9
Foreign Mission Board Rooms
April Ik, 1953
The Foreign Mission Board met in semi-annual session at 7:30 p.m. on
Tuesday, April 1U, 1953, with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Present: State Members: John H. Buchanan, Ala., Waymon C. Reese, Ala.)
Lloyd Sparkman, Ark.; James R. Staples, Ariz.: J. Ray Garrett, Washington,
D. C.j R. G. Brister, Calif.; Monroe Swilley, Ga.; Russell W. Wallis, Ill.;
Baxter Pond, La.; J. H. Kyzar, Miss.: Vernon B. Richardson, Maryland;
J. Edwin Hewlett, Mo.; Eph Whisenhunt, N. C.; R. Knolan Benfield, N.C.;
Russell Bradley Jones, Tenn.; 0. E. Turner, Tenn.; A. Hone Ow'en, Texas,
.James N. Morgan, Texas: Charles S. McKinney, Texas;
С.
E. Hereford, Texas;
R. P. Downey, Va.
Local Members: E. ?. Buxton, T. Rupert Coleman, Solon B. Cousins, Mrs.
Clyde V. Hickerson, Oscar L. Hite, L. Howard Jenkins, Mrs. Paul LaRoque,
W. Rush Lo ing, R. 0. McDanel, T. Shad Medlin, Perry Mitchell, Emmett
Y. Robertson, Mrs. T. W. Smith, H. P. Thomas, J. Hundley Wiley.
Staff: M. T heron Rankin, George W. Sadler, Everett Gill, Jr., Baker
James Cauthen, Fon H. Scofield, Elmer S. West, E. L. Deane, L. P. Seay.
Dr. James N. Morgan of Texas led the devotional period.
Mrs. J. H. Kyzar of Greenwood, Mississippi sang "Take Up Thy Cross."
Mr. Jenkins read the following telegram from Rev. William Peyton Thurman
of Kentucky:
REGRET VERY DEEPLY INABILITY TO BE PRESENT AT BOARD MEETING TODAY AND
TOMORROW. AM PRAYING FOR THE BOARD AND ITS SESSIONS AND FOR THE APPOINTEES
AS THEY ARE SET APART TONIGHT. BLESSINGS ON ALL OF YOU.
In his opening remarks to the members of the Board, Mr. Jenkins said:
We welcome many visitors who show their interest in the work of this
Board by honoring us by their presence. We welcome you with all our
hearts and hope you will come often.
Seme of you State Members have come long distances at great personal
inconvenience and sacrifice. You have done uhis, I believe, because
you believe we are engaged in a work of supreme importance. All of us
believe that the commodity we are trying to sell to the world is the
only thing that will save this old world from itself. We are living in
crucial days. I say to you that in my humble opinion missions is not
simply a desirable thins, it is a must, a necessity, in every sense of
the word. Failure to propogate the Gospel can spell the ruin of civilation
as we know it. So, we realize the vast importance of our job. we appre¬
ciate these State Members and the support they give those of us who live
in Richmond and have to grapple with the multitude of problems that come
up for our attention from month to month and even from day to day.
Sometimes, I fear, we are tempted to become discouraged at the response
to the aopeals that go out from this Board. While I don't think Southern
Baptists have much to crow abouit when we look at the record of per capita
gifts, I do think we have made amazing progress in the last two decades.
I have been making a searc- of our records for the last two decades and
the figures are so encouraging, ana even atonishing, that I want to share
them with you. We are on the way in the right direction. Our appeals
bv the snoken and printed word plus our visual aid program have paid off.
Listen to what I have found.
Per Capita gifts to foreign missions:
1932 21
ф
19R2 2U
1952 1.01 All include the Lottie Moon Offering.
Cooperative Program receipts:
1932 $37^,000.00
19b 2 719,000.00
1952$,
Ш,
000. 00
Loutie Moon Offering: 1^32 $ 159,000.00
19b 2 bb9,000.00
19p2 2,668,000.00
