The Indianapolis journal., 1884-06-04
THE EPISCOPAL CONVENTION
Interesting Proceedings and Large At
tendanceOf Clergymen and Laymen.
Bishop Knickerbacker's First Annual Ad-
dress-Summarizing the Work of the
Year and Condition Of the Church,

Episcopal diocese of Indiana began at St Paurs
Cathedral last evening. The attendance of
clergymen and laymen is quite large. Follow
ing the devotional services, which were con-
Quoted by Bishop Knickerbacker and the visit
ing clergymen, the convention was for
mally called to order. The clergymen who
were in attendance last night were
Rev. Jesse K. Bicknell, of Jeffersonville;
Rev. John W. Richmore Muncie; Rev Edward
Bradley, Madison; Rev. E. A. A.!Bradley, Indianap-
oils; Rev. Walter Delafeld, Terre Haute; Rev.
John A. Dorris Evansville; Rev. Francis b.
Dunham. South Bend; Rev. Rush s. Eastman,
La Porte; Rev. George B. Engle, Indianapolis;
Row Willis D. Engie, Columbus; Rev. John J.
Faude, Michigan City, Rev Edward G. Hunter,
Cannelton; Rev. j. 8. Jenckes, Indianapolis
Norris, Evansville Rev. Samuel G. M. Orpen
Lima; Rev. William NJ Pettis, Lafay
ette Rev. w. w. Raymond, Go
shen; Rev. Abraham Reeves Worthington;
Rev. Walter Scott New Albany; Rev. Harry
Thompson, Logansport; Rev. John B. Wake
field, Richmond; Rev. VIM. N. Webbe, Fort
Wayne; Rev. H. L. G, Braddon, Delphi and
Rev. Allen Greaves, Indiapolis.
The representation of the laymen delegates is
not full, but there is a fair attendance of them
THE BISHOPS ADDRESS.
The important feature of the evening session
was the Bishops annual address, which was the
first that has been delivered by Knick-
erbacker since his election. In the
opening remarks Of his address the
Bishop alluded to his election and how unex-
pectedly it had occurred, and reviewed briefly
the work which he had done since entering upon
the duties of the position He had been cor
daily welcomed in every city and town in the
State that he had visited. "Such kindly, loving
welcome to the hearts and to the homes of the
churchmen and people of Indiana the Bishop
said, ''has made me feel at home from the start;
has assured me of cordial cooperation and given
me confidence in the success of the great work
which is to be accomplished. The condition of
the diocese wien he began his la
bors was not encouraging. In forty or
ganized parishes he had found twenty without
ministers, and these churches were located
IN thirty three of the ninety two counties. leav-
ing fifty nine counties without the services of
the church There were eighteen rectories and
and 1884 communicates in population of more
than two million souls. He at once began a Wis
itation to all the parishes and missions, simply
with view of making the acquaintance of the
clergy and churchmen of the diocese. He had
found them everything that bishop could ask
for. The first thing in beginning his work was
to ask for liberal offerings in behalf of the do
cesan mission board, that the closed mission
churches might be opened as soon as
men could be found to come
to them. The next work was to secure
rectors for the important parishes, and this had
been accomplished with the utmost satifaction.
The lahors of Rev. Ben 2. Runkle, who had
been appointed missionary of the diocesan
board had resulted in the establishing Of a
parish, with thirty five communicants, at Green
castle; a mission, with twenty-five communi
cants at Huntington, one with twenty two at
Frankfort, and one with fifteen, at Monon. Mis-
sionaries were yet to be secured at Lawrence
burg, Aurora, New Harmony, Mt. Vernon,
Greencastle and Bloomington. He had Wis
sited thirtysix places. but hoped by the
time of the next convention TO have held
services In every place having popu-
able obstacle in the way Of the church
occupying every county in the State, but it will
require time and persistent work We must be
cleaners now where we should have been reap
ers twenty or thirty years ago. The great work
in Indiana during the next few years will be to
uphold with all our strength, energy and liber-
ality the missionary board. The evangelists
and general missionaries can be employed to
great advantage in preparing the way for the
settled ministry, and the bishop will count it q
privllge to be chief evangelist and chief mission
ary in doing this great work. There are good
openings for the church at Angola, Bluffton
Bedford, Greencastle, Covington Rochester,
Huntington Marion, Valparaiso, Colum-
and Sullivan. In most of these places buildings
will be needed almost as soon as regular serv-
ices are established and the church will have
to depend chiefly upon its own resources, be-
cause very little aid from outside the diocese
can be depended upon. The Bishop recommend
ed an annual collection from each parish and
mission for a diocesan church building fund. If
only $3OO per annum were secured 1t would be
the means of erecting every year church worth
So, 900, through the stimulus it would give mis-
sons to do for themselves.
The Bishop said that he found no church schools
In tho State Every effort should be used to
provide schools where the children of the
church may receive the blessings which come
work in the church is beginning, he said, to have
a well-recognized place. and it receives that ap-
probation which it richly deserves. The or
ganization Of sisterhoods for the care of orphans
for ministering in hospitals and the reclamation
of the fallen is steadily increasing He had
called representatives of the ladies' aid societies
and guilds to meet during the convention for
the purpose of organizing diocesan auxiliary
had licensed twentyfour lay readers
and he recommended to the con
vention the appointment of standing
committee to aid in the development of lay
work. In many of the parishes the salaries of
the clergy are scarcely sufficient to meet the
bare necessities of life The clergy must be free
to do their great work untrammoled by want
and poverty The church ought to strive for a
standard which will give to every clergyman of
family minimum of 81, 900 and rectory, and
to every single clergyman a minimum of $500.
The fund for the aid of aged and nfrm clergy
men had been almost entirely neglected. He
recommened that the Christmas offerings be ap-
propriated to this fund.
plan of missionary enrolment for 1886,
which the Bishop gave his indorse-
xnent .is that each member of the church shall
contribute So, which would make an Offering of
more than 1000, 900 at the next general con
vention, the, whole of which will go into the
missionary fund.
An adequate provision for the support of the
episoopate should receive the careful considera
ton Of the convention. and the Bishop believed
that now is fitting time to inaugurate the per-
manent endowment of the diocese by raising a
fund of from $500 to $4,000 bypersonal bonds
of the lay members, to bear not less that 6 per
cent intetest hle rterlu and thn hni,da