The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-06-04
FIRST PROPOSAL ON
DIVIDING DIOCESE
Letter Suggests Plan for the
EpiscopaIianS
MUST LOOK To THE FUTURE
j. r. Carter Thinks New Diocese
Should Embrace Part of Mineral
and Part of Agricultural
Sections.

At the last Episcopal church council,
held at Huntsville, it was by unanimous
vote resolved that the diocese of Alabama
should be divided. The bishop gave in
open council his canonical consent, and
a committee was appointed, with Dr..
Beard as chairman. charged with the
duty of recommending to the next coun-
ell the most feasible lines and the terms
and conditions upon which the division
should be made.
The important question then. is what
lines shall define the new diocese all
other questions being matters OF detail
only.
The law requires that no new diocese
shall be formed with less than $500 COM
municants, nor less than six self-support-
ing parishes, and that the old diocese
shall not be left with less.
| We have about $500 communicates, but
only Is sef-supporting parishes. There
are in the southern part of the diocese
number Of parishes and important mis-
sion stations not now self-supportlng, but
which in a short time will be made self
supporting. 1t is therefore clear that in
very few years a second division will
|. be absolutely necessary. We have, in
fact, territory enough for four separate
and distinct dioceses, but not enough
| communicates.
| 1t appears to the writer that in form
ing a new diocese at the next council
! there are certain important consdera-
| tons which should be kept steadily in
! mind and if kept In mind the difficulty
| in forming a new diocese will in a great
measure disappear. The first of these I'M
portant considerations is that we are leg
isating for the future good of the church,
as well as its present good, and all con-
siderations of a personal or selfish nature
should be left at home. Whether the
bishop will choose the new or the old, as
in his right; whether this or that line is
most beneficial to this or that clergyman,
or this or that layman, is entirely for
eign to the question and should not be
allowed to come into our delfberation 1t
may be hard to do this, but such con-
siderations ought to be excluded.
The next important consideration is
that the council should bear in mind
that in a few years it will be necessary
for second division and the lines of
the new diocese should be so rum If pos
sible, as to leave the old diocese capable
of a second division, which will be alb
solutely necessary in few years. can
not see how any member of the coun-
ell can fail to see the Importance of this
condition, looking to the future good of
the church.
Tln INN rfa MI ann ci6 ara 10
that, if possible, the lines of the new
diocese should be run so as to leave a
part of the mineral region of Alabama in
the old diocese, as well as a part of the
agricultural region in the new. 1t is
firmly believed by all that the mineral
region of the state will grow more rapid
ly in population and in wealth than the
agricultural region and each diocese
should be left so as to get the benefit
of an increased population and wealth
coming from the development of the min.
eral section.
A new diocese, consisting of the Sixth,
Seventh, Eighth and Ninth congressional
districts, excepting Hale and Perry coun-
ties. leaving these two counties in the
! southern diocese where they naturally
belong, will meet all of the. above re-
quirements. 1t would be in effect lire
drawn east and west across the state,
crossing the Louisville and Nashville rail,
road at or near Calera, with Talladega,
Clay and Calhoun counties, an important
part of the mineral region. left in The
old diocese, and Greene and Sumter coun-
ties, rich agricultural counties, in the
new diocese 1t would leave both most
accessible from every point, easily
reached by railroad. 1t would above all
leave the ola diocese capable of a Sec
ond division, which will have TO be done
In the course of a very few years It
would leave part of the mineral region
in the old diocese and give it the benefit
In the future of the increased population
and wealth from the mineral Develop
ment.
This division, of course. looking at It
from the present standpoint, would give
the old or southern diocese greatly the
advantage Of the new. 1t would leave the
new diocese a weak one for the first 10
years. but looking at 1t from standpoint
10 years hence, it will make the above
division perfectly fair and just In view
of the above consideration, and in view
of the further fact that the increase in
population and wealth coming from the
development of the mineral region, will
in 10 years enable the new diocese to
overcome in great measure this present
apparent inequality. This division would
leave 100000 more population in the old
than in the new. 1t would leave about
S200 communicates and six or seven self
supporting parishes in the new, while it
would leave about $500 communicates and
nine self-supporting parishes in the old
About one-thrd of the present revenue
of the church is derived from the terri
tory embraced in the new, while about
two-thirds of the whole is derived from
the territory embraced in the old. Appor-
tion to the new diocese $4,000 of the $4,000
diocean endowment fund. AS above stated
looking at this division from the present
toned considerations, it would appear TO
be unfair and unjust to the new but
in the course of 10 years most. If not ALL
of the above inequality would be over
come / do not see how new diocese
could be better formed looking to both
the present and future good of the
church, than the one above indicated.
j. r. CARTER.
Birmingham June 3, 1908.