The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-09
NOTABLE FEATURES
OF GREAT MEETING
Provisional P Progr am of
Episcopal Convention in
Richmond Issued.
QUESTION OF
NEGRO BISHOPS
Many Other Important Problems
TO Be Passed Upon by Body.
The Conservation Of Holy
Trinity Will Be all
Important
Event.

Event.
Attention in Richmond is beginning
t. center on the great triennial con.
vention of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in the United States, which as
sembles In this city on October I'd
This gathering is considered by many
to be the most notable church conven.
ton In this country, including as
1t does the entire Episcopal denomina-
tion in the United States and being
the supreme court OF that body. The
convention meets but one in three
years. and for three weeks considers
wide range of matters connected
with the welfare of the body which
lit represents.
The convention is notable in the se-
Lection of men who will make up it's
number. Not only will all the bishops
of the church and several hundred of
the more prominent clergy be IN at
tendance. but there will also be here as
delegates to the mousse of deputies
remarkably strong body of prominent
laymen. men who represent much Of
the progressive thought of the coun-
try. Among tie delegates will be Judges,
United States Senators. members of
fluential business men. college pro-
fessors and editors of note.
Provisional Program.
provisional program has been
drawn up for the sessions of the con-
vention, the bishops sitting in the
hall of the House of Delegates in the
State Capitol, and the deputies in st.
Pauls Church., just outside the Capitol
Square Sessions will open at A.
| M. daily and continue until 5 p, NJ,
with adjournment from to 3 for
| lunch.
October 1st. the day previous to the
opening of the convention, will see tho
| CONSERVATION of Holy Trinity Church,
at Laurel and Floyd Avenue. and in
this church will be held the formal
opening and closing services of the
general convention. Perhap; the most
| notable visitor in attendance on the
convention will be the Lord Bishop of
London. who comes over As the official
representative of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, to convey the fraterna!
greetings of the Churn, of England.
The Lord Bishop of London will be the
preacher at the opening service at
Holy Trinity Church Two other dis
tinguished English bishops will be in
attendance on this service Bishop
| Jacobs. of the diocese of st. Albans.
and Bishop Montgomery, of the So
ciety for the Propagation CT the Cos
| pei. the great English missionary or
gantzation. Visiting bishops from
Canada and from the West Indies will
also be on hand. as we'll as many of
the missionary bishops of the Amert-
can church.
Marriage and Divorce.
Quite number of questions of great
| Importance are scheduled to come be-
fore this convention, and In fact some,
of the most Interesting matters before.
| the Boston convention of three years
| ago were referred to az. interim COM
mittees, who will report at this met.
| ing.
The question of marriage and divorce
| is certain to provoke a discussion in
the house of deputies. For some years
the church has been greatly alarmed
| at the condition of social and family
! life, and the enormous increase of dis
vorces. At the general convention in
Boston, more stringent canon
| was passed. bit many of the dele-
gates are not yet satisfied. and VIII
push for even more limitations Of
the remarrying o. divorced per-
| sons. A canon was introduced at
the Boston convention forbidding the
clergy to remarry any divorced per-
| sons whether the innocent or guilty
party, and fifty-one out of seventy
four bishops favored it's adoption The
canon Nas lost in the house OF depurs
ties by remarkably close vote. There
lis every reason to believe that the dis
cussion will be renewed before the
coming convention, many of the lead
ers of the convention having already
placed themselves on record as to the
matter.
Negro Bishops.
A question which will prove to be
OF great interest. and which many re-
gret to take up in q. convention meet
/ ing In a Southern city, Will be the
creation of negro bishops. and curious
ly enough, the leading opponents arg
said to be Northern and Western men,,
The best method of reaching and in-
fluencing for good the large numbers
of negroes in this country is recos-
nised as one of the most Importan'
problems before the church AZ lhi'
time The negroes are maklng the
request for bishop of their own race
lin other words. that a missionary
Jurisdiction be set apart In q oloGess
or in group of dioceses 10 pc pre-
sided over BY a negro hishop. lhoss
| dioceses having active negro aWo.a
/ are said to- desire the move. "liss
/ others are SITonSl pPPS-''tes
nuestion nresents many difilcnlt sides
none more so than the social dues.
ton involved. According to the cam
ons OF the church bishop is D. bishop
lwhereVer ha goes, and must oe TO-
Iceivea as such, Once consecrated TO
! tbe office he is always a bishop and
entitled to recognition as such,
J While a negro bishop might be
most efticient agent for the wost
among his own peopls. i + hardly
thought that the house OF bishops -
1 ready to accord a seat to a negro
| from the far South. And at every
general convention. the colored bishop
would have TO take precedence over
Ian the clerical and lay delegates. ~
Ial social and semt-sociaE ratrs.
Missionary interests will also take up
lmuch OF the time and attention of thsa
lconvention AtAthe Boston cpnyersr
ltion II was decided in Escosntticn