1
Foreign Mission Board Rooms
April G,
1У48
The Foreign Mission Board met m semi-annual session at 7:30 1,1 .
on Tuesday, April G, 1948, in the chapel of the First Baptist Church,
with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Dr. M. Ray McKay of Arkansas led the devotional.
Present: State Members: J. L. Slaughter, Alabama; M. Ray McKay,
Arkansas; L. ... White, Arizona; M. P. German, 'Washington, D. C.;
W. A. Gray, Illinois;
С.
E. Autrey, Louisiana; Vernon B. Richardson,
Maryland; D. M. Kelson, Jr., Missouri; Ralph A. Herring, North Caro¬
lina; R. Knolan Benfield, . . C.; J. E. Kawiinson, S. C.; J. W. Storer,
Oklahoma;
Ы.
... Eger ton, Tenn.; 0. E. Turner,
Те
n.;
л
Hope Owen, Texas;
F. C. Feezor, Texas; C. S. cKir-ney , Texas; R.
л.
Downey, Virginia.
Local Members : T. F. Adams, T. Rupert Coleman, S. . Cousins, J. Levering
Evans; R. S. Gaines, Clyde V. Hickerson, L. Howard Jenkins, Gar is T. Long,
J. C. Loving, Hill Montague, Mrs . T. Justin Moore, Hugh Rudd, Mrs. P.
Earl hood, John C. ./illiams, W. Rush Loving.
Staff:
К.
T. Rankin, G. W. Sadler, nverett Gill, Jr., Baker J. Cauthen,
Frank K. Mf.ans, E. r. Buxton, Louis P. Seay, E. C. Routh, i..arjorie E.
Moore, Nan F. Yieeks, Mary M. hunter, Edna Frances Dawkins, Samuel E. Maddox.
Mr. Jenkins welcomed several visitors and made special mention of a group
from Fountain Memorial Baptist Church, Yiashington, D. C. who had come
especially for the appointment of Miss Victoria rarsons, a member of their
church.
On motion of Dr. Adams it was voted to dispense with the reading of the
minutes.
Dr. Feezor, First Vice-President of the Board, then took the chair.
Dr. Rankin presented the following report of the Executive Secretary:
Report of Executive Secretary
Y Ye live today in a critical -world.
The nature of the faith that we hold as Christians demands that in times
of crisis and human suffering, we go forward. Ye car. ot retreat before
danger; we cannot stand stin m the face of opposition.
I neea not attempt to describe the condition of me world today. Its con¬
fusion, its chaos, its hunger, its hopelessness, its misery and its peril
are manifest. In the midst of such a world, Christians of the United
States of America are living on an island of abundance in an ocean of
want and misery. In a world of darkness, we have the light for which
millions are looking. Have people in ail the history of the world ever
been so abundantly blessed, and at the same tine, entrusted with such
fearful responsibility as Christians of the United States of America are
today?
For us to fail to go forward at such a time as this will constitute the
most damnable denial of the truth of God's gospel m Christ Jesus that
the world has ever known. By standing still we shall betray our Lord;
by retreating we crucify Him.
Under the impulse of this conviction the Foreign Mission Board is pro¬
jecting a program of world advance. We cannot betray the trust committed
to us by our God and by the members of Southern Baptist churches.. We
have no course but to go forward. And yet, what a staggering undertaxing
this is. How can one approach a tas. so vast? Ho w can a few hundred or
