The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-02
by THE REV. ERNEST EARLE OS-
GOOD, Rcctor OF Emmanuel Church.

GOOD, Rcctur OF Emmanuel Church.
HE Protestant Episcopal Church
in the United States of America
has has, been 81. missionary n..s in parDe Sc
founders of the illfated Roanoke
Colony was certain Master Hariot,
whose effort to convert the Indians
marks him as the first English mission
AIRY upon the new continent. The year
1897 is forever memorable in the am
mails of the American church as wit
Messing the baptism not only of the
first English child born in the new
land, but also of the first Indian con-
vert to Protestant Christianity.
When in 1907 that little company OF
English churchmen set sail on a voy-
age which should result in the found
ing of new nation. they were directed
by royal authority to bring the heath
en- natives as far as possible within
the sacred influence of the AL, .ican
Church's rites and doctrines. The
faithful and consecrated efforts OF the
| Rev. Alexander Whitaker, first minister
of Henrico Parish, We're rewarded by
| the conversion and baptism Of the
heather princess Pocahontas, and won
| for him the title of Apostle to the
| Indians" The proposed Henrico Col
| lege of about 1920 was to be estab-
lished for the sons of Englishmen and
| also for promising Indian boys who
/ might become missionaries among their
own people. The charter Of William
and Mary College, granted in 1893, con-
tains as one of it's chief provisions
that the Christian faith may be pro.
pagated amongst the Western Indians
to the glory of Almighty Cod
And although force of circumstances
thwarted the attainment of the ideal
still the fact remains that the Church
of England, as regards the American
colonies, was missionary in her pur-
pose.
The Oldest Society.
The Oldest missionary society in thu
English Church-the Society for thu
Propagation Of the Gospel in Foreigr
Parts-was founded to answer thu
spiritual needs Of the American colo
MES. With but scauty funds. the ven
cradle society rendered incalculabi
missionary aid to the new land b.
sending out and supporting many cler
gymen. Her expenditures for the col
ony of Rhode Island alone are esti
mated to have reached the sum Q
100000
The missionary spirit of the motlle
church in the American colonies ha
descended to her daughter, the Pro
testant Episcopal Church in the Unite
ISldleS OIL filllcIlCd. i " Dt SuA CJ VI
lack of immediate supervision Of Dish
ops until 1856, the great loss OF churc
property during the Revolution, an
intense opposition from without, 70
a time retarded the church's growtl
compelled her to assume the offensive
and crippled her missionary progress!
Early, however, In the nineteenth cen
fury, the missionary spirit was re
awakened in men like Bishop Hobar
hi GRO II,
other duties, IN a large and undivide
diocese, devoted much attention to tn
conversion of the Oneida Indians, cor
ifirming eighty-nine Of their numbe
In a single year.
Bishop Griswold. by his indefatigabl
labors, carving FIVE dioceses out of or
original poor and weak diocese; Bisho
Chase, who. in spite of his eccentric
titles, organized two dloceses and fount
ed two colleges; Bishop Ravenscrof
a Virginian by birth, finding fol
churches in North Carolina, and {
his death leaving twenty-se seven, ar
little later. Bishop Otey. also vi
gilman, organizing, with three 9TH
clergymen. the Diocese OF Tennessee
and subsequently being one of the CHI
founders of the University of II
South-all, by their example of unr
hitting toll. inspired the gener
church Will Isii ShhhucieASiAA
The Virginia Seminary.
In 1893 there was founded an inst
tuition which under God was destin
to be a leading missionary power
the history of the American churt
The Virginia Theological Seminary h
sent forth goodly company of zealo
and self sacrificing graduates as pre-
byters and bishops to the missiona
districts of our own land. She h
also founded all the older foreit
missions " the church, and h
manned them with more than sixty
her graduates. Surely her Zine h
gone out through all the EARTH"
N 1t is a matter of great interest
all churchmen that the first successl
\ foreign missionary efforts of t
American church We're directed to tt
ancient and classic country WIFI
gave Its language to the composite
of the New Testament. In 1890, throu
the labors OF Rev. John II. Hill, d.
in alumnus of the Virginia Semina
\ and his wife, two schools were -four
N ed in Athens one for boys, the OF
Az for girls both of which were succe
M\ fully maintained. Now seventy-f
i years after its foundation, the pres