nineteen hundred and forty-six - Amazon Web Services

FIFTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT
The Sunday School Board
T. L. HOLCOMB, Executive Secretary-Treasurer
DIVISION HEADS
HAROLD E. INGRAHAM, Business Management
CLIFTON J. ALLEN. Editorial Secretary
JEROME O. WILLIAMS. Education and Promotion
Fifty-five years of faithful service to the churches and to the denomination
is the record of the Sunday School Board. It has sought diligently never to involve
the Convention in debt or strife. The Board has been ever mindful of the
authority of the Convention and has endeavored to carry out all instructions expressed
or implied. It has worked in harmonious co-operation with all of the Convention
boards, institutions, and agencies.
As Southern Baptists began a new century, we adopted the slogan, "Launching
a Century with Christ." It is our desire to company with him. We know
that we must not run ahead of him, nor do we want to follow afar off. We
would like to be near enough to hear his voice and have our hearts constantly
quickened with an impelling desire to obey his Great Commission.
Praying, therefore, for the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we rededicate
ourselves and the resources of the Board to carry on the varied ministries
committed to us by the Convention.
BOARD MEETINGS
The members of the Sunday School Board accept their responsibility and
endeavor to perform their duty faithfully. Two regular meetings of the full
Board have been held during the year. The local Board has held monthly meetings
and a complete record of the proceedings has been sent to each member.
This gives an opportunity for every member to be kept informed of the Board's
business and activities.
• • •
INTERESTING COMPARISONS
The Board's receipts from all sources for 1945 were $4,526,751.00, which is
an increase of $368,866.86 over the previous year.
The total amount expended by the Board in denominational appropriations,
including a special donation of $100,000.00 to the four Seminaries and the work
of the promotional departments for 1945, was $834,971.65, an increase of $178,
353.40 over the preceding year.
• • •
IMPORTANT GAINS IN 1945
The report of the Sunday school work for the past year is most encouraging.
There was an increase of 459 Sunday schools and 152,401 in enrolment over the
previous year; awards granted for Sunday school training courses were 182,247,
an increase of 9,129.
The facts about the Baptist Training Union were equally as encouraging.
There was a gain of 1,512 in the number of unions, and an increase of 87,620 in
enrolment. There were 275,388 awards issued for their study courses, which
was a gain of 22,524.
The Vacation Bible School continues to grow in numbers. There were
10,222 schools reported as having been held in 1945, with an enrolment of
801,218. Approximately 75,000 of these pupils attended no Sunday school.
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