Evening star., 1895-06-04
WASHINGTON CONVOCATlON
It's semi-Annual Meeting Held Today in
Trinity Church.
An Interesting Paper on Church En-
Business Transacted.


ally be reached late this afternoon.
The convocation of Washington covers
the identical territory that Is to be in
cluded in the diocese of Washington which
was provided for at the meeting of the
die cesar convention last week, namely: the
District of Columbia and four of the lower
counties OF Maryland. There was but lit
tie business of any Importance before the
meeting today, and this, together with the
unpleasantly warm weather, had its effect
in keeping the attendance down to very
small proportions.
The meeting this morning was opened
with a religious service, which consisted
Of the reading of morning prayer and the
administration of the holy communion.
The service was conducted by Archdeacon
T. S. Childs, assisted by DR.. Addison, rec
tor of Trinity Church, and DR.. Il. L.
Howell.
The Trcnsurer's Report.
The secretary of the convocaa2n' Kew.
Mr. Johns, read The minutes OF the last
meeting, which. after some corrections
were adopted. The next order of business
was the report of the treasurer of the con-
vocation, Mr. Seymour Tuiloch of this city.
This report showed :hat the general iuRd
of the cpnvocation amounted TO put siS.si'
which With the expenditures LETT BAL
ance of S15.42. The total on hand to the
credit of the building fund Is Si43.O9.
On account of the proposed division OF the
diocese Mr.. Tulloch RECOMMENDED tnat the
accounts of the convocatiOn be closed up
and he asked for the appointment OF COM
m;ttee of audit. The report was received
and Gen. Duncan S. Walker and Mr.
Brady were appointed on the committee
asked Tor.
A letter was read by the secretary from
Bishop Paret addressed to the convocation
1t was for the most part Girected 20 con
sidera,ion of the business interests OF 81.
Luke's Church of this city. According to
the bishops letter the church IS hedSed
around with such restrictions that 1t can
not borrow money without the consent OF
the standing committee on work among
eolored people. There used to be such a
committee, but of late there has been none
and Bishop Paret recommended the ap-
pointment of COMMITTEES. II only Tor the
purpose of enabling she church in queS-
ton to raise the amount it needs. The
recommendation of the bishop was adopted
and committee appointed to CONSIST OF the
bishop, Dr. Addison and Mr.. Henry +. Pei-
lew.
The report of the archdeacon was down
for the morning session. but. as DR.. How
ell who was TO deliver an essay during the
afternoon was Obliged to leave town, a
motion was made to suspend the order OF
business to allow DR.. Howell to read his
baper during the morning. The subject or
his address was the endowment of church
es and the need for better system.
DIR. HowclTs Interesting Paper.
DR.. Howell, who is a young man of
broad and generous views, prefaced ms
paper with the generally accepted view
that the wealth of the many, in moderate
proportions, conduces to the welfare OF
the community more than does the unlim-
tied wealth of the few. He was in favor
of an. endowment for all churches, though
he. took the ground that endowments
which are too much localized and central
lied may be harmful, while generous
distribution is decidedly advantageous. In
his opinion all churches should be en-
dowed to a reasonable extent, in order to
render them Independent and to place them
in a position to do the most with Inc OPP
portunities at hand.
Dr. Howell took a firm and determined
stand in opposition to one evil, which. he
says, is sngularly prevalent in the west.
Churches which are not as well provided
with funds as they might be. he said often
engage the services of a new rector, hold
ing out as an inducement salary of $1,000
and the use of a rectory. The newly CHOSEN
minister accepts the call, and moves him
self and family to his new field of useful
ress at considerable expense to himself.
Then he finds that 1t is not all easy sailing.
In the first place. he says that the minister
frequently finds that his salary is not forth
coming. After misunderstanding and dis
agreements of one sort and another the
church finally comes to the conclusion that
the man they have chosen Is not the man
for the place, and the result is that the rec
tor has to borrow enough from his ref-
tives and friends to move away to sCsle
other field. This usually happens about
Easter, after long winter of hard work,
for which the minister gets no credit. Dur
ing the summer services are held by lay
preachers, who volunteer for the purpose.
and thereby considerable amount Is saved
In the fall a new rector Is secured, With
the same bait that was held out as before
"a salary of 81 600 and the use of a rec
tory. 1t goes without saying that a min
lister is not going to use his very best en-
ergies to advance the interests of parish
from which he feels that he is soon to be
divorced ard the English system, DIR. How
ell thought, with all its faults, has great
advantage in the permanence OF Office
which ii holds forth to minister's This
permanence may best be secured through
some system of church endowment.
AS to the question of what is a reason
able endowment for church, Dr. HoWell
suggested that in his opinion 1t should be
equal to the presumable value of the
church property ten years hence. with an
addition of 80 per cert in the case OIL rurai
churches. Downtown churches should be
the most heavily endowed and should grad
ually be made into free churches. 1t is
time. lie said, that we should begin to build
for the future. and the best way TO ac-
compiish this is by means Of the endoW-
ment system.
The Matter Discussed.
The address was discussed at some
length by Rev. Mr.. Williams, Rev. Dr.
Buck Rev. DR.. Alexander Mackay-Smhh
and Rev DR.. r. H. McKim, the latter two
expressing themselves as opposed to any
thing more than the limited or small en-
dowment, maintaining that a surplus of
wealth IN churches often results in mini
mum of spiritual advancement.
This closed the session of the morning,
and after luncheon. which was served to
the delegates by the ladies of the church,
the business of the conyocation was re-
sumed. This consisted, for the most part,
secretary and treasurer, and an address
by Rev. DR.. Mackay-Snith on the subject
Of cooperation of city and rural churches
in advancing the work Of the lew diocese
Of NNnSI Inn ton