Many are the blessings God has bestowed upon missionary work in Birmingham and it is a real pleasure to state briefly some of the methods employed which have given the workers so much joy, and which our Heavenly Father has used to advance his cause.
Religious visiting in the homes of the people is a very important part. God’s word never returns unto Him void, and when it is carried into the homes and its truths taught and heart to heart talks given only eternity will reveal its results in leading lost souls to look to a loving Savior, and arousing indifferent Christians to the fact that God has chosen them and ordained them that they should go and bring forth fruit. Again, the teaching of the children is a work never to be overlooked, for the future of any race or nation depends upon the moral and religious instruction given to the young. The Sunday schools, children’s meetings and industrial schools are means which are accomplishing great good. From two hundred to three hundred meet each week in the industrial schools during the school year. We have one session each week in each of the schools. They are held in the different churches. About one half of the time in each session is spent teaching different kinds of sewing, and the remainder in giving moral and religious instruction. The progress made by many of the pupils in sewing and in gaining Bible knowledge is often a marvel to the missionaries. The strong temperance stand taken by many of the children is truly a delight, and when one after another professes a hope in Christ we are led to say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” The welfare of the young people also has a large place in our hearts and with the faithful co-operation of pastors and the young people themselves, there are about forty local B. Y. P. U.’s which are united in an Asssociational Baptist Young People’s Union. Great things are expected of these young people from the Bible knowledge they are acquiring and instruction which they are receiving concerning Christian work.
Rev. S. L. Ross, Sunday School Missionary for Alabama, under Auspices Alabama Baptist Publication Society.
Perhaps no richer blessings have been given than those which have fallen on the efforts which the women are putting forth. Well can we remember when there was but one missionary society in Birmingham that was trying to obey our Savior’s last loving words: “Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.”
They stood alone, but were inspired to go forward by their pastor, Rev. W. R. Pettiford. Though few in number, the blessings of God rested upon them. After a time they had a public missionary meeting. The subject was “The Indians.” It was held on Sunday night. Hearts were enlarged; the work was better understood by the membership of the church, and as a result new members were added to the society. The sisters in one church after another organized and joined the ranks. The society of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church no longer stood alone.
The object of the work is given as follows in Article II of the Constitution: “Its object shall be to promote the purity, intelligence and happiness of our homes, and to educate the women of our Baptist churches in a knowledge of missions, to cultivate in them a missionary spirit, and thus lead them to help in mission work at home, in the State, in our country, and in foreign lands.”
The following blanks are used by the sisters in reporting their work from month to month:
Report of.................................................
For the month of....................................189...
Have you read the Bible each day?.........................
Have you taken the Mother’s Pledge and kept it?...........
Number of religious visits................................
Number of families helped.................................
Number added to the Missionary Society....................
Number of meetings conducted..............................
Number of new members brought into the Sunday School......