First Baptist Church
April 26, 1955
The Foreign Mission Board met in semi-annual session at 7 : 30 p.m. on Tuesday,
April 26, 1955, in the auditorium of the First Baptist Church. Mr. L. Howard
Jenkins presided. An estimated 2,000 people attended this session.
Present: State Members: John H. Buchanan, Ala.; Waymon C. Reese, Ala.; W. 0.
Vaught, Jr., Ark.; James R. Staples, Ariz.; R. G. Brister, Calif.; J. Ray
Garrett, D. C.; Preston B. Sellers, Fla.; Monroe F. Swilley, Ga.; Harry L.
Garrett, Ill.; Robert E. Humphreys, Ky.; Wm. Peyton i hurm an, Ky. ; W. Clyde
Atkins, Md.; J. H. Kyzar, Miss.; J. Edwin Hewlett, Mo.; R. Knolan Benfield,
N. C.; Mrs. Foy J.PArmer, N. C.; Grady Cothen, Okla.; H. M. Kinlav, S. C.;
W. Fred Kendall, Tenn. ; James N. Morgan, Texas; Mrs. R. L. Mathis, Texas;
Arthur B. Rutledge, Texas; Arthur E. Travis, Texas; Neal W. Ellis, Va.
Local Members: Howard L. Arthur, E. P. Buxton, J. E. Boyles, Mrs. Kenneth
Burke, Solon B. Cousins, Mrs. Clyde V. Hickerson, Oscar L. Hite, L. Howard
Jenkins, Garis T. Long, W. Rush Loving, Perry Mitchell, Emmett Y. Robertson,
Mrs. T. W. Smith, H. P. Thomas, H. B. Tillman, L. G. Mosley, J. Hundley Wiley.
Staff: Baker J,.Cauthen, George W. Sadler, Frank K. Means, J. Winston Crawley,
Elmer S. West, Jr., Fon H. Scofield, Jr., Rogers M. Smith, E. L. Wright, E. L.
Deane.
Dr. T. B. Lackey, Executive Secretary of the Oklahoma Baptist Convention led
the devotional period.
Mr. Jenkins recognized some of the special guests, including Dr. Lackey, Dr.
С.
C. Thomas, Dr. C. F. Sims, Dr. C. W. Pope, Dr.
С.
E. Maddry, Miss Ruth
Provence, Dr. R. A. Springer, Miss Eula Mae Henderson, Miss Amelia Morton,
The Richmond Baptist Business Women's Federation, The Richmond Baptist Y.W.A.
Council, Virginia Baptist Board of Missions and Education.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report:
REPORT OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
We come to this meeting with mingled emotions. During recent weeks sorrow
has struck repeatedly a.t our missionary family. With memories of the death
of Miss Mae Davis in Mexico still in our minds, we were shocked to receive
word that Raymond Richardson, who had been in Brazil only a little more than
one year, died on March 15 following surgery. Eleven days later there came
word from Southern Rhodesia that Mrs. Clyde Dotson had been instantly killed
as she was run down by an automobile while going about her missionary service.
Her death cut short the hope she and her family had of going to project work
in Nyasaland.
On March 29 Blonnye Foreman was killed in South Brazil as he flew one of the
mission planes used in Brazil in line of service. The accident took place
in the state of Goias but word did not reach us for some time afterward. The
accident was located by the Brazilian Air Force.
On April 9 Miss Mary Ruth Carney, a lovely young missionary twenty-nine years
of age in South Brazil, was killed along with a young Brazilian lady co-worker
in a plane crash as they were visiting stations of the Brazilian Home Mission
Board. We have received eye-witness reports of this tragedy. For although
there were no survivors of the plane, two Brazilian Baptist workers and ten
children saw the crash.
Still another shock was awaiting us. We were anticipating the appointment of
Mr. and Mrs. John Cheshire of Florida in May for missionary service in Malaya.
She found it advisable to have some corrective surgery. During the operation
a heart blockage developed and her death resulted in spite of every emergency
effort.
The time of this meeting could largely be spent in telling of the courageous
faith with which loved ones of these honored missionaries met these sorrows.
