National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-06-02
THE EPISCOPALIANS.
SESSION OF THE CoNvoCATIoN.
8. Lukess Church Troubles Discussed, But No De-
clded Action raken-An Interesting State
ment by Venerable Clergyman
President Adams at Church.

W u
the roll showed twenty clergy and nine lay dele
gates present, including the secretary, Rev. C. D.
| Andrews. Among the clergy were Revs. Addison
| Averitt, Andrews, Buck, Butler, Baker Barrister
! Brown, Bashaw, Chesley Chew, Clarke, Crummen
Elliott, Fletcher Forrest, Sanders, Graves, Hyand
| Harris, Harold Mckee, Morrison, Paret, Perry,
| Rose, Steele, Stewart, Townsend, and others The
lay delegates present were Judge Blair Messrs.
| Henderson, Cook, Sasser, Suit, Reeves, Tanner,
Burnett, Albert, and Curtis
THE DEANS REPORT.
At half past one o'clock the Convocation was
called to order by the dean who proceeded to read
his annual report. 1t stated that he had visited
and held special conventional meetings in every
| parish in st. Mary's, Charles, and Montgomery
Counties, and in nearly every parish in Prince
| Georges County and some in the District of Co.
lumbia. The condition of the churches was found
TO be fourishing. He referred to the loss which
| the convocation had sustained in the death Of
| Rev. Dr.. McKenny and Rev. Mr.. Prout. By the
death Of Mr. Prout Durham parish, where he
labored so faithfully for more than half century,
without being to the charge of any one, has been
| left without any earthly shepherd. The parish
| has made an attempt to fill the vacancy, but, as
| yet, without success. Rev. Mr.. Murphy has ac-
cepted call to his former diocese of North Caro-
! lima The
| GREAT WORK OF THE CoNvocATIoN.
on the valuable property so literally donated for
that purpose by the veStry of Rock Creek Parish,
has made some progress, report of which is rem
dered by the committee. The missions committee
during the last conventional year appropriated to
the work of missions in the whole diocese the
of $3.50. Of this amount 2,275 was appropriated
to the Convocation of Washington The amount
contributed by the Convocation of Washington, in
Guiding Sl614S at the bishops vistations, was
hain laSc h thar into
the conclusion ofthe reading of the report recess
was taken for lunch, which was served in the
yestry. The convocation was called to order upon
reasSembling by Bishop Pinckney, and the
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
was then begun. Rev. Dr. Lewis and Rev. DR..
Paret were nominated for Dean, and DR.. Lewis was
elected Rev. Charles D. Andrews was reelected
secretary. The treasurer's report showed the re-
ceipts to be $500; the expenditures S279; balance
on hand, 81. D. w. Middleton was reelected
treasurer. Rev. Dr. Wheat, one of the Oldest
clergyman in the Convocation was invited to sit
with the convention In returning thanks for the
courtesy, he said that fifty six years ago, soon after
he was ordained he preached in this church and
had among his auditors John Quincy Adams, who
had come across the common from the White
House by
He said that both President Madison and Presi-
dent Monroe attended Christ Church at the navy
yard as there were none nearer. He then spoke
of the advance made by the denomination in this
city during these years. Judge Montgomery Blair,
from the special committee appointed in June last
il relation to the work of
ST. LUKE'S CHURCH
(coloredl, made report upon the difficulty exist
ing between the congregation and the rector, Rev.
DR.. Crummell. The report first gave the financial
status of the church. The debt, which is secured
by a GaI 1DOn the church DrOnprty amounts
to $3.50, with q floating debt due for lumber &c,
amounting TO $1,000. The current expenses of the
church, including the interest on the debt, is SlS
per month. The rector, DR.. Crummell, has Sc
cured twenty-six subscribers at $50 apiece toward
the payment Of the debt and hopes to get others.
The report stated that there would be difficulty
in maintaining the church and carrying on the
work if the relations between the rector and the
congregation was satisfactory. The success of the
undertaking up to Easter, 1880, seemed to be as
sured. The contributions were liberal, the at
tendance large, and the church promised soon to
be self-suStaining but owing to a misunderstood
ing between the rector and the choir, the attend
ance fell off and the revenues decreased. This
condition of things has continued up to the pres
ent time. The committee supposed that
THE BREACH
had been healed in January last by the policy |
agreed upon by the rector of restoring every thing
doing this, and it was not until few weeks ago
that the members of the choir were invited back |
to the church. In consequence harmony has not |
been restored. Judge Blair stated that the COM |
mlttee had not been authorized to make any rec |
concentrations, but simply submitted this, their |
report, and would leave the matter for such action
as the CGnYocation saw fit to take. Dr. Addison, |
member of this special committee, stated that in
his opinion, the monthly expenses of the church. |
Crry-a ir,rE OfS hirrh
interest on the debt was only SO per month, and
the church had paid nothing to the rector. In
Guiding the expense of heating, lighting, &C., he |
could not see how the monthly expenses could be |
more than 800 at the farthest. In response to a
question from DR.. Addison, the rector,
DIR. CRUMMELL,
said that he could not understand how the figures
ofthe report could be correct He then said that |
he would like to make an explanation in regard |
to two points in the report First that the mem |
bers of the choir. with the exception of one person.
had been invited to come back some months ago. |
They had returned and were paid for their ser
vices while they remained. In the second place,
the decrease in the attendance was due to the de-
fective heating of the church, which had been so
cold during the winter that the people could not |
attend. This was also the cause of the falling off |
in the Sunday-school attendance. Mr.. Cook, q |
delegate from St. Luke's Church, said that there
could be no question but that there had been
steady
FALLING OFF IN THE ATTENDANCE
upon the church services since the Easter referred
TO in the report. The cold may have had some
thing to do with it, but the trouble with the rector
had something TO do with it also The decrease
has also continued during the pleasant weather of
the spring. The attendance before the choir was
formed was about seventy and &fterward the at
tendance was 80: but since it has come back to the
old attendance. Rev. Mr.. Leonard said he thought
it was not the proper time now to discuss the re-
lations between pastor and his congregation, and
hoped the report of the committee would be re-
ferred TO the proper committee and the bishop for
settlement. The dean conceded with this view,
and said it was outside of the jurisdiction of the
ConvocatiCn. He had not felt at liberty before to
interrupt the discussion, but would now decide
that Mr. Lconards point of order was sustained.
Mr.. Cook, however, was allowed to present the
items for
THE CHURCH TREASURER'S REPORT,
showing how the monthly expense of slS7 had
been reached, as follows: Heater, $40; sexton $50;
gas S11: interest the debt, $40; rectors salary
SIC; organst, S10 amount to meet notes for STAIN
glass windows, $50; incidental expenses, $40
total, SlS7.S6 The report was then accepted. The
committee was continued, with the addition of
Rev. William Leonard to fill the vacancy caused
by the resignation of Dr. Paret. The matter there
fore, remains as before, with the exception of the
the report adverse to the rector The treasurer of
this special committee on st. Luke's Church re-
ported the receipts to be S69415; expenditures,
S605. Is: cash on hand, $50. Rev. Dr. Addison,
from the committee that have in charge the church
school for girls, reported that satisfactory prog
ress was being made. Dr. Cabell also spoke in be-
half of the school. The convention then ad-
journed.
meeting was held last evening at Ascension
Church under the auspices OF the Washington Con-
vocation, and number of addresses were made
on the subject of missions.