The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-11
Row TO run A PAPER.
Editor Dean Stills Given Points on
That Intricate Problem.
DIOCESAN MISSION FUNDS AP-
PORTIONED,

Annual Meeting of the Maine Episcopal
Clergy Concluded With a Somewhat
Spicy Session of the Board of Missions.
There was no lack of life in the usually
complacent annual meeting of the Board
OF Missions, which yesterday forenoon
concluded the sessions Of the Maine Epis-
copalians in this city. At no time did
the spirit of the meeting approach the
warmth manifested Wednesday afternoon,
when Rev. J. B. Papineau, of Oldtown,
was under censure, but it was, neverthe-
less, lively, protracted assemblage.
The subjects of the distribution of mis-
sionary funds and how best to conduct
the diocesan organ, edited by Dean Sills,
were the chief topics under discussion by
the Board during it's nearly three hours
session.
Bishop Nicely presided at the meeting,
and there was an attendance of about 20
clergy. The first matter brought up was
the report of the committee on missionary
appropriations, on whom devolved the
duty OF arranging an apportiOnment of
mission funds among the parishes in the
State that are not self supporting. Rev.
R. W. Plant, of Gardiner, submitted the
report, and its recommendations were
separately considered. The towns to
which the committee recommended CIV
ing the same amounts as last year were:
Oldtown, $175; Waterville $175; Exc
ter, 5000; Eastport, S175; Woodfords, s175;
1t : X i I'LL III n.xI
St. Barnabas church, Augusta, $325;
Ashland, 5000.
Rev. John S. Moody, of Rockland,
asked the Board to appropriate $50 for the
Thomaston branch of his parish, which
request, after some consideration, was
granted.
The parishes at Henderson and Sher-
man received $50 from the Board last
year. The committee recommended a
doubling of that amount Bishop Nicely
explained that he had just assigned Rev.
William III. Davis to the charge of those
churches, which had guaranteed s31 a
month toward the PASTORS support. The
committees recommendation was
adopted. u
A reduction from S125 to 800 was sug
gested in the apportionment to Camden
and Rockport. Rev. Henry Jones, the
rector, objected. He said he had submit
ted to reduction of $25 last year, on
account of the expense for repairs of the
church, but if still further reduction is
applied his already meagre salary would
be insufficient to support him. Contri-
buttons in lbs parish have fallen off con-
siderably in the last two years. One
Rockport man. who has year after year
contributed 800 toward the support of the
parish, had been obliged to withdraw his
pledge, owing to business reverses.
Rev. Mr.. Plant explained that at the
hoct ha ocIy ic moi IN, wi
able one, and that it is hard to figure out
a total apportionment of So. 400. based on
guarantee of only ", 100.
On motion of Dean Stills the appropria-
ton of last year was duplicated.
When the parishes of Richmond, Halo
well, and st. Barnabas church, Augusta,
were reached the rector Rev. W. f. Liv-
ingstone, recommended that the usual
appropriation of 1926 be made on con-
dition that the Richmond parish pay the
expense of the rector's travelling expen-
ses, amounting to about $50 year.
Rev. j. B. Shepherd, of Portland, said
the Board could not stipulate such a
condition. 1t would be establishing an
llnwise precedent. He moved that the
Board simply recommend that the Rich
mind parish pay the expense in question.
After considerable discussion the regu-
lar appropriation was made, and vote
of recommendation passed.
VIM was increased from S4O0 to $3.50, but
Rev. Harry Hudson explained that the
sum was really duplicate of what that
parish received from the Board last year,
a special appropriation of $50 having been
made at the close of the year.
Discussion then ensued on the general
question of how best to raise money for
missions. Rev. Mr. Plant, of the COM
mittee, called attention to the fact that
the Board had appropriated So 1916, on the
basis of last years receipts of only So, DAP.
He asked how this deficit was to be met.
The Bishop replied that he could raise
that whole sum in St. Luke's parish, if
necessary, but he did not desire to- He
would rather if $500 was to be raised that
500 people contribute Il each than that
the whole sum should be given by one
person. He urged the adoption of plan
of systematic mission contributions
among the parishes. AS long as the peo-
pie think they are giving enough they
will not increase their contributions
The raising of funds must be brought
about by effort on the part of the clergy
Rev. G. L. Ogden, of Woodfords, who
for 10 years has been secretary of the
Board, remarked on the general falling
off of missionary contributions through
out the Diocese. Portland contributes
much less than it did five years ago,
Bangor less, and Augusta only one half
what it formerly gave. A similar shrink
The Bishop attributed this loss largely
belief that a favorable reaction will come.