St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-14
SAIN T Paul
DUES OF A DIOCESE.
1t Furnishes "a Subject of Much Dis
cussiOn to the Church CIuh.

cusS1On TO the Church Club.
Nearly hundred representative Episcopa-
lians, members of the Church Club of the
Diocese of Minnesota, gathered at the Metro
pclitan hotel last night to attend the reg
ular Easter meeting of the organization to
discuss the usual banquet, and to hear read
and discussed papers on matters pertaining
to the church and it's administration.
Ir the absence of President r. R. Nelson
who is sojourntng in Florida, the chair at the
head of the banquet table was filled by Vice
President w. H. Lightner. The members
sat down at $3.50 to dine, and when the cigars
had been reached, Mr.. Lightner announced
the subject of the evening, which was en-
braced in the question, "How Best to Meet
Parish Obligations to the Diocese?" Rev.
F. T. Webb, of st. Pauls church, Minneap-
Oils, first approached the subject, which, he
explained, was one of vital Importance to
both parish and diocese. He touched on the
various diocesan expenses, and expressed
some curiosity as to how the obligations of
the diocese for the present year were to be
met unless some active work was undertaken
without further loss of time. He advocated
retrenchment, although he said no one could
fail to note what glorious work Mime
sofa was doing in the line of ecclesiastical
missions. He further favored an increased
endowment fund, or action which would make
the present fund more productive in the way
Of better investment, and as fourth recon-
mendation, he thought increased assessments
might obviate the difficulty. He considered
the problem of the church the problem of the
bank, the business man and of the govern
ment, and urged that the support of the epis-
copate Is the price of the privilege of being
good churchmen and necessity from which
there is no escape.
John H. Ames, of st. Paurs church, this
city, treasurer of the diocesan fund, spoke
hr,0 h,,% - h. @i,- i
neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet,
but he hoped he could make a suggestion or
two which would tend to lead his hearers out
of the Cimmerlan darkness in which they
seemed to be regarding the matter in hand.
The ancient pyramids of Egypt were not he
argued, a natural uDheaval of nature, but
were the result of long and patient toll and
effcrt So must the success OF the present
effort to ittingly support the diocese. He fig
ured that in the diocese there were about &c.
600 people in the church, of which perhaps
49, 900 had been confirmed, and had vowed to
support the church The division of the do
cese, soon to be made would put 5000 into
tho northern district, leaving 5000 loyal sons
and daughters Of the church. The current ex-
pense for the year he figured as follows Sup
port of the episcopate, $1,000; diocesan mis-
sions, $6,500; archdeacon's salary, 81, 800; sup
port Of the annual convention, $500; total,
$14, 100. This sum, to be borne by 5000 people,
by means of a system of subscription, would
impose only very light tax on each.
This, he explained, was without including
all the other people in the church who had not
vowed to, but always aided in the support of
the church.
E. H. Hobrook, of Minneapolis treasurer of
the episcopate fund, submitted q financial
statement which set forth the portions to be
borne by the various parishes, and also that
many of them had been backward about