At the Emerson Institute, Mobile, Ala., eight hundred people crowded into the Third Baptist Church to see and to hear of the work for themselves; while, at Montgomery, on the theory that what is good for a part is good for all, every scholar, from the least to the greatest, was given a speech. As there were more than three hundred to take part, the authorities decided that all the exercises should not be crowded into a single day. Consequently, in order that a good thing might last a good while, it was arranged to devote three evenings to the speaking.
The growing interest in these anniversary occasions all along the line of our work, the attendance of leading white citizens, and their readiness to occupy seats on the platform with our teachers and workers, the enthusiasm of the colored folks to throng in and catch every word that is uttered, all combine to lift up the work from the low place it has occupied among those at the South who have looked unfavorably upon it, and to magnify in the minds of the colored people, who have struggled so hard to send their children to school, the dignity and importance of Christian education. With a few more years of progress like the past, our educational work will outrun and leave behind the obstacles and the enemies which have stood in its way during the past years, and God is speeding the day.
CHURCH WORK.
Our Church Work is attaining a steady and healthful growth. We do not seek to force the founding of churches where there is no urgent demand for them; while this might swell our rolls, it would only serve to weaken and discourage ultimately. Our purpose is to establish churches where there is sufficient intelligence and outlook to give reasonable hope that a Congregational church may do good service for the Master, not only by the benefit accruing to its own members, but also by its influence upon other and older churches that have not had the advantages of an educated ministry. Our whole number of churches is 78, being an addition of five over last year. These have been organized at Washington, D.C., Louisville, Ky., Little Rock, Ark., Thibadeaux, La., and Houma, La. The total number of church members is 5,472, a gain of 511 on last year. The number in Sabbath-school, 8,130, a gain of 1,806. New meeting houses have been constructed at Peteance, La., Little Rock, Ark., Lassiter’s Mills, N.C., and Wilmington, N.C. At the latter place a tasteful structure, with accommodations for 400, was provided by the gift of Hon. Mr. Gregory, at a cost to him of $3,600, and dedicated with fitting ceremonies, which were heartily participated in by the leading white clergymen of the city. Church buildings are under process of erection at Caledonia, Miss., Luling, Tex., Frausse Point, La. Parsonages have also been built at Florence, Ala., Flatonia, Tex., and houses for the Presidents at Tougaloo, Miss., and Talladega, Ala.
The material prosperity of our churches indicated by these statements is very encouraging, but the spiritual activity and growth is far more so. More than one-third of our churches have reported revivals, with conversions numbering from seven to forty-four, resulting in a large number of accessions to the churches.
Our church work is gradually creating a demand for the services of the students graduating at theological departments under our supervision at Howard University, Talladega College, Fisk and Straight Universities, and these are taking the places of white clergymen from the North in many localities.
The growing interest in theological seminaries for Freedmen is happily illustrated by the gift of $25,000 to us, for endowment of the theological department at Howard University.
We have seven State Conferences, embracing the most of the territory occupied by our schools and churches. These hold annual conventions, at which large numbers assemble.
The Alabama Conference has associated with it a woman’s missionary society, which reports the operation of its auxiliaries in different parts of the State. It is an active, hard-working and successful society, that does great credit to the missionary workers connected with it. This Conference also has a Sabbath-school convention representing many county organizations, and the Sabbath-school interests of the State. The meetings of this Conference, as well as those of the others, exert a beneficent and wide-spread influence, which serves not only to cement, but to make active and strong, the Congregational church work at the South.