The Washington herald., 1907-05-25
EPISCOPAL CHURCH NEWS.

! three Of them to the order of priesthood
and one TO the diaconate The three can
ddates for priesthood are: Rev. c. II.
/ Holmead. assistant at st. Pauls Church.
/ this city, who is TO be presented by Rev.
| DIR. Wallis, of the Virginia Theological
Seminary; Rev. 9. f. Flick for deaf and
dumb work, presented by the Rev. Oliver
/ Whelden. of Baltimore. and Rev. h. H.
| Oxley. assistant minister in charge OF
colored work II ST. Pauls Parish, Prince
/ George County, presented by Rev. William
/ V. Tunnel. The candidate for the diacon-
ate is the Rev Robert E. Browning, Of
/ the Virginia Theological Seminary. pre-
/ sented by Rev. Clement Brown.
The sermon will be preached by Rev G.
williamson Smith. late president OF Trim
| ity College. Hartford. Conn.
| The Rev. f. II. Oxley. one Of the candi-
| dates, is from the British colony Of
/ Trinidad. His parents are still living
there. and II Is his intention 10 sail for
| his old home on visit as soon after his
ordination as possible He speaks of the
/ work TO be done here among his own race
as one Of very peculiar difficulties
| In the same parish in which Rev. f. II.
Oxley is row stationed, St Pauls. Prince
4 George County. a new rector Is expected
| TO arrive the first week in June from
/ idaho Rev F. " Baer. in place OF Rev.
/ DR. Murphy, who was called away In
/ March TO a church on the Eastern Shore
/ Of Maryland.
/ Speaking Of St Paurs Parish which
Is one OF the original parishes into which
| Maryland was divided when in 1922. the
/ Episcopal Church was made the State
[ Church of Maryland recalls an interest
/ ing story which went the rounds soon
/ after the coming Of a former rector some
/ years ago 1t appears that when this
/ rector was called to the parish he was
/ told that there were nearly 200 white
communicates and about 800 colored over
/ whom a colored minister. as his assistant
I minister. presided.
Deeming Il his duty 20 call on all his
[ parishicners, the new rector was soon
/ busy calling first on his white and then
I on his colored parishiOners. but DO what
4 he would by the most charitable con
struction Of rules he could not find quite
200 white and not quite % coIored MEM
bers Of his church.
In his first report TO the convention he
gave the exact figures, which showed a
net loss Of some 200 white and about 80
c0lJred communicates.
Shortly after the report had been printed
and given out for distribution a fellow
clergyman met him one day, and
with lugubrious countenance said; Broth
er I see there's been a great loss OF com
municants in your paTish-almost A0
DO You know any reason for such a
falling away?'' Yes" replied the rector
Il can tell you. There is no mystery
about it. Did you ever hear of the Pres
byterian minister who said that there
were only TWO ways Of getting out Of the
Episcopal Church. one by dying and the
other by being converted? Well. II that
minister had lived in my parish he would
have found that people could not get out
even by diving. For 200 years they have
been adding names to its register, and
have never been taking any of. Even
the undertakers have no remembrance OF
very many Of them. This was little too
conservative for me, and | have Just
taken the liberty to remove the names Of
those who are not now 10 be found among
rs. even though in their time they were
great pillars Of the church. In this I
hope ] shall not be accused Of dlsrespect
20 their memory