Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-01-27
CHURCH AND ITSPART
IN MODERN LIFE.
Theology Must Be Growing
Science. Says Bishop.
Men of Sympathy and
Ability Needed as
Clergymen.

| A'ioHop 1teeS6 duuF6SS yesterday al
ternoon was heard with much inter
est by the assembled convention and
others present at yesterday after
Moons session Of the diocesan con
vention.
The bishop reported that the con
dition Of the diocese is quite encour-
aging. All of the missions are now
supplied with clergy, though two CT
the parishes, ST. Andrews, Darien,
and Grace, Waycross, are vacant. Sew
eral excellent men have been added to
the clergy. During the year excel
lent support has been given to the
parishes and missions. The latter
have shown a commendabIe desire to
increase their measure of seIf-support
and the Bishop has met with encour-
agement on every hand. Small mis-
sions widely scattered make it inn
possible to provide missionary SER
vice and adequate salaries without
large grants from the missionary
treasury. Over $2.5O0 assistance for
missions is required yearly.
Living Salaries REQUIRED.
Referring to salaries, the Bishop
stressed the importance Of paying the
clergy adequately for their support.
Men cannot work when oppressed by
inadequate support" he declared.
1T is poor policy to pay men in
sufficiently for their labor. l want
to see every married man have 81 200
and a house. That is little enough
in these days of ascending prices. But
in addition to money support, the cler-
gy must have the united loyalty and
interest of their people in their spirit
ual work. Fault-finding and captions
criticisms splits and factions among
the people, are crimes against the
church and the Master. Peace, love
and loyalty among the laity are con
ditions without which no priest, how
ever faithful and efficient, can accom-
plish results"
Stress was laid on the necessity
of faithful attendance at the services.
mot only for reverence for God, but
IN common justice to your lead soc
During the year new missirsn- soc
opened at BlakeIy, at D5lrig theI.d at
a point, near Amas90ns, xxi Of these
initial effortsg gfJhe result of the
missionar. seal Of one of our younger
clergy" (Rev J. B. Lawrence, Of
Americus)
The work of the Sunday schools If
the church, the Bishop stated, has
been greatly improved of late years
in it's efficiency by improved metods
of administration and teaching. There
is growing disposition to take the
Sunday schools seriously as schools
for instruction in Christian truth The
Bishop expressed the desire that in
this diocese there should be organ
lied a Sunday School Institute for
teachers and officers, something he
regarded as necessary if the church
is to keep abreast with the time and
escape Justification and senile ineffi-
cheney.
An Appeal to the Boys.
The Bishop deplored that no Geor-
gia boy during the year had appear
ed to give himself to the priesthood
and Gods work No calling makes
a nobler appeal to the spirit of youth
| fu1 enthusiasm for the service of man
kind, said he. ''It offers opportunity
of service and sacrifice and tol and
labor, without hope of reward save
the saving of mems souls and the
building up of Gods kingdom. But
it is a task full of joy to those who
enter upon it in the spirit of Christ.
He appealed to the boys of the dio-
! cese to search their hearts and keeT
them open to the voice of God call
ing them to His service, and to the
mothers and fathers to realize the
privilege and duty Of giving their sons
| to this sacred calling. No church
which does not contribute of its life
to the Holy Ministry can he consid-
cred as possessing its full measure Of
the life of our Lord. In this con-
nection the Bishop discussed the mod
ern trend of church work, as follows:
Changed Conditions of Church Work.
"It is true that under the changed
and changing conditions of modern
thought and life, the old idea of the
priests work must give place to a
broader conception of the functions
Of the ministry. But institutional
work should not be allowed to over
shadow entirely the preaching of the
gospel and the administration of the
sacraments. But the preaching of the
gospel must take account of the move
pment of modern thought and life and
that gospel must be interpreted, with
fidelity to the Catholic faith, in the
terms of mems living and growing ex-
perfence and thought. The great en-
phasis today is upon the social as
poets Of Christianity. 1t is a gospel
to the world as well as to individual
men. How so to preach it and to min
lister it as to meet the conditions OF
modern life is our problem. It is still
a gospel to the shining, sorrowing,
perplexed, despairing soul, for his
individual salvation into better life,
hut nowadays, as never before, the