Newspapers / The Atlantic Messenger (New … / Dec. 1, 1902, edition 1 / Page 2
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'■ • ■ ' • V, ••♦’•! S-'J’ V -,' • « • « The Atlantic Messenger, EDITOR: HIGHT C. MOORE, New Bern, N. C A monthly Baptist newspaper start ed in May, 1899, as the organ of the Atlantic Association; twice enlarged and improved within a year; in Jan uary, 1902, its field was so extended as to embrace the “Baptist Destituti m” of about twenty counties in Eastern North Carolina, the territory lying mainly in the bounds of the Atlantic, Neuse, Wilmington, and Tar River Associations. Terms of Subscription: Single copies, each..25 cts. per year. 25 copies to one address. .$3 per year. 100 copies to one address.$10 per year Entered at New Bern, N. C., as sec- ond-clasg mail matter. OUR FIELD. The Priiici])iil Baptist deslitu- tion of Xortli ('arolina is found in the twenty connties lying- on and east of the ^Yilnling•ton and Wel- lon R. R., h(‘twe(‘n the (hqie Fear and Roanokc' viv'crs. d'his terri tory covers nearly 10,000 square miles, tints embracing one-tifth of the entire area of the State. d'he white ))o])tilation of these connties is 185,,‘17-1 (the colored being 1 (>5,000). ddiey are scat tered in fertile farming sections or groiqw'd in thriving towns and villages. Wilmington has 20,000; X(‘w Bern 10,000; Kinston and (loldshoro d,000 or 7,000 each. . Of the simdler towns nine go above 1,000; six over 7)00 ; and thirty- hve over 200. So in these twenty otmities-we have more ihan fifty towns ranging in po])nlation from 200 to 20,000. d his is a great farming and trnchimg region. Land ]n*oduces .per acre fifty to a hundred bushels of-corn, 1,000 jtonnds of tobacco, from -one-half to two bales of cot ton, 75 to 100 bushels, of ])oannts, , froni 100 to 220 bushel ci'ates of cabbage, &e. The lumber in terests are extensive and our for ests \viU bear cutting ovei- every 15 years. Thei-e ai-e numerous man- ufacturas such as oil, fertilizer, hosiery, fanning im]de?nents, iron fonndi’ies, brick, ship-building, &c., &c. The water products are considerable; thousands of our peo]')le gain, their su])port and their nione.v from rivers, sounds, and sea. The health record is fine notwithstanding many of our up country friends regard the East as a hos])ital if not a graveyard. Moreover, it is a ]>rincipal theater of our State’s distingrrished his tory stretching back to the discov ery of the Xew World. And, wdiat is better still. Eastern Carolina can attain in the future a yet more glorious record than that which adorns the ])ages of the jiast. third of the territory we have de scribed in the'East; yet they have 144 -churches and nearly 14,000 mend)ers. In those counties one- sixth of the white qiopulation is in our churches and there is one Baptist church to every seventeen square miles; while in ithe East we have less than one twenty-seventh of the white population and have but one church to every 100 square miles. There are about as many members in the 71 churches in Bobeson and Caldwell counties as in our entire twenty counties in the East. I 3. Take the Saptists of the kState as a whole including our ^area and numbering 175,000. Our I twenty counties cover one-fifth of ' the State; yet we have only one- ! twenty-fifth of the Baptists of the Stat(>. As already said, we have here 100 s(piare miles to every I church ; but in the State all togeth- jer ^VQ have a church to every 30 s(piare miles. One-seventh of the white po])ulation of Bortli Caro lina (roundly, 1200 thousand) is in the membership of our church- f's; but here we have not quite one- twenty-seventh. Or, taking the entire ])0])ulation into the count, every tenth person in Borth Caro lina is enrolled in our white Baji- iist churches; while in our area we have but one in fifty. In view of these comparative figures, who can fail to be impress ed with the Ba])tist destitution of Eastern Forth Carolina. we know of two churches recently formed. The Second Adventists are stronger, we are quite certain, in the East, than elsewhere in the State. Of the Universalists no doubt the same can be said, though we have not the figures at hand. The Salvation Army forces found a fertile, though temporary, soil in several of our towns a few years ago. The Presbyterians have about 50 churches and not far below 4,- 000 members. Ihe Lutherans have a church at Wilmington and jmssibly at other jwints in 1he East, wdiile there is a sprinkling of them here and there through the country. The Ewiian Catholics can claim several organizations at inqiortant })oints. The Methodist Protestants are at rvork but we think they have only a very fetv churches. The Quakers have certainly so many as two or three churclies; jterhaps more. Ihe Dunkards have at least one churf>h; possibly there are others. The Jew’s have a synagogue at Goldsboro; we think, also at Wil mington; one is contemplated for Few Bern; and there may be oth ers. O I HER DENOMINATIONS IN THE EAST. THE BAPTISTS HERE AND ELSE WHERE. In these tw’cnty eastern counties we have two whole Associations— the Atlantic and the Feuse; the main part of the Wilmington; the area of destitution in the Tar Eiv- er; and a fraction of the Chow’an. If w’e have estimated correctly, we have in this section roundly 100 churches and 7,000 members. A j’lretty good show’ing, yon say ? But let us make two or three compari sons : 1. Take two associations lying north of us and occup.ving the six north-eastern counties of our >State. Ihe Chowan has 56 church es and 8,580 membei’s; the West Chow’an has 40 churches and 9,- 724 members. These twu associa tions in aboTit a. half dozen coun ties have more churches and not far from three times as many mem bers as we have in the tw’enty coun ties of our area. 2. Take four county associa tions from representative sections of the State: Eobeson in the east, I nion in the centeiy ^Caldw’ell in the foot-hills, and Buncombe be yond the Blue Eidge. Those four counties equal in area but one- l\Iore than a score of religious sects are at work in Eastern Caro lina. At least four of them out number us. We should say about ten others are^ stronger here than elsewhere in the State. And more than a half-dozen others are w’ork- ing to secure a. foothold in this ter ritory. The M. E. Church, South, leads with, a meinlKu-slri]) ajiproacliing 20,000. The Free Will Ba])tists have about 12,000. Their theological seminary and the chief paper of the entire denomination is located at Ayden in Pitt county. Idle Disciples, (or Christians, sometimes called Campbellites) have 104 churches and 10,000 members. Their college is locat ed at Wilson; they have three nor mals ; and their paper is now’ pub lished at .LaGrange. The Primitive Baptists number certainly as many as 10,000, per- ha])s more. The organ of the de nomination is published at Wilson. Tlie Episcopalians w’ere first on the field and they still retain a strong hold in the older towns. I heir ju'esent main aggressive ’\york is educational; as at Beau fort and Chocowinity. Ihe M. E. Church (locally know’ll as the Forthern Method- sts) have their chief educational institution in the State at Mar- shallberg and their paper is now' iniblished at Parmele. The Holiness Church includes 30 organizations (mainly in the East) and their State Convention w’as held recently at LaGrange. The Sanctificationists of various cinds (including the Lynchites) aelong under this head. The Baptists (believing in free eommunion,formerly called Lmion Baptists, now' sometimes desig-nat- cd as Spurgeonites) have 16 asso ciations from this State to Texas. Their stronghold is in our area and their paper is published at Goldsboro. Tlie Christian Scientists have but four churches in the State. One of them and the oldest is at Asheville; but the other three and the more vigorous are in the East Few’ Bern, Kinston and Wil mington. I he Fnitarians are at w’ork and The Alornions liave ^‘compassed land and sea” in the East and not w’ithout success. The M.ennonites, we hear, talk of organizing a church in the near future. A ei'y ju'obably other sects are at w’ork in the territory we have de scribed. ^Vt any rate, the list of denominations w’orkin>: alongside of us runs U]3 to nearly tw'enty-five. .In this fermc'nt of conflicting creeds, no wonder that Baptist growth is slow’. THE OUTLOOK FOR THE BAP TISTS. ^ We are sorry to say the era of diseouragemeflt hastnotyet' passed aw’ay. In mucli of our territory, our Baptist w’ork is in its initial stage. And the beginnings are small; organization is effected w’hen the membership does not run u]) to the teens. These infant churclies start out on a career of abounding difficulties and they are W’ithout a native and stable minis- try to guide them on and up to their highest efficiency. They must seek to be content w'ith mea gre results: often a year without ism; often a meeting con- I truth. Moreover, the self-support ing churches in this territory are becoming aroused to the Baptist possibilities around them and their O'wn responsibility in the matter of supplying the destitute regions. For example, one church w’hich four years ago reported about eight dollars for State Missions will give this year between $300 and $400 to give the gospel to the people in the surrounding country. Again, our mission fields have -been and are being conveniently grou]ied ^ into pastorates and the lack of i a native ministry is being atoned for by the erection of parsonages and provision for the settlement ;if jiastors in our midst. The school w’ork under denominational aus]iices is just now’ particularly gratifying as exemplified in the thriving high schools at AAhnter- ville and Morehead City. And so w'hile in our territory there are spots of darkness, there are also points of light. In the main we are doing foundational w’ork; at certain places the struc ture has risen above ground; and in the coming days the building- will rise into symmetrical and magnificent proportions. the East shall be redeemed. God hasten the day! A GOOD MEETING AT FORT BARNWELL. THE NEED OF THE HOUR, We miglit ])resent and press as great needs in the East the estab- lislinient of first-class schools which w’ould give us an outlook upon and command of the future; or the organization of Sunday Schools in every one of our church es (many of which are now’ w’itli- out them) and at numerous mis sion points ; or tlie erection of hous es of W’orship for the struggling little cliurches w’hich are unable to build. (At this moment ten church Imildings are greatly need ed in the Feuse and Atlantic As sociations alone). Such demands upon us would seem to be monu mental and im})erative. But the inclusive duty and that authorized by Christ is Premliing the Gospel; we must push but error with sound doctrine and lead a peo]3le surfeit ed with creeds to the foot of the ducted by some of our ablest pas tors in (he State yet w’ithout a profession. And the isolation of these miniature Baptist centers is something sickening to the loyal Baptist heart; sister churches are far aw’ay, the denominational hand of help is seldom extended with sufficient pow’er to raise up the w’eak; the lonely, discouraged pas tor sometimes goes his W'ay, and the little church scatters, disbands and dies! And of those w'lio do maintain a stimggling existence, not one but stands in sore need of better training than can now be given it. Pastoral appointments are infrequent; too often pastor ates are brief, changeable, and ir regular; the tides of error are strong and adverse; the stimulus .to struggle is w’eak; and our cause suffers. F ay, the hour of the w'ail- ing jeremiade is not yet over. But the elements of promise are to 1)0 seen; in some places, even by the unseeing; everyw’here, by the eye of faith. The grow’th in numbers is slow’, but it is grow'th and it is steady. The qualify of the members w’on to our faith from the din of clamoring ci-eeds if often very gratifv- ing; and they only need to be taught the W’ay of'the Lord yet more perfectly by a constant aird competent ministry, and they w'ill prove valiant defenders of the cross. So our great need is men: men w’lio can evangelize, w’inning souls fronr darkness to light; men w’ho can indoctrinate, unfolding the great teachings of the Bible; men w'ho can develop w-eak and strug gling churches, bringing them to the highest efficiency and useful- , ness. I We need 7nore men. The At- , lantic Association, for example, I has'now’ only seven pastors and I one field missionary—one preach- I er to every three hundred , square miles of territory, one jl)reachcr to each 4,000 w’hite peo ple ! Yet we have 900 Baptist [ i)reachers in the State ! I We need strong men. The East ^ is not a field for mere practice nor ; a shelf for the set aside. Its prob- Tems are subtle, its difficulties ^ great, its disco-uragements many; I and a strength is needed and de- ymanded the equal of that exhibit ed in the foremost pulpits of our State. I AVe need supported men. Fo I one can do his best w’ork w’ith^his , finances in a tangle; ahd^or a I ])reacher such a situation is ruin ous. There is such a thing as starving a preacher into removal. ,AAY have know'ii a good minister I W’ho did not get enough from his field and the State Board to meet ^his expenses for the year. Of course he left the field. Our men niust be su])ported or they cannot ' serve. I AAY need mefn of consecration, of talent, of perseverance,of strong faith, of flaming zeal, of holy pa- The Feuse LAiion met w'ith Fort Barnw’ell church on Friday night before the fifth Sunday in Fovem- ber. Bro. C. A. Jenkens, w'ho W’as to jmeacli the Introductory sermon, being absent, Bro. IT. C. Moore, from the Atlantic Associa tion, W’as asked to take his place, W’hich he did, and gave us a Very interesting and instructive lecture on “Destitution in the East.” On Saturday morning, after de votional exercises by Bro. W. O. AA^ooten, “Christian Giving” was discussed by brethren AA^illingham,. Davis, Moore and J. B. Jackson, On -Saturday afternoon “Per sonal AA’^ork in the Salvation of Souls,” W’as w’ell discussed by brethren Few’ton, Cow'an and Bil- bro. At night, “Education” w’as the theme, and w’as discussed by brethren Cow’an and J. L. Jack- son. Both speeches w’ere good, and Bro. Cow’an’s speech w’as extra fine, com'inciug us of the fact that we could have a successful educa tional rally although the brethren that 'were expected to speak w’ere not present. . On Sunday morning after an interesting Sunday School Mass Meeting, directed bv M. I). Lane, Bro. Cow’an preached a very fine sei-Tuon from the text “For I am not aslianied of the gospel of I Christ: for it is the ])ow'er of God i unto salvation to every one that believetli.” As -a w’hole, the Fnion w’as very good, although some pastors and many delegates that should have been present w’ere not there. AA"e are much indebted to breth ren Aloore and Davis from the At lantic, in helping us to make the Fnion a success. The place for the next Fnion W’as not decided, but left in the hands of a committee to investi gate W’hether or not it W’ould be 'wise to Tinite w’ith the Atlantic As sociation in a Sunday School Con vention, instead of having a Fnion Meeting on next fifth Sunday. J. B. Jackson. Goldsboro, F. C. evangelization and EDUCATION. tience, of heavenly wTsdom. If they can be had in plentiful sup- ])ly and for a few short years, our present jeremiade shall be forgot ten in future hallelujah, the w'il- derness shall blossom as the rose. Rev. A. H. Harnly, Girard, 111. Dear Beo. Mooee ; As I re member Eastern Forth Carolina it has tw’o great, pressing, present needs: Evangelization and educa tion, and the second need is like unto the first. The great problem of AA estern (’arolina is education. And that need is rightly emphasiz ed. But my experience w’ithin the bounds of the Atlantic ikssocia- tion (and I take it for granted that is representative) leads me to conclude thafr the educational needs of the AA^est can be no great er than those of the East. If any thing those of the East are more urgent because the East is so be sieged by isms and heresies, and so long as ihe people are not thor oughly enlightened they fall easv victims to the teachers of error. Associaiional schools must be es tablished and maintained; and I am thanking God for the splendid w’ork of the schools of the Atlantic and Feuse Associations. Then there is the great problem of evan gelization. As I recall the mis sionary pastors on these fields w'hose needs I know so w'ell, I can think of them only as heroes. I was about to say as martyrs. God bless them every one, and give them the victory, for they deserve it. The immediate need is the doubling, yes the quadrupling of missionaries. How' can one man do justice to such a field as the Pamlico or the Carteret, or the Onslow’ ? My interest in Eastern Carolina is unabated, and my (u’ayer is for heaven’s richest blessing u])on you all.
The Atlantic Messenger (New Bern, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 1, 1902, edition 1
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