Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-06-01
WEST VA. DIOCESE
OF TEE EPISCOPAL INTERESTING
FACTS AND FIGURES
Concerning tha Growth Of the Church-The Dsvel-
opmsnt Of the Diocsss-Ths Fourteenth Annual
Council. Which Meets in ParksrSburg
On Wednesday.


Parksrs5urq state Journal.
One Of the notable events, especially
in church circles, will be the Council Of
the Episcopal church Of West Virginia,
which meets in this city. The four
teenth Annual Council of the Diocese Of
West Virginia conveneS at Trinity
church on Wednesday, June 3rd.
This viii be the second meeting of
the Council in ParkerSburg, the other
meeting having been held in this city
June, 1850, when the West Virginia
Diocese was not three years old. A few
facts and figures concerning the Do
cese. its origin and growth and work
during the fourteen years OF its exist
ence will be found Of interest TO many.
The Diocese Of West Virginia was
taken from the Diocese OF Virginia in
October, 1877 Prior to the actual Gre
ating of a new Diocese the recommends
ton Of the establishment of the same
was made at meeting of the Virginia
Council in May, 1877, which was the first
formal action towards the formation OF
the Diocese. The consent to the form
alton Of the Diocese was given by the
General Convention, which met in Octo-
Der, 1877.
After the necessary details had been
perfected the Primary Council of the
new Diocese convened at Charleston in
December, 1877, when the organization
was made.
At this meeting Rev. J. II. Eccleston;
ID. D., was chosen bishop. He declined
TO serve, and at a meeting at CharleStOwn
February. 1878, which was called the
first annual meeting of the new Council,
Rev. Geo. W. Peterkin, d. d.. OF this
city, was chosen bishop. Bishop Peter
kin was conSecrated at Wheeling in st.
Matthews Church on the 30th day Of
May, 1878.
The cOnSecrators were the following
Bishops Whittle, of Virginia; Bedell,
of Ohio: KerfOot, of Pittsburg; Dudley,
OF Kentucky, and Jaggar, of Southern
Ohio.
In July of the same year a special
council was held at MartinSburg. and
this was the first meeting over which
Bishop Peterkin presided.
The date of the meeting of the an
nual council was changed to the month
of June. and the succeeding meetings
were held al the following cities 10 the
order named;
June, 1S79-ClarkSbUrg.
SSO-ParkerSburg.
lSSl-Shepherd
lSS2-POint Pleasant
ISS3-Wheeing.
To-. rssA MartiDshur
lSS5-LewiSburg.
lSS6-ChareStOwn.
1SS7-WeStOn.
1SSS-Huntington.
lSS9-ShepherdStown.
1S9O-CharleStOn.
This in briefiS the history of the or
ganizatiou OF the Diocese of West Nir-
ginia. The growth and work OF the
diocese in the State can be seen by the
interesting statistics given below
Under the earnest and able direction
Of Bishop Peterkiu this growth has been
gradual and firm. Inheritlng from the
diocese OF Virginia but thirteen clergy
men. who with few laymen made up
the Primary Council, the diocese has ex-
tended within itself until last year there
were twenty-three ministers. At pres
-eut there are but eighteen, there being
several vacancies caused by death and
removal.
The total combinations in the diocese
during the existence of the diocese, not
including the past year, for which sta
tiSticS have not been compiled, have
been 9,3f7.
The number of communications by
comparison shows steady growth: In
1877 the communications in the State
numbered ,OS4. Last year the total
number of communications was 2,929.
The growth in the establishment and
building OF churches is more marked.
In the year 1877 there were twenty-five
churches and chapelS. Last year the
number of churches and chapelS was
fifty-Six. There were but ten rector
les i'm lS17 and at present there are
twenty-three.
Some Of the most interesting COM
pariSonS are i'm the amount Of cOntri6u-
tionS made since the infancy of the
Diocese. These figures also show a
healthy aud substantial growth. At
the General Convention OF the EpiScO-
pal Church, which met i'm October,
1871. the contributions made within
the diocese during the three years pre-
ceding were reported rs aggregating
less than $4,000 At the meeting of the
General Convention in 1889, which
meets trieunially, the total cOntrbu
tionS within the diocese for the three
years were reported at something over
$4,000. During the church year which
ended in 1890 the contributions aggre-
gated nearly $4,000.
When the diocese was formed there
were In the State 929 Sunday School
teachers and scholars all told. In the
year ending 1870 there were reported in
the diocese o 3l7 teachers and scholars.
At the council which couveneS next
week preparations are being made for
ever twenty ministers and about fifteen
laymeu. l. is estimated that the at