Another Associational year with its opportunities. its blessings and Its responsibilities has past and we are permitted under God to meet on our One Hundred and Sixteenth Anniversary in His name and with Divine favor resting upon us.

      While other sections of our South land, and even our State, have been swept by fire and by flood, it is well to remember, that the territory embraced in this Association has not been visited by any such calamity, and even pestilence and disease to any extent have not been among us. This thought should cause us to praise God for HIS wonderful providence to us. When we meditate upon His mercies we exclaim in the language of the Psalmist, "What shall we render unto Him for all His benefits to us?" Let us pay our vows in tithes and offerings that we have vowed unto him.

      At least three churches in this Association have celebrated their 100th anniversary, others will do so in the coming year. As we listened to the speeches and took some humble part in these celebrations, we wonder If the standard of piety and of loyalty to the great head of the church which we have set for the 20th century is as high as it should be.

      The hopeful indication that is to be seen on the horizon of our future as a denomination is that we are approaching one of the greatest revivals in the world's history, namely. a revival in the church - a deeper work of grace In the hearts of God's people.

      Let us pray earnestly arid work faithfully fellow pastors to bring this about, then and not till then will the problem be solved which has confronted Southern Baptists for year" in the past and still confronts them, namely, how to elicit, combine and direct this great Brotherhood, so as to bring greater glory to God.

      We feel that the increased opportunity in the past two years, to send the gospel to foreign lands, has brought with it corresponding obligations. God our Father knows whether we have met and discharged our duty in this matter as we should.

      Brethren we can do more for Missions than we have done. God pours from full vessels, not empty ones. May we at home be filled with the Spirit of the Master, and of Missions for His service.

      In conclusion we maintain that the greatest need of our Association is that the individual churches and pastors be filled with the true spirit of Missions which includes,
(l) - A love for lost souls.
(2) - A spirit of self-denial to have them redeemed. May this spirit possess us entirely.
     Respectfully submitted,
          G. W. Argabrite.

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[From Elkhorn Baptist Association Minutes, 1901, p. 9; via SBTS Archives digital documents. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]