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282 SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
years old. It is located well, in the very heart of the city, and has given
Baptists more prestige than any non-Catholic group has ever enjoyed here.
VENEZUELA
About the middle of the year, definite plans were made to enter the Republic
of Venezuela. Because of government restrictions, it has been difficult, if not
impossible to send missionaries there; but God answered prayer in the person
of Julio Moros, a native of Venezuela, well educated, highly cultured, and very
capable. He was brought to Colombia for several months where he studied the
plan of work used by Southern Baptists, and was examined closely on his
doctrinal position. He then went back to the capital city, Caracas, to open our
work. In the short time he has been there, a church has been organized, and
mission work started in other parts of the city. In their need of a pianist,
God answered prayer with the conversion of one of the instructors in the
National Conservatory of Music, who now plays for all the services. One man
gave a piano, and another gave a lot in the suburbs to be used for a mission.
God is blessing the preaching of the truth in Venezuela, under the direction of
this consecrated, young, native preacher.
NEW CHURCHES
In June, the Rebolo Church of Barranquilla was organized, with thirty-six
charter members. It is the second church in this great city. It has a good
building, though much too small, a good school, and a consecrated native pastor,
Emelio Zayas. It is well on its way to becoming a self-supporting church.
It is now conducting mission work in three other parts of the city, looking
forward to the birth of other Baptist churches.
In September, Cartagena's second church came into being. Some six or
eight years ago a young man, Victor Martinez, employee of an American Oil
Company, was converted and began looking for the church of the New Testament.
He could not find it in Colombia at that time, so he began preaching
on his own, paying all the expense himself. Through his labors, a little group
gathered around him, and they followed the New Testament as closely as they
could. When the Southern Baptists came to Cartagena, he investigated their
teachings and beliefs, and found that there was no difference between what
he had found in the New Testament and the doctrines preached, and the practice
followed by Southern Baptists. After much study and prayer, he and his
church of forty-six members voted to declare themselves Baptists, and become
associated with the other Baptist churches of Colombia. In the Annual Mission
Meeting, the pastor was elected a native worker, thus enabling him to give
full time to the work. Since then, the church has bought a good lot, and the
members are paying for it themselves, while taking care of all local expenses,
supporting their own school, and paying a part of their pastor's salary. Someone
has stated that "The Bible turned loose would make Baptists." This is
ample proof.
The churches of Colombia are missionary in spirit. Barranquilla has long
had a mission in a needy section, the building, and all expenses being paid by
the natives themselves. In October, the Cartagena churches followed their
example, and opened jointly a work in a distant part of the city, where, at
• the end of the year a small, but very faithful group of believers are worshiping
and working for Christ.
At Christmas time, the native Christians gave the pastor of the Sabanalarga
Church, Jerommo Ramirez, a horse and saddle so his church could start the
evangelization of the villagers around the city. Those who have found the
truth are anxious to tell it to others.
During the year we had two missionary couples, and three single ladies to
come to us as new missionaries. Rev. and Mrs. Gerald Riddell of Texas and
Mississippi, now serving in Cartagena; Rev. and Mrs. Ulman Moss of Texas and
Alabama are in Cali; Miss Caree Spears of South Carolina is in Barranquilla-
Miss Crea Ridenour of Kentucky is in Cartagena; as is Miss Anna Francis Todd
of Tennessee.
STATISTICS
Although figures are dry, and sometimes uninteresting, some are here given
to show more definitely the growth of the Colombian Mission.