Maryland Baptists
By W. H. Baylor, 1915
The Home Field MagazineONLY ONE PERSON IN EVERY HUNDRED In Maryland is a Baptist in the State with a population of 1,300,000, we have only 13,000 white Baptists. Our weakness handicaps us much, for while we have many loyal and brave hearts, many others who because of our numbers are faint-hearted and tearful, would undoubtedly display more courage and heroism were we stronger. Baltimore is our stronghold, and yet in this city of nearly 700,000 we have only twenty-five churches. Outside of the city there are but eighteen self-supporting churches, and these constitute only eleven fields.
The task before us is not an easy one. Two-thirds of the people of the State are in no church, either Protestant or Catholic, and so few of the professed Christians are Baptists. We must not be appalled by the stupendous task nor discouraged by the slow progress. To lead our people we have a Superintendent of Missions, a State Evangelist, and a Sunday School and B. Y. P. U. Field Secretary. Along with these must be mentioned our workers in city and State, the pastors who are doing faithful and sacrificing service, and the Lord's chosen noble men and women who are giving their time and talent to advance the cause so dear to all of us. The field is great and our forces few, but the Lord of the harvest leads, and so we press on.
The present Superintendent has so recently taken the reins that he can do no more than simply hint at the course to be pursued. Although Secretary of the State Association for thirteen years, his knowledge of the fields and conditions is not sufficiently intimate to be of vital help in this new work. A visit to every church and a study of conditions at close range must take place, so that there may be a grasp of the situation as a whole, before many new things can even be suggested. To plan with great care, with earnest prayer, and yet with genuine determination would seem wise.
Maryland is a difficult field, but patient and persistent effort must tell for our cause. The writer’s seventeen-year pastorate in Baltimore has convinced him that the people here will respond to the truth, as presented by the Baptists. Catholicism, ritualism, formalism have so obscured the truth that it is refreshing and appeals to the people mightily when the sample teachings of Jesus are brought to them.
One of the greatest needs of Maryland is a Baptist propaganda. A great majority of the people have no conception of what we believe. Our principles are not accepted by them because they know little or nothing of them.
To illustrate the great need of this -- the Evangelist and Superintendent recently went in southern Maryland to dedicate a church. As there was failure to meet us at the boat landing it was suggested that we walk up to the village hotel and see if we could secure a conveyance. We told the proprietor of our plight and that we were Baptist preachers, and he said at once:
p. 14
"Don't you know Mr. Blank who lives near here? -- He is one of you." We said we had never heard of him, but he insisted that he was a Baptist. We found out a little later that Mr. Blank was a "Holy Roller".Because the hotel man knew he was some outlandish thing, he took it for granted he must be a Baptist. We plan to make it possible in every section of the State for the people to at least know what we stand for. This seems to be of prime importance. Unless we stress State Missions now, Home and Foreign Missions must suffer in the coming years. Indeed, the strongest advocate of Foreign Missions should be the most liberal supporter of our State work. Texas Is a conspicuous example of how attention to State Missions has worked wonders for both Home and Foreign Missions.
The Home Board is making it possible by its generous gifts both to our Mission and Church Extension work for us to do larger things than we could otherwise attempt. It should continue for some time this most necessary cooperation work.
The Sunday School Board and the Publication Society make it possible for us to have a Sunday-school and B. Y. P. U. Field Secretary. Rev. K. A. Handy has just been elected to this position. With the Evangelist, the Sunday-school Secretary and the Superintendent co-operating in and supplementing one another’s work in a campaign of education, Maryland should make sure, if not rapid progress. To the task before us we seek the sympathetic interest and practical help of every Baptist in the State. It cheers us much to believe we all have this unstintingly. Because of this and because of God’s abiding favor victory awaits us.
========== [From Victor I. Masters, editor, The Home Field Magazine, August, 1915, pp. 13-14; via the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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