Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-08
FOR GREAT MEMORIAL
Plan to Observe Anniversary of
Church in America.
BISHOP GREER'S OWN IDEA
Would Raise Funds to Commemorate
Tercentenary.
AN OFFERING FOR MISSIONS
Prelate Appeals for Unity in Action
Among Clergy and Laity to
Further the Movement.
N OFFERING FOR MISSIONS

NEW YORK, February S-A movement
to promote a great missionary thank offer
ing, concentrating the 3O0th anniversary
of the establishment of the English Chris
tan Church in America, was launched at
the annual dinner Of the Church Club at
Delmonico's last night. Bishop Greer made
the address in which the idea was formally
presented to the club, and through it to
the clergy and laity of the Protestant Epis-
copal Church.
Bishop Greer's announcement was not en-
t1rely unexpected, as the matter has been
unofhcially talked of before, but It was the
first public presentation Of the plan. 1t is
the intention to have the offering COM
pleted by the annual convention of the
Church clubs in September, in Richmond,
Va
The dinner. which was held in the red
room of Demonico's, was attended by
about 100 of the most prominent clergymen
and laymen of the Episcopal Church in the
city and vicinity. AZ the guests table were
George MacCullouch Miller, the Rev. DR..
George Christian, Frederick Cook More
house, the Rev. William ]. Manning, Dean
Van Amringe of Columbia, George F. Ia
briskie and the Rev. w. R. Query
Others present were William j. Schief-
felin, George F. Crane, James j. Goodwin
and Prof Burr Bishop Potter sent his re-
gretS
The list of speakers included. besides
Bishop Greer, the Rev. William T. Man.
ming, the Rev. F. w. Kinsman and Fred
erick Cook Morehouse, editor of the Living
Church.
Bishop Greer's Speech.
The president of the club, Dean Van Am
ringe. spoke of the object of the club and
its immediate duty in the mems thank Of
fering of 1907, introducing Bishop Greer
to speak on that topic. Bishop Greer said,
in part:
when the general convention shall meet
this fall in Richmond, Va, three hundred
years will have passed since the first COM
muniOn was celebrated in Jamestown in
1907, thirteen years before the Pilgrims
landed in New England and in commemor-
alton of that event the men of the church
are asked to unite in making grand mis-
sionary offering or fund for use In further
ance of the missionary work of the church,
though If any man wishes his gift to be ap-
piled to any particular work he is at lib
erty to have it SO applied.
There Is going to be an eventful move
ment in the history of the American
church. 1t may become the turning point
In its history. Not because it will be some
thing new or without precedent, as far, at
least as the men are concerned, although
1t may be that; nor because it will increase
the church's mission fund, although it will
do that; but these are not the chief ends
of 1t. There are others deeper and far
more important in bearing.
Unity is Necessary.
There Is, first of all, what I call the
unity value of the movement, in bringing
the members of the church into unity of
action and purpose, lest the cleavage lines
of the social structure become cut too Deep
That's what this movement means. Not
With party note or a church note not
with partisan action suggestion but
that all the men of the church, clergy and
laity alike, simply churchmen, standing
together in one unbroken line, shoulder to
shoulder, uniting in an offering of thank
fitness to God for what the church has
done to establish on this American CONT
nent the church Of Jesus Christ.
Further, 1t is intended to be a great re-
ligious movement to deepen the religious
faith and life Of the church. Why is this
not as strong as 1t should be? There is
not enough of the spirit of sacrifice in our
religious life; it doesn't cost enough; we
don't pay the price; We don't make big
enough investment in it. And so an offer
ing of money Is the only way in this COM
mercial age, when money is the blood
organization, in which we may make a
sacrificial offering-an offering which costs,
to some extent.
1T is not for the sake Of the money which
the man gives, but for tie sake of the
man; not the money invested, but the in
vestment of the man. 1t is going to need
something more than the moral restraint
imposed by law; it is going to need a
deeper than statutory enactment to restrict
conditions that is threatening 1t is onlv
through the interesting of the men in a
higher plane of religious life that there is
hope for the future