Evening star., 1906-03-11

| the religious life of the national capital
| is Henry Cooper Amos. city missionary of
| the Protestant Episcopal Church in the
| diocese OF Washington. His good deeds
! are manifold II is declared by ciergymen
and others who know him best and his
| humanitarian offices have been the means
| of building ap an organization in the
Episcopal Church here that has been a
| great benefit 10 communicates of the
! church and citizens at large. II is HIS
| duty to sow seeds of Christian character
! among the lowly. and in addition to carry
| religious consolation to many who have
| strayed from the path of rectitude.
| Through the aid of the Auxiliary Mission
| ary Society of the diocese of washington
he is enabled to provide the poor and af-
| ficted with the necessities of life.
| While his mission is particularly to care !
| for the members of his own church in
need of spiritual and material assistance,
Mr.. Amos is ever alive to the needs of
| mankind In general. II Is the invariaole
rule with this missionary that wherever
/ the distressed needy may be found the |
material want is first satisfied, and then.
| If need be, the spiritual condition is given
| attention He is a familiar figure about !
! the hospitals and correctional institutions
| of Washington. and also In Episcopal
| churches, where now and then he goes TO
| address the congregations his work |
| invaria bly, arousfng the utmost enthuSi- |
| asm. 1t is doubtless fact that mission
! ary work appeals to all classes and repre-
| sentatives of the Christian religion. 1t is
| work that has appealed to MI Amos
since his earliest manhood. and since To-
| eating In Washington this ambition has
| been realized to an extent gratifying both
to the clergy and laity.
| Henry Cooper Amos is an Englishman
| by birth, having been born IN Stafford
| shire. His forbears were all high church
| men, and some of them are said to have
| worldly affairs When young man Mr..
| Amos went to London. where he was
| trained for the profession OF civil en-
gineer. His forte was railroad work ana
| 1t was on such an enterprise that he Wis
tied the continent, touring italy. spain |
and France. being employed by Thomas
| Brassey & Co, AS stated, Mr.. Amos |
| had an Unborn desire to engage In mission
| ary work. and Il was while on this trip to
| foreign countries that he began his initial
iabGrs @ ss ans hs
| was gratifying On his return to London
| he did still more. particularly In the
densely settled portions Of the British
| metropolis.
| Then came a trip to South America.
| travelling from the east to the west coast
| several times. Here he prosecuted his
| missionary labors with much more vfgor.
| and having settled In Callao. Peru, Tor a
considerable period. he was given charge
| of a chapel Here there was much WORK J
| to be done into which Mr.. Amos entered
| with spirit and vigor. He fell a victim OF
| yellow fever and went back to London
|
| In 1870 Mr.. Amos was married, his bride
being Miss Ida Broonfield. After lapse
| of six years the couple came to the United
| States Mr.. Amos first located In Tennes-
see. where his firm had extensive railroad
| contracts In his professional capacity the
city missionary traversed practically the
| entire state and has the distinction of hav-
ing conducted the first Episcopal service
| in many towns, hamlets and mountain-slde
inns and 'shacks" throughout that pic
I'm Ia = n
| ried the word OF God where 1t was never |
! known before. While this may appear 10 |
be broad assertion 1t is declared that
| such was the case in number of instances |
| in the more remote parts of eastern Ten |
| nessee Mr.. Amos became particularly at |
| tached to the work in this section and hav- |
| ing become popular with his charges, they |
! were deslrous of having him remain. Geor- |
| gia and Virginia were later the scenes OF
| his ministerial endeavors.
| Fourteen years ago Mr.: Amos and his |
| family came to Washington and, news of |
| his work having preceded him. the lay |
preacher was given hearty welcome by
| the clergy and communicates of local Prot |
| estant Episcopal churches. He bore an |
| active part in religious and charitable |
work At the solicitation OF friends Mr.:
| Amos took several years OF theological |
| studies but has never received holy or |
| ders. His rank in the church is that OF |
| lay reader. through which he is empowered /
| to exercise the same Offices as formally /
| ordained Episcopal clergyman, except the |
| giving OF communion and the performance |
| of marriage ceremonies. MIR. Amos mas. /
| as stated assisted in the sanctuaries of |
| all the Episcopal churches in this city. and /
| is frequently called on to take service in |
| the absence of pastor and assistant, or in |
the numerous Episcopal chapels here. |
| Rt Rev. Alexander Mackay-Smtth, coad- /
| juter bishop of the diocese of Philadelphia, |
| who for eight years was pastor of st. Johns |
| Episcopal Church, this city, became in |
| terested In Mr.. Amos and his work, and II /
| was due to his influence and personal as /
| sistance that the latter was enabled 10 lay |
| aside business pursuits and devote his en- |
| tire time and attention to local missionary |
| work Dr. T. S. Childs rector of All Saints |
| Church. Chevy Chase. was at the time |
| archdeacon of Washington, and also gave |
| the project the benefit of his best endeav- /
ors.
| friends among the clergy and laity. and Il |
| finally grew so large and became OF such |
Importance In connection with diocesan |
| work that in December, 1908, an auxlhary |
/ missionary society was formed. At the pc
| ginning OF the movement tetter was
| sued from the archdeaconry of Washington.
| which is self-explanatory:
"The purpose OF this paper is TO call your
| attention to, and to secure your interest
| and co-operation In. the work done IN TINS
city by the city missionary. Mr.. Henry y.
Amos, under the supervision OF Archdeacon
Richard P Williams. rector OF TRINITY par
| ish and the head of the archdeaconry OF
| .sMr Amos is the only person connected
| with our church who, under the auspices
| of fhe church authorities. Is engaged III
| the truly missionary work OF holding reng-
ious services among, and personas. Mr
| ing the poor the sick and the outcast., Mr:
Xnos dsvotes his entire time to work at |