It is a fact of history that the preaching of the Word has been the great missionary agency. The Bible is a missionary book. The great figure in the Old Testament history was the preacher of righteousness--Enoch, Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, the great line of prophets--they were missionary preachers. In the beginning of Christianity, the great figure was the preacher--John the Baptist, the Apostles, our blessed Lord Himself. The salient feature in the New Testament may be said to be a succession of great missionary sermons which are expositions of the Gospel. In the history of the Christian Church the great figure has been the preacher. The Church of God is the body of Jesus Christ. As such she is the eye and ear, she is the hands and feet of the Lord, but especially she is the voice of the Lord. Doth not wisdom cry in all time? Did not the Spirit when sent forth lift the voice declaring the great Gospel message? And when the Church has had that possession of the Spirit, has it not been especially her inspiration to cry out with the Gospel message? The great figure in this Association work in the past has been the teacher. We have had a gifted line of men and women in this work, and to them all honor be given. It would be impossible for us to give them the honor which is their due; but in the future the great figure is to be the missionary preacher, the man who can reach masses of men with the Gospel message. We are lifting this race, and what has been true in the past will be true in the future. Perhaps I can not better exhibit this subject in the little space allowed me than in noticing some of the traits which should characterize the missionary preacher, and while the truth is general and applicable to all parties, I trust that we may be under the direction of the Spirit and take to heart these great traits we shall be looking for in the preacher of the future in the South. The missionary preacher is a man who, to be effective, should be a man of spiritual morality, a man of irreproachable character. I presume the colored man has been maligned in the South, as his character has so often been brought out among us. One of our enthusiastic teachers was asked, "How many Uncle Toms do you find in the South?" And she replied, "About as many as there are in the North." A truth was there that we ourselves may very well take.