The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-07
THE NEW DIOCESE FUND
REV. A. j. GRAHAM DISCUSSED IT AT
CHRIST CHURCH LAST NIGHT.
vision of the EndOw-
ment.

| Thee to keep Thy household the church ii
| continual godliness that through Thy pro-
| lection it may be free from all adversities,
and devoutly given to serve Thee in good
works, to the glory of Thy name; through
| Jesus Christ, our Lord" He said: The
| church is a household and the Lord is the
head Of it. We should pray the Lord to
| keep the household in godliness-godlikene
and then do all we can to assist the Lord ;
otherwise we are religious deadbeats,' seek
| ing something for nothing. Godlikeness is
| like the plain, faithful life of the Son OF
| Man; it screens off adversties from the
church Three adversites which the church
encounters are: First, ignorance OF her
foundations and blessings; second, paralysis
of activities, and third, bankruptcy of re-
ligious life and work. A church blessed
with religious intelligence and activity will
be given to all good works
'The church is in the world to save men,
not to be saved by them. Christians do not
rise to the measure of their opportunity
They have permitted the civil power to car
~ on most OF the humanitarian work while
they are busy trying to see now little they
can do and yet save their church. A church
that simply supports itself cumbers the
earth; let it die, Tor it will die anyway. 1t
is humiliating to ponder over the little pitt
full methods to which many churches are
compelled TO resort to keep the wolf from
the door, Cast away the idea that the OBJ
! ject OF Christianity is to save the church
i and first let the church, with its message
and sacrament, save you. The future OF
this church will be its present, plus or
minus what you permit it to do for your
souls"
DIOCESAN FINANCES.
AT the evening service Mr.. Graham read
the bishops pastoral and then said:
Il would touch now upon matters which
| closely concern us in Indiana For some
time The DIVISION of this diocese has been
earnestly sought and sadly needed. one
| bishop should De able to care tor all exist
ing parishes and missions, but he could not
develop the untouched ground. AT the uio-
| cesar convention OF Inalana held IN Indian
apoits last June the following motion was
passed ana appears on Page 20 OF the jour
nal OF 1898:
" 'hesoved, That in the judgment of the
| convention the time has come for the di-
VISOR OF the diocese of indiana.
! " Resolved, That in view OF such division
the present conversational lines shall con-
! stituJe the division OF divisions OF SAID new
diocese or dloceSeS when formed
| " RESOLVED, 1nat a committee consisting
| OF three clersymen and three laymen lIViaE
within the limits of the proposed new dio-
cese or dIoceseS be appointed by the bishop
to raise by parochial and personal pledges
sum suInclent to endow the episcopate in
| ton OF the General Convention, said pledges
! to be submitted to the bishop of Indiana
and TO the trustees of the diocese for their
| approval
Z" Resolved, That on the formation OF
| such new diocese or dioCeseS there shall be
just and equitable division of the present
| endowment fund and all other property in
terests.
| Apparently the gentlemen appointed were
| successful in raising an endowment in COM
| pliance with Article of the general church,
! Tor the General Convention by vote ratified
| the action of the Indiana Convention to
! division. Ratification follows, does not pre-
/ coded the real thing. Furthermore Article
of the constitution of the general church
| says: In case one diocese snall be divided
| into two or more dioceseS the bishop OF the
| diocese divided may elect the one to which
/ he Will be attached, and he shall thereupon
/ become the bishop thereof
Bishop White at once elected the northern
! third of Indiana. 1t would seem, therefore,
! that unless some special provisions have
! been made, in electing northern Indiana he
| at the same time resigned from this do
/ cese. The northern diocese includes ali that
| portion of the State lying north of the
| ton, White, Carroll, Howard, Grant, Black
! ford and Jay. 1t will be observed that the
| third section of the resolution referred to
says that on the formation of such new
! diocese or dioceses there shall be just and
| equitable division of the present endowment
fund and all other property interests. Such
! division of property must be made after the
| formation of the new diocese; presupposes,
| If rightly interpret the laws, that the pri-
! IudTy COI1NGullOI OF the new diocese mas
! been called and organized. No officers of
| the diocese are at present empowered to
make division of the property. That can
! be done only by the conventions of the do
] ceses or by committees specially authorized
| to do 1t. This proposed division is not so
| simple matter as would at first appear.
| The endowment fund referred to is the fund
| for the support of the bishop.
| 'On Page 66, conventional journal of 1898,
this fund is said to amount to $64 1914, as
| follows
Five houses and property, st. Joe
and Pennsylvania streets ........... $32, 246OO
Property on Pennsylvania street,
! near Michigan street, formerly
used as the bishops residence. %, 100
Bills receivable Observation-Disclosures. 64G0 "A
Furniture, carpets, etc................ S6412
| Cash on hand. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 432S
Making total of................S6 4 1914
I'VE believe the $4,000 item should be
| about $4,000 so real estate men say; not
| more than that. The fund would then
stand, provided bills receivable are all good
| and furniture and carpets have not de-
| Perforated at $57, 6l914 In dividing this fund
| three things are taken into account: First,
! is this fund in debt? Are there any claims
| against it? Second, what portion of the
| fund was contributed by the portion of the
| State known as the new diocese? Third,
| what is the present interest-bearing power
of the fund? Other complications may
arise. do not care to say anything about
| the other properties Of the diocese at this
time.
Granting that we have an endowment
| tically tied for good many years, reducing
| our fund to $39, 619.14. If, as is intimated,
| $1,000 will go to the north, we shall have an
! Understanding fund of round $50 0C0 to-
! ward our bishops support. This could not
| possibly net us over per cent. affording
| $3.50 a. year to episcopal support. 1t is
! quito certain that equal sum would come
| from parishes and missions. and that So 600
| and a residence is, to my mind, the utmost
! we can offer our new bishop. That is q cut
| of $500, but it is inevitable unless large
| means are secured in some other way In
| June, 1898, the treasurer reported that ST.
| 402.22 journal, Page 7S) had been borrowed
| to make up episcopal salary, and ii is prob
| ably true that at this date there is a net
| debt of nearly $1,000 There are a good many
| people who think that in justice to the i'm
| coming bishop and ourselves we should let
! a few months elapse between the exit OF the
| There seems to be no other practical course
unless we induce some persons to pay
| this 81 900 debt for us. In the interim the
standing committee could easily arrange a
| series of missionary meetings by clergy and
| laymen which would keep up the interest
| in the work. Facts confront u.s. and debts
should not be permitted to nile up and no
| obligations be assumed except such as we
| can reason6 bly, meet.
| Probably no man in Indiana can be or
| ought to be elected bishop Of this diocese
| We want and sadly need a much more eligi-
| BILE man than can be found in our midst
| We need a man whose name and piety and
! large heartedness are well known in the
! church. Many are already mentioned for
| the place. among them Bishop Groves, of
| the Platte: Rev. j. j. Faude. of Minneap-
oils; DR.. James S. Stone, of Chicago, and
| DR. r. H. McKim of Washington All are