Evening star., 1901-10-02
CHURCHM len MEET
Important Convention of the P. E.
Church at Frisco.
WELCOMED BY BISHOP MORRIS
He Alludes to the Wonderful
Development of the West.
THE ATTENDANCE Is LARGE

SAN FRANCISCO. October 2-The trien-
nial convention of Episcopal bishops. clergy
and laity was inaugurated at 1:30 am.
with the celebration of the holy COM
munion In the local Episcopal churches
At IL am. the convention was formally
opened at Trinity Church with solemn re-
ligious exercises. Seventy-hve bishops as
sembled in the guild room of the church
and put on their robes. They then formed
in procession and, leaving the guild room
marched up Bush street to the main en-
trance of the church. continuing up the
center aisle. The procession was headed by
Rev. F. W. Clampett, rector of Trinity
Church. Then came Secretary Hart of the
| house of bishops and Rev. Charles l..
Hutchins, secretary of the house of depu-
ties. Following were the Junior bishops
and then the older prelates in the order Of
seniority of conservation. When the head
of the procession reached the chancel IL
stood for a moment and divided into two
lines to allow the senior bishops to pass
and enter the sanctuary in the reversed
order of entering the church The choir
sang the professional hymn while the bish-
ops moved along, and the intrOit of the
service was intoned. Communion followed
the preparatory prayers, and the religious
offices concluded with the recessional.
The convocation sermon was preached by
Bishop Morris of Oregon, the senior at
tending bishop.
Organized for Business.
In the afternoon the house of bishops and
the delegates of the house of deputies met
and organized for business.
The convention will continue in session
for nineteen days, with various meetings.
Prominent among the delegates who ar
rived yesterday were ]. Pierpont Morgan,
Bishop Potter and party Of eastern bsh-
ops and laymen, the guests of Mr.. Morgan.
~tA Al
Ninety bishops, 400 clergymen and $500
laymen are expected to be here.
The convention promises to be the most
notable since the original convention 112
years ago. Many important questions are
scheduled for consideration. Foremost
among them are the final acceptance Of
the constitution drafted by the conven-
tion at Washington. in 1898. and since
carefully scrutinied by every diocese in
the country; the canons, or laws, of the
church; the special report on the canon
on marriage and divorce, as understood by
the Episcopal Church, and the church's
course toward Porto Rico, the Philippines,
Hawaii and Cuba
According to the rules of the church.
the convention is presided over by the
bishop Of longest service present. Ac-
cording to this rule. Bishop Tuttle of Mis-
souri, will be presiding bishop.
Bishop Norris Sermon
The sermon by the venerable Bishop Nor
ris was strong missionary plea from the
text Launch out into the deep and let
down your nets for draught," and JOSH
ua's words to the children of Israel. How
long are We slack to go to possess the land"
He declared that the mission of the church
of Jesus Christ was to all nations, ranks
and conditions. She is to launch out and
cast her nets into the deeps of ignorance,
poverty, unthrift, sorrow, shame and
crushing grief, the deeps of avarice, too.
well as besotted worldliness and stolid
stupid indifference. 1t was for the further
ance of this work by the use of the best
means that the members of the convention
were gathered here in this-to the most Of
them-far-of part of the country. AS a
resident of the Pacific coast for thirty
years he felt that he could speak as one
who knew its needs and Its promises, and
was aware of the slackness of the church
in coming out to possess this good land.
The bishop quoted from speech lately
delivered by President Roosevelt at Denver
in which the then Vice President showed
how slow the statesmen Of the early days
of our country,s history were to realize
that the great west was to become an in
habited and civilized land within any rea.
sonable period. This ignorance was reflect
ed in the church. Opportunities were ne
elected because of it, and the CONSEQUENT
loss to the church is irreparable. Speaking
OF the suggestion from some pastors that
the missionary organization needs recon-
structing. the bishop placed himself on rec
ord as an unbeliever in the necessity of
radical reorganization. He said he did not
believe the church had ever had a more
efficient missionary administration than Mt
present. 1T is the old story" he added
of seeking some one else on whom to Law
the blame, instead of taking IL home to
themselves II all the clergy, bishops and
laity had done as well as a few have done
there would have been no occasion for this
cry for the reconstruction of our mission
ary system"