The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-20
EPISCOPAL COUNCIL.
The New Diocese Question to
be Settled.


the Protestant Episcopal Church in the
diocese of Virginia will assemble in
Grace Church, Petersburg, tomorrow,
the goth instant. Bishop Whittle, as
sisted by Bishop Randolph, will
preside. Bishop Peterkin, of West Vir-
GINA, worthy son of tho Old Dominion,
will be among the distinguished visitors
at the Council.
In view of tho important business to
be considered at this session it is expect
ed that the attendance OF delegates,
both clergy and lay, will be unusually
large-not loss than ESQ., probably over
300.
The question Of greatest Importance
to come before the council, and one that
will give rise to the widest discussion,
is that of the division of the diocese.
The bishop recommended in his last
annual report that committee be APP
pointed to consider the question Of
dividing the diocese of Virginia into two
or more dioceses, this committee to re-
port at the approaching council.
The committee appointed consisted of
the two bishops, six clergymen and
eight laymen, representing all portions
OF the doiceSe and men prominent in
and agreed upon it's report, which rec
ommends division Of the diocese into
two diocesos. The committee was unan-
lmous in it's agreement as to the report,
and more than two dioceses was doomed
unwise and impracticable.
The committee recommended the di-
viding line to begin at AQUA creek
between King George and Stafford
counties, and to run thence along the
dividing limo between Spottsylvania
and Caroline, Louisa and Hanover,
Goochland and Fluvanna, Powhatan
and Cumberland, Amelia and Prince
Edward, Nottoway and Prince Edward,
Lunenburg and Charlotte, and Halifax
and Mecklenburg counties. Looking
upon the map of Virginia, it would be
seen that this line would make the
eastern diocese Qeaving out the two
eastern shore counties) almost an ex-
act cqui-lateral triangle, with Rich
mond as the central point. 1t would
give to tho eastern diocese the large
cities of Richmond, Petersburg, Nor
folk and Portsmouth, and while the
western diocese would be greatly larger
in territory, with great prospects for
the future, it would give the wealth
and greatest membership to the east
crn. The report will doubtless be
vigorously opposed in the council.
Southwest Virginia will come forward
with demand that the counties of
Highland, Augusta, Nelson, Amherst,
Campbell, Pittsylvania. Henry, Frank
lin, Bedford, Rockbridge, Bath, Allie
ghany, Botetourt, Craig, Roanoke,
Floyd. Patrick, Carroll, Montgomery,
Giles, Bland, Pulaski, Wythc, Grayson,
Smyth, TaZewell, Buchanan, Dickinson,
Russell, Washington, Wise, Scott, and
Lee should be set apart and erected
into separate and Independent diocese.
This demand is such n strong one and
backed by such good reasons that it is
probable it may be successful. 1t
would then probably follow that no fur
Their division would be made. There
were upwards 1900 communicates in
Tie proposed new diocese at the last re-
report.
An adjourned meeting CT a called
meeting of the convocation OF South
western Virginia, held in st. Paul's
Episcopal Church, LYnchburg, April 81,
1891, was held in the lecture room of st.
Paul's Church, in this city, tonight fer
the purpose of perfecting their plans for
the setting of Southwest Virgin:a into
separate diocese, to be presented to the
Episcopal Council of Virginia, which
meets in Grace Episcopal Church to-
morrow.
There were number of clerical and
lay delegates in attendance. The oues-
ton ofsetting Off the southwest into a
separate diocese was fully and freely
discussed and S3,1O6 were pledged for
its support for bishop. The amount
wanted for the support of bishop was
$4,000. Pending the consideration of
enlarging the diocese by adding the six
Valley counties the convention ad-
journed to tomorrow afternoon at )
o'clock