Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-05-19
EPISCOPAL COUNCIL.
SECOND pAY-M0RNING SESSION.

nesday, May is, 1S99.-The council
met for business at ten o'clock. The
order of the day was the address OF
Bishop Whittle which we summarize as
follows: visitations, 80; combinations,
white 3l4, colored 1; total 31S: postu
lants received, ,; present number, 5;
candidates for deacon's orders admitted,
/; present number, 10; candidates for
priests orders admitted, 3; pres
ent number II; deacons ordain-
ed, 8; letters dimissory given, 4;
letters dismissory accepted 4; dea-
conesses received, l; lay readers IL
censed, II; churches consecrated, >;
present number of ministers, 50; en-
gagged in parochial work, 65; churches
and chapels in the diocese, 164.
The bishop regretted to say that there
were fewer candidates for orders in the
diocese than there has been for some
years and commended this fact to the
! prayerful attention of the clergy and
laity, as the fields are so white unto the
harvest. Continuing he said : "This Is
q significant and alarming fact. 1t GER
tainly seems to indicate O decline Of
| spirituality and an increase of worldli-
ness among our church people. This
state OF thing must have cause and
! ought to produce great searchngs OF
heart on the part of my brother minis
| tiers TO discover what the cause is. For
years past very few-scarcely any-of
! our candidates have come from the
; cities and towns. We have had to de-
pend almost entirely on our country
| parishes, but if these are now to fail US
| it is sad and alarming, indeed, to con-
template what the end must be. ="
He also reminded the council
of the real necessity for literally sus-
tanning the Education and Diocesan
Missionary Societies of the diocese, as
the former sends laborers into the vine
| yard and the latter sustains them at
their work. There have been no deaths
to report among the clergy during the
past year and the bishop expressed
thsnkfulpess to Providence for the i'm
provement of his own health which
mas enabled him to do good amount
Of work
The standing committee of the do
cese was reelected and the diocesan
executive committee with one or two
| changes.
A vote OF thanks was unanimously
passed by the council to Mrs. J. E. B.
Stuart for her successful administration
as principal of the Virginia Female In
stitute, and the council expressed its
sincere regrets that her duties are to
cease with the close OF the present SEES
sion.
A report from the committee on the
canonical connection of the convoca-
ton with the council, appointed at its
! last meeting was presented by the Rev
! II. 3. Lee, OF Charlottesville. Among
other things it suggested that the con-
vocations should each elect one of their
members to the council for membership
on the board of the executive commit
tee OF the Diocesan Missionary Society
An interesting debate followed, which
was participated in by the Revs. Jno.
McGill, D. D., G.. W. Nelson, Robt. A.
Goodwin, II. B. Lee. G. T. Ball, n. G..
England, John S. Hansborough, L. r.
Mason, Jno. r. Ellis, Bishop Penick,
and VIM. NJ. Clark
Judge A. W. Wallace offered the fol.
lowing substitute for the report of the
committee
Resolved, That the council authorize
the diocesan executive committee to
send representative to the convoca-
tons so as to ascertain the needs of the
district covered by them and that the
secretary of each convocation be re-
quested to report fully after the meet
ing of the convocation the requirements
OF such convocations and their desire to
be represented on the executive COM
miitee.
A vote was taken and the substitute
was lost.
The report OF the committee was then
voted upon by separate resolutions and
accepted by the council,
A recess was then taken until four
o'clock this evening.
EVENING SESSION.
The council reassembled at 4 O'Clock
and was called to order by Bishop
Wbittle.
The Rev. P. P Philips, of st. Paul's
Church, Alexandra, read the reports
of the standing committee of the do
cese and OF the board of trustees of the
Seminary and High School. These in
stitutions are reported in excellent con-
dition,
The traternal greetings of the coun-
Gil were sent to the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church now in SEES
sion in the city,
Bishop Gibson then read his annual
report in which he asked for mission
fund to be used at the discretion of the
bishop similar to that so successfully
managed by Bishop Peterkin, of West
Virginia. He also called attention to
the Importance of the widows and or
phans' fund of the diocese and hoped
that the contributions to this would be
increased. Three hundred and forty
two candidates have been confirmed by
him.
Mr.. Jno. G. Williams, of Orange
Court House, presented the report on
clerical support. Eighty churches have
paid their salaries in full; some three
or four of these bave given amounts
over and above the salary promised.
Eight churches are delinquent to the
aggregate amount of about $275.
The time had now arrived for the
council conference on Sunday school
work. The discussion was opened by
the Rev. Robt. A. Goodwin and Mr..
Ruffin, of Richmond. A number of
nthar, follnued and nfferad soma infer- |