The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-22
CLOSING WORK OF
REFORMED SYNOD
Officers Chosen and Place for Holding
Next Meeting Decided Upon.
THE FREEMANTLE RESOLUTION
II Was Adopted Aftor Being Revised
SO as to Provide for the Payment OF
Fifteen Cents by Each Communi-
cant Into a Fund for the support of
the Bishop--Report of tho Commits
tee on the Bassinger Home.

The seventeenth council of the Re-
formed Episcopal church of the New
York and Philadelphia synod closed
yesterday. The sessions have been of
unusual interest, and under the ex-
peditious direction of Bishop Nichol-
son but little time was lost in unneces-
sary discussions. The earnest devo-
tion of the Clergymen to their work OF
their churches was marked. Among
the faces missed at the meetings was
that of Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns, the form
er pastor of the Grace Reformed church
of this city.
Rev. Sidney Usher offered the open
ing prayer yesterday morning. Sec
retary Rudolph read the minutes of the
previous days session. The committee
on nominations presented the following
report through DIR. Hoffman, which
was adopted
President, Bishop William r. Nichol-
son, ID. D., eX-ohcio president of the
council; vice president, ID. !. Reynolds,
New York; secretary. Rev. Robert l..
Rudolph, New York; assistant secretary,
George W. Douglas, Newark, n. j.;
treasurer, Joseph Barton, Philadelphia.
Standing committee--Blshop William r.
Nicholson, Rev. j. Howard Smith, d. D.,
Philadelphia; Rev. G. w. Huntington,
Newburgh, n. Y; Rev. f. Il. Rager. ID.
D., Philadelphia: William A. Staunton,
Philadelphia; David II. Garrett, Phila-
delphia; Theodore r. Shear, New York
Trustees of the Synod-Bishop William
X. Nicholson, d. D., Rev. William Tracy,
ID. D., Rev. II. $. Hoffman, d. D., w.
II. Allen, Charles NJ. Morton, Theodore
r. Shear, ID. l. Reynolds.
Committee on Bassinger Home for
Aged and Disabled Clergymen-Rev. q.
w. Huntington, Rev w. r. Sabine, ID.
D., Rev. w, Dubois stevens, Mrs. George
c. Miller w. w. Lathropc.
The terms Of other committees and Off
GERS do not expire until 1898.
SETTLEMENT ASKED.
1t was decided to notify the parishes
holding unfulhlled pledges and ask for
settlement. The secretary read memoir
ials of Rev. Mason Gallagher and DR..
Brnckle, which We're Couched in beau
tiful dction. 1t was decided to add
members to committees without a
quorum in order to transact necessary
| business.
Rev. George w. Huntington. of New
burg reported for Home Missions. He
has been chairman of the committee
on the BassinEer Home for five years
and was reelected despite protests on
his part. His work has been greatly
appreciated during this time. He made
a clever address, which was received
| with applause.
| Rev. w. Il. Sabine, ID. D., for the
! finance committee. reported that the
! pledges certain and conditional, amount
| to $2176, which will leave a deficit Of
| $166. There are seven churches which
! have not given pledges. The financial
10, f, ,ta1
! the proposed appropriations was an
| item for the Church of the Holy Spirit,
! Brooklyn. Rev. Dr. Magrath said the
money would be as good as wasted
unless it was donated to the pastor of
! the church and his wife who have
made long continued and strenuous
! efforts to make the mission successful
! and have failed. The item was finally
| allowed. Nearly all the appropriations
were scaled down by the committee, a
| policy which is being pursued each
| year so as to make churches and mis-
| siOns eventually self-sustaining.
RESOLUTION REVISED.
! The resolution offered by Rev Mr..
| Freemantle Tuesday was reported with
! revision this morning by the finance
committee requiring that each church
| pay fifteen cents for every commune
| cant in its connection, such money to
! constitute a partial fund for the sup
! port of the bishop of the synod. The
resolution was adopted. The finance
committee recommended that the note
of the synod for $500 he renewed until
the next meeting Of the synod or until
| the note can he liquidated. On motion
of Rev. DR.. Hoffman this note and
! another of over $400 were referred to
| the synod trustees with power to act.
The whole report was then adopted.
The special committee to whom the
report of the chairman of the commit
tee on the Bassinger Home was re-
! ferred, presented the following report
After carefully considering the subject
matter of the Bassingcr Home in all its
| bearings your committee respectfully
| suggest to the synod that in their opln-
| ion ii would be wise to accept the prop
| ositon made by the owner of property
| adjoining the rectory at Murray Hill,
| n. j., and sell her our right, title and
| interest in the rectory, provided the pur-
| chase price be the actual value of the
| property sold.
| And further that I'm the event of such
! sale being consummated, the proceeds
| of sale be made the nucleus of an en-
! dowment fund for the future support of
| the Home, and that the standing COM
| mttce on the Bassngcr Home make ef-
| forts to procure further contributions to
| such an endowment fund, and when suf-
! iicient moneys have been secured that
said Home be opened to receive such of
| our aged and iniirm clergy as actually
| need help.
All of which Is respectfully submitted
! Theodore Shear, Joseph Barton, II. Sin
neman, special committee.
TRUSTEES EMPOWERED.
The subject was referred to the trus-