, and will keep the paper true to 
 its name — the Biblical Recorder. 
 
 W. R. Gwaltney, one of the oldest and most useful 
 members of the Convention, was prevented from at- 
 tending this session on account of sickness. He sent 
 the following telegram: "Too sick to be with you. 
 Numbers 13 :30, 'Let us go up at once and possess it ;, 
 for we are well able to overcome it.' " 
 
 This is the dying message of a brave soldier, who 
 had fallen on the field of battle, to those in the front 
 ranks. A few days after the Convention adjourned, 
 Dr. Gwaltney was called to his reward. He well de- 
 served the title of "Church Builder/' which was 
 given him by his brethren. At many important 
 points he laid the foundations deep and strong. He 
 was a trustee of Wake Forest College and of the Or- 
 phanage, and was deeply interested in every denomi- 
 national enterprise. 
 ii 
 
150 
 
 HISTOKY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 The following resolution was offered by R. E. 
 Neighbor, and adopted: 
 
 "Resolved, That the Convention by rising vote ex- 
 tend to J. W. Bailey and John A. Oates their deepest 
 appreciation of the service rendered by them to our 
 Lord Jesus and to our Baptist brotherhood. 
 
 "These men for years toiled as editors of the Re- 
 corder and N. C. Baptist respectively. They worked 
 in harmony as editors, and in their retiring from ac- 
 tive editorial life we desire to express our apprecia- 
 tion of their service." 
 
 Subscriptions were taken amounting to $10,200 to 
 complete the $150,000 additional endowment for 
 Wake Forest College. 
 
 The following resolution, offered by Hight C. 
 Moore, was unanimously adopted by rising vote: 
 
 "Whereas, This session marks the twenty-fifth an- 
 niversary of the unbroken service of Bro. N. B. 
 Broughton as Recording Secretary of the Convention ; 
 therefore, be it 
 
 "Resolved, That we hereby express our grateful 
 appreciation of his faithful and efficient services dur- 
 ing this most prosperous quarter century in the his- 
 tory of North Carolina Baptists." 
 
 Mr. Broughton has always been deeply interested 
 in the Sunday School work. Time and again he has 
 urged its importance at the meetings of the Conven- 
 tion. For years he has been Chairman of the Sun- 
 day School Committee of the State Mission Board. 
 He has been Superintendent of the Tabernacle Sun- 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 151 
 
 day, School, in Raleigh, for thirty-two years. Under 
 his leadership it has grown, from a little mission 
 school, to be the largest in the State. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 This is a brief and imperfect review of the work 
 done by the Baptists of the State since the organiza- 
 tion of the Convention in 1830. It is simply a com- 
 pilation of the history as they made it and as it was 
 recorded annually by the Secretary. Of course all 
 they did could not be noted in a work so brief as this ; 
 but the most important matters have been gathered. 
 
 Just a glance backward may give us some faint 
 idea of what the Baptists, by organized effort, have 
 accomplished in the State during these seventy-seven 
 years. 
 
 When the Convention was organized in 1830, 
 there were 15,000 Baptists, white and colored, in the 
 State; now there are more than 350,000. Then we 
 had no school, no orphanage, no denominational 
 paper ; now we have all these and all are flourishing. 
 The first year the Convention met, it reported for 
 education and State Missions, the two objects to 
 which it contributed, $700. This year (1907) total 
 contributions to the benevolent objects reached $128,- 
 719.45. 
 
 It was the organization of the State Convention, 
 and the exceedingly wise plans laid by its founders, 
 that secured this marvelous growth. 
 
 In reading this history some may have gotten the 
 
152 HISTOEY OF THE NOKTH CAROLINA 
 
 impression that there was never any manifestation of 
 spiritual power in the Convention; that it was only 
 concerned with material things such as money and 
 method. If any one has reached any such conclusion, 
 he is very much mistaken. All along through the 
 years, there have been seasons of great spiritual re- 
 freshing during the sessions of the Convention. A 
 half hour is set apart every morning for devotional 
 exercises. This time is given to song and prayer and 
 an interchange of experiences. During these delight- 
 ful services the hearts of those present are frequently 
 stirred to their profoundest depths. The speeches on 
 the different objects are often characterized by great 
 spiritual fervor. Frequently during the deliberations 
 some brother will suggest that the Convention be led 
 in special prayer for some object. When such re- 
 quest is made the Convention suspends whatever mat- 
 ter of business it is considering, and gathers about 
 the Father's throne. The Secretary keeps an accu- 
 rate record of the business done. He records the mo- 
 tions, the resolutions and the reports. His record 
 reveals but the wheels of the machinery ; but behind 
 this, the spiritual fervor is a mighty reserve force 
 which falls upon the wheels and imparts to them life 
 and power. 
 
 Those who judge of the Convention by reading the 
 records of its proceedings, see only the wheels, but 
 those who attend the sessions know that often great 
 waves of spiritual fervor have swept over and moved 
 the great gathering. Those who have been present 
 
BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION. 
 
 153 
 
 on such occasions can say with Ezekiel, "The Spirit 
 of the Living Creature was in the wheels." The ma- 
 chinery is necessary, money and methods are im- 
 portant in their places ; but may the day never come 
 when the Baptists of North Carolina will fail to put 
 the emphasis on the spiritual. We must never forget 
 that it is "not by might nor by power, but by my 
 Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." 
 
 With such a grand foundation laid at so great cost, 
 should we not count ourselves highly favored in hav- 
 ing the opportunity of adding our part to this glorious 
 structure ? 
 
I PROGRAM i 
 
 OF THE 
 
 8th Annual Convention 
 
 | OF THE 
 
 Wilson County Interdenominational 
 Sunday School Association 
 
 3> 
 
 | MARSH SWAMP FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH f 
 
 | One-fourth mile west of Rock Ridge Academy | 
 
 I Saturday and Sunday. Nov. 15 and 16, 1913. 
 
PROGRAM 
 
 Saturday Morning, November 15, 1913. 
 
 10:30 a. m. — Devotional Service, by Rev. M. Bradshaw. 
 
 10:50 Welcome Address, by Rev. C. O. Armstrong, Pastor 
 Marsh Swamp Church. 
 
 11:00 Response by President of County S. S. Association. 
 
 11:10 Address, "The Sunday School and its effect on Church 
 and Community, by Rev. T. W. Chambliss, Pastor Bap- 
 tist Church, Wilson, N. C. 
 
 1 1 :35 Address, "The Sunday School Pupil and the Teacher's 
 Task," by Mr. M. W. Brabham, of Raleigh, Sunday 
 School Field Secretary N. C. Methodist Conference. 
 
 12:10 p. m. — Enrollment of Delegates and appoint Committees 
 
 Saturday Afternoon 
 1:30 p. m. — Song Service. 
 
 1 :45 Address, "A Four Square Man," by Rev. Richard Bagby, 
 Pastor Christian Church, Wilson, N. C. 
 
 2:15 Address, "The Relation of the Story in Primary Depart- 
 ment," by Miss Daphne Caraway, of Wilson, Supt. 
 Primary Department, Wilson Presbyterian Church. 
 
 2:45 Round Table, "The S. S. Teacher," conducted by Rev. 
 J. Walter Long, of Greensboro, General Secretary N. 
 C. Sunday School Association. 
 
 3:15 Address, "The Sunday School, a Factor in Americas' 
 Mission," by Mr. T. C. Council of Raleigh, Pres. Simms 
 Baraca Class of Tabernacle Sunday School. 
 
 Saturday Night 
 
 7:30 p. m. — Devotional Service, by Rev. C. O. Armstrong. 
 7:50 Address, "When is Organization of a Sunday School 
 
 Complete," by Rev. J. Walter Long. 
 8:20 Address, by Hon. J. A. Brown of Chadbourne, Pres. of 
 
 North Carolina Sunday School Association. 
 8:55 Report of Officers and Committees. 
 
/ 
 
 Sunday Morning, Nov. 16. 
 
 10:00 a. m. — Devotional Service, by Rev. C. O. Armstrong. 
 
 10:30 Address, "The Sunday School an Educational Institu- 
 tion and its Relation to the Church and State," by 
 Prof. E. W. Sikes of Wake Forest College. 
 
 11:05. Address, "The Trained S. S. Worker a Necessity for 
 Christian Progress," by Mr. M. W. Brabham, of Raleigh 
 S. S. Field Secretary N. C. Methodist Conference. 
 
 11:40. Address, "The World's Seventh Sunday School Con- 
 vention recently held at Zurich Switzerland," by Rev. 
 J. Walter Long, of Greensboro, who was a delegate 
 at the Convention. 
 
 12:15. Adjourn for dinner. 
 
 Afternoon Session 
 1:45. p. m. — Song Service. 
 
 2:00. Address, "The Child," by Hon. J. A. Brown, of Chad- 
 bourne Pres. N. C. Sunday School Association. 
 
 2:35. Round Table, "S. S. Management," conducted by Mr. 
 M. W. Brabham, of Raleigh. 
 
 3:00. Address, "Organized Class Work and what it is ac- 
 complishing," by Rev. J. Walter Long, of Greensboro. 
 
 3:30. Address, by Prof. E. V/. Sikes of Wake Forest. 
 
 -SEE BACK PAGE 
 
NOTES 
 
 <ns*_?> 
 
 1. Every S. S. in the County should be represented in this 
 Convention and delegates are invited to take part in all dis- 
 cussions. Go for the opening session and remain for the 
 close. Should not miss any the good things to be said. 
 
 2. Every Pastor, Superintendent and Teacher in the County 
 should be present as many sessions as possible. 
 
 3. Every Pastor in the °o n obligation to the 
 
 cause. ______ 
 
 4. All money intended f >x 
 sent to Secretary or brow 
 
 should be 
 
 5. Bring pencil and pad — car ; ia s home with you. 
 
 6. Distinquished Spe o b ch Session. The 
 President of State Sunday School As°' \tion, General Sec- 
 retary State Association, the Sunda> io\ Field Secretary 
 of N. C. Methodist Conference ai ?rs of the faculty of 
 some of States best Colleges are on 1 rogram. 
 
 WILSON PRINTING CO., WILSON, N. C. 
 
£66 J6?.¥£, 53873