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BEN COX WINNING IN MEMPHIS
FORMER LITTLE ROCK PREACHER IS DOING THINGS IN A NEW WAY IN BIG MEMPHIS—HE GIVES UP HIS EUROPEAN
TRIP FOR THE SAKE OF PUSHING HIS WORK THIS SUMMER.
SHE preacher who can make a dent on
the Memphis surface is “going some.”
Ben Cox has made a dent. The Mem
phis papers are carrying stirring stories
of the remarkable impression which this unique
“Arkansaw Traveler” has made on the Mem
phii since he began his pastorate at the Cen
tral Baptist church on the 19th of January.
But amoing all his unique Gospel methods
nothing which he has done has so profoundly
impressed that great seething city off sin, of
beauty and commercial prowess like Ben
Cox’s striking self-effacement in canceling his
long-contemplated trip to Europe and the
World’s Sunday School Convention, in order
that he may apply himself day in and day out
to the pressing growing demands of his new
church field. More and more he saw that he
could not accept the four months’ vacation
which had been granted him by his loyal, royal
church without seeing the work suffer; and
with his heart on fire to vivify and enthrone
the historic old Central church as an engine
of power in that down town district, he did
what preachers do not often do —he threw his
European vacation to the winds, canceled his
preaching engagements in London and other
parts of England, and determied to “fight it
out” along the line in which he has been
winning “if it takes him all the summer.”
MOUNTAIN PEAKS OF SOUTHERN CONVENTION
to begin an article by asking such a ques
tion, isn’t it? Ah, well, that something that
prompted the query is none other than the
mighty dynamic upheaving which so stirred
and made notable this just-extended session of
the Southern. Baptist Convention. Verily, no
man with the enthusiasm for humanity and
a master passion for the kingdom could have
sat under the spell of those unforgettable
hours in St. Louis without having his heart
grow strangely happy and his soul hot with
prophetic yearning. Baptist brethren, ser
vants of our God, came from all the corners
of the South and, overrun the great church
pastored by the nation-famed, heavyweight
preacher, W. J. Williamson. From the splen
did welcome address of E. W. Stephens on
through to the end,, high and happy notes
were struck again and again. The delegates
were in no mood for cut and dried preaching,
no patience was shown with helpless, hope
less pessimism, and the “insurgent and pro
gressive” spirit swept throughout the sessions
with irresistible and glorious power. The Wo
man’s Missionary Union sent in its own report
and due notice was given that at next year’s
session seats would be demanded for our wom
en in the convention. Yes, and representatives
of the W. C. T. U. were recognized and greet
ed the men with a brief and well timed ad
dress. The Sunday School Board brought in
the most noteworthy report of its history,
showing nearly $400,000 income for the year,
a great new building fast going up to com
pletion, steps being taken to get out ultimate
ly its own complete course of Bible school les
sons, and a system of graded lessons for the
four years of the intermediate department to
be finished in September. The Foreign Mis
sion Board reported a debt of over $75,000,
The Golden Age for May 22, 1913.
The editor of The Golden Age, passing
through Memphis a few nights ago en route
to some lecture engagements in Arkansas, on
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the way to the Southern Baptist Convention,
at St. Louis, ran up to the old Central church
between trains on prayer meeting night and
renewed fellowship with those splendid people
(Continued from page 1.)
but instead of giving place to moaning pessi
mism the speakers to the report plunged into
the discussion with unhesitating candor and
with scathing denunciation of the long and
loud and unwholesome “Baptist brag” that so
many of us have engaged in. As Dr. Gambrell
so wed said we “might as soon expect pop
corn to pop in a cold pan” as to evangelize
the world in the way too many Baptists are
going at it. Truth is there has been too much
talk and brag and too little done, too much
“orthodoxy and too little “orthopraxy.” The
missionaries at home for a rest were to speak,
and bless you, they unleashed the very pas
sions of their souls until the vast host of peo
ple were ablaze with enthusiasm. The Home
Mission Board gave a stirring report of great
results, then put forward Indians, Cubans,
Frenchmen and other workers to set our hearts
a-pulsing with their fiery appeals and passion
ate yearnings.
Great Temperance Progress.
The report on Temperance was astounding
in the results achieved and more so in the pro
phecies uttered. Then came the movement
that some of us have been looking to for sev
eral years—that of the ultimate selection of
a Social Service Commission for our great
Southern Baptist hosts. Yes, old fellow, the
long-winded and much wearying religionists of
horizon are dying hard; but this session of our
great boastfulness, little vision, and narrow
convention set loose great charges of kingdom
dynamite that will reverberate into coming
decades with the overturning of great masses
of superficiality, selfishness and general church
vagrancy. We are finding out that if Baptists
don’t wake up and put into world-wide prac-
with whom two such golden weeks were spent
when that princely preacher and intrepid lead
er, Dr. J. L. White, was pastor.
A wonderful, beautiful baptismal service
was in progress, and as the pastor and a young
hand maiden of God came down into the Jor
dan of baptism, a beautiful dove painted on
the scene seemed almost ready to light upon
her —then the lights were turned off in the au
ditorium, while one bright gleam shone upon
the candidate and the preacher. It was heaven
ly and profoundly impressive.
A Churdi for Mothers —A Nursery for Babies.
The Memphis Press says: “A new depart
ure in Memphis church life has been inaugu
rated by the Central Baptist church, of which
Dr. Ben Cox is the enterprising pastor. A
nursery has been extablished for infants and
small children, where kind-hearted, experienc
ed ladies take care of the little ones and thus
many mothers who could not otherwise at
tend church services will be enabled to bring
their little ones and also worship on Sunday.
In many other striking ways the new pastor
of the Central Baptist churdjh is attracting
favorable attention to his church.
The man is wonderful —restless, always in
an effort to reach and serve humanity through
the work of his church. New members are
being frequently received.”
tice the glorious principles and dynamics of
the book, that God will raise up children to
Abraham from the stones, and as the world
feels the volcanic upyshooting of things we
stand for, it behooves us to enter in through
the unhinged gates in our own country and
every country on God’s great earth. The Bap
tists saw great visions in St. Louis, and woe
betide us if we shrink back in this unspeakable
promising and pregnant hour. Our men of
wealth should start a stream of gold from their
pockets to buy this world for Jesus Christ,
by sending Christian men and women and the
blood-baptized gospel to every creature under
the sun. Let us give our lives and millions
now to give a whole gospel to the whole men
in the whole world; let us not merely preach
soul-salvation, but add to it the conservation
of lives in Christianizing the social order”
through Christ-given social service in city,
town and hamlet. “This is that” day come
again of which Joel must have dreamed.”
L. B. Warren Makes Great Hit.
Not a new figure among his brethren, but
a new voice on the floor of the convention,
was that of L. B. Warren, the stalwart new
Field Secretary of the Church Building Fund
of the Home Mission Board. His speech of
incisive logic, ready wit striking epigrams
and rich and rounded eloquence was a revela
tion to even his best friends and convinced
the whole convention that Dr. B. D. Gray and
his associates on the Home Board had made
no mistake in securing the genial, gifted, ath
letic young bachelor to lead the most vital
movement that has ever been inaugurated on
behalf of the three thousand homeless church
es of the Southland.
Warren will be a winner!
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