The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-01
GROWTH OF THE CHURCH
REV. @. h. STRONG ON EPIsCOPA-
LIANISMS PROGRESS.

tRueStlOuS winch were 6cAOrS IL
The Adaptation of the Church to the
Times-The Prayer Book Changes
The Colored Church Question.
Rev. Charles H. Strong, rector of st.
Johns church, who has just returned from
the Episcopal general convention in New
York. talked very entertainingly to a
MORNING NEWS reporter, yesterday, about
what was accomplished.
Mr.. Strong remained in New York dur
ing the three weeks that the convention was
in session. The convention assembled Oct
9, and it adjourned Oct. "a. 1t was cen
tennial convention. Just 100 years ago
the general convention was composed by
three bishops, and deputies from seven
dioceses, in which there were 100 clergy
aud about 1900 commandments
The general convention, which has lust
closed, was composed of seventy bishops,
representing fifty dioceses, fourteen mis-
sionary Jurisdictions, $500 clergy, and
nearly half a million communicates. That
is the phenomenal increase of the church
during its first century's growth. Beyond
all question. Mr.. Strong said, the conven-
ton was the most important in the history
of the church.
THE CONVENTIONS WORK.
1t had the care of number of vital ques-
tions, which were settled in a most salts
factory manner, and which will aid in pro-
noting the welfare and future growth Of
the church.
In Chicago, at the last convention, several
important questions were brought up, but
the solution of them was left for the con-
vention of 1889. In the Chicago conven-
ton the Advance and Liberal" parties
were allied against each other. The former
advocated the customs and usages of the
old church, while the latter sought TO pro-
mote the well-being of the church by adapt
ing 1T to the times and the age in which it
exists. 1t was known that these parties
would advocate different measures,
and good deal of anxiety
was manifested by both sides
They went into convention anxious about
the result. and hoping for an amicable
settlement of all matters before the body.
The convention met in st. Georges
church, and fully 5000 people, DIR. Strong
said, attended the sessions. The bishops,
numbering seventy. held their sessions in
Memorial hall, and next to them 800 mem
bers OF the clergy and laity held their
session
The work Of the convention might prac-
tically be classed under three heads: The
missionary work, matters under head Of
practical questions.
THE CHURCHs MISSIONS.
Mr. Strong says that there does not seem
to have been time when the church has
exhibited more activity in its
missionary work. Encouraging and
gratifying reports come from the west.
Three or four new missionary Jurisdictions
were organized. the missionary work in
the west is very gratifying in its results
AT the missionary meetings, Mr.. Strong
said, bishops and missionaries from all over
the world spoke.
The revision of the prayer book and the
hymnal was discussed. The main idea
was to make the services Of the
prayer book richer and more hexi-
BILE. In all these changes there were
adaptations ontthe part of the church to
meet the changed condition of American
life. The liberals, or broad churchmen,
advocated change in the services, while
the Romanists developed possibly, some
dissention. The dissenters were the weaker,
however, III the convention, and they
yielded every point. just how the two
sides stood, and the force of each, was prob
ably the first thing that was learned after
tie convention met The revision of the
prayer book then went through all right
CHANGES IN THE PRAYER BOOK.
The services have been made shorter.
more varied and have been enriched with a
great many liturgical observances coming
down from the past. These changes, Mr..
Strong said, will not be admitted in the
prayer book until the lapse of three years.
when final action will be taken. Permission
70 use the new hymnal in connection with
the old hymnal was granted, however.
Under the head of practical questions
Mr.. Strong said, a good many ''burning
questions" came up. One of these was the
position OF the colored man in the church.
The question, he said, originated In a
memorial addressed to the general conven-
tlon by the colored ministers and laynen
complaining OF the action Of the Virginia,
ana South Carolina conventions
In recognizing distinction az
color, and also the decision of the CON
ventlons In these states to force the colored
contingent into a church by themselves
The answer to the petitioners was that in
the canonical and constitutional privileges
OF Its ministry, the past action of the
Episcopal church shows that it recognizes
no distinction in color During the CON
vention a colored bishop was elected, which
shows that, as far as the canonical privileges
are concerned, the church makes no dis.
tinction.
QUITE ANOTHER ISSUE.
AS TO social equality, Mr.. Strong said the
cnurcn considers that matter entirely dis
tnct, and altogether on a different line. II
may be possible that in the future the
church may ordain separate conventions
ana separate bishops for the colored race.
but only as means of developing them
with a sense Of their responsibility. This
matter was referred to a committe.
whichis to make report at some future
time.
One OF the burning questions and one
upon which the liberals and advances were
distinctly unallied, was the changing of
the church name. that is, striking out of
the prayer book Protestant Episcopal
which virtually is equivalent to changing
the name to the "Church of America
Heated arguments. pro and con, followed.
The liberals held that when the name
"Protestant Episcopal is stricken out it
grasses the logical position of the church
1t sweeps away its causes of protests
against the church of Rome. The liberals
carried their point and were victorious.
THE MARRIAGE QUESTION.
The canon on marriage and divorces was
another important question. The conven-
ton was in favor of uniform divorce law
The changing of the representation of the
dioceses in the general convention was
taken up. As the custom now is all dioceses
are entitled TO the same number of repre-
sensations. An attempt was made to intro
duce system of representation, based upon
the number OF clergy and communicates in
each diocese, but it failed by reason of the