nineteen hundred and forty-six - Amazon Web Services

284 SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
looking forward to increasing its size again, to get the gospel message out
more fully. At present its circulation is something over 6,000, and growing
all the time.
SCHOOLS
Each church has its own school. It is not intended that these should be
large, but that they fill the need for primary education of the believers and
sympathizers. Colombia is a literate nation, and there is a public school
system. However, it is inadequate, dominated by the Catholic Church, making
persecution rife, and adherence compulsory. For this reason each evangelical
church has its own school for primary pupils. Rebolo of Barranquilla has the
largest and best of the schools with a missionary directress, four native teachers,
and about 150 pupils. The others have from thirty-five to fifty pupils, and one
teacher. These schools are purposely kept small to make it easier for the
churches to assume the support, and to be truly self-supporting.
FUTURE PLANS
Though some accomplishments have been realized, they are but the beginning.
There is no limit to the things that can be done. Dr. Everett Gill, Jr.,
our Latin-American secretary, was with the Colombian Mission in its annual
session, and helped to lay plans for strengthening the present work, and
expanding to other activities in the future. Some of these plans are:
New Work
The establishment of the work in three other cities is planned for the near
future. Already there are missionaries in Cali, studying the language in preparation
to opening the work there. On their return from furlough in May,
Rev. and Mrs. A. R. Dailey go to Santa Marta, South America's oldest city,
to open Baptist activities. Late in 1946, Rev. and Mrs. Gerald Riddell go to
Bogota, the capital, a city of more than a half million people without a Baptist
church, and very few people who are not nominally Catholic. Colombia is
ready for the gospel.
The Seminary
Colombia needs trained pastors and leaders, but that cails for a seminary.
This we plan to build soon, in Cali, a city of delightful climate, and so located
that it can serve not only Colombia but Equador and Venezuela as well. Some
funds have already been given for this project, and its completion is the
prayer of us all.
The Clinic
A great need of Colombia is an efficient, non-Catholic, non-profit clinic,
not only for charity patients, but also for those who can pay. This project has
been planned some time, and as soon as sufficient funds are in hand, it will
be started. The location chosen is Barranquilla, and a site is being selected for
its construction.
Island Work
Belonging to Colombia are two islands, four hundred miles off her northern
coast. These are San Andres and Providence, which are populated by Englishspeaking
Negroes, descendants of pirates, and adventurers of the past. They
have a strong Baptist work, over a hundred years old, which has reached great
proportions in size and development. Their leader resigned last year because
of bad health, and they have appealed to the Colombian Mission to help them.
The mission has petitioned the Board for permission to send a missionary
couple there to help them organize their work, and train a strong native
leadership. Rev. C. W. McCullough of Texas has volunteered to go in answer
to their call.
With the development of existing work, and the expansion above indicate
to be accomplished in the next months or years, Colombia presents to Southern
Baptists an ever-growing challenge to "preach the word."