Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-07
.EP|SCOPAL|ANS TO
OPEN CONVENTION
Eight Delegates Will Represent
Newark Diocese at Tri-
ennial Meeting.
CHANGE OF CHURCH NAME
MAY BE IMPORTANT ISSUE
Conference Will Be Held in Ca
thedral of ST. John the
Divine.

Members of the Newark Protestant
Episcopal diocesan delegation to the
triennial general convention of that
church, which will be formally opened
tomorrow in New York, have eX-
pressed their belief that the much
mooted question of \ whether or
not the church name should
be changed will receive its an
nual sidetracking. Both clergy
and laymen delegates assert that the
desire to change the present name :, to
that of the American Catholic
Church" has been expressed chiefly by
few, and will not receive serious
consideration at the coming conVen-
ton.
The members of the Newark dioc-
esan delegation were elected at the
last annual session here in Trinity
Church. There are four clergymen
and four laymen. Alternates We're
also chosen at the local meeting, but
so far as could be learned all the reg
ular delegates intend to be present
when the presiding officer opens the
session tomorrow.
Delegates of Newark Diocese.
Following are the members of the
Newark diocesan delegations: Rev.
DR.. George S. Bennett, Of Grace
Church, Jersey City; Rev. Dr.. Edwin
A. White, of Christ Church, Bloom
field Rev. C. Malcolm Douglas, of
Christ Church, Short Hills; Rev.
Henry H. Hadley. Of st. Paul S
Church, Newark; William Fellowes
Morgan, of Short Hills; Hamilton w.
Mabie, of Summit; Edwin A. Stevens,
of Hoboken, and William M. Frank
lin, of East orange.
In the opinion of Rev. Henry IL.
Hadley, the most important questions
which will concern the delegates at
the convention will be the plans for
centralizing the social service and
missionary work. the matter OF pro-
portionate representation for each
diocese at the general convention and
the question of whether or not the
presiding bishop is to be named IN
the old manner or elected. At pres
ent the presiding officer Is Bishop
futile, of Missouri, who was placed
at the head of the convention by rea-
son of the system of naming an orl-
Ger according to seniority.
Would Elect Presiding Oficer.
It has been argued by those OPP
posed to the present plan of naming
the presiding bishop that the most
able man is seldom chosen by this
method. 1t Is their desire to have
the right to elect presiding oI1cer
on the theory that an officer chosen
in this manner would WELD an in
fluence worthy of his position and
secure greater harmony among the
delegates.
The question of proportionate rep
resentation appears to be in shape
to be fought to finish at this con-
vention. The sentiment in favor or
changing from the present system or
naming the number Of delegates who
shall represent a diocese has greatly
increased among Episcopalians the
country over. At the annual diocesan
convention here last May the mem
bers made it a point to elect dele
gates who favored proportionate
representation at the general con-
vention. Each candidate was asked
if he favored the change, and as his
election depended upon his favoring
this change, not one of the candidates
took the opposite stand.
The Protestant Episcopal Church
convention will continue for three
weeks and during that time questions
which will make church history will
probably be settled. The Cathedral
of st. John, the Divine, will be the
scene of the convention. When the
session opens tomorrow morning at
10 O'Clock 1t is expected that there
will be present 116 bishops, 305 clerf-
cal and 305 lay delegates. One or the
most important problems to be dis
cussea is the proposed amalgamation
of all Protestant churches in the mis-
sionary fields. The plan has been
advocated to prevent waste and to
gain power through cooperation. The
late J. P. Morgan gave 100000 for
this work shortly before his death:
The movement will reach its final
effort at the worlds conference on
church unity. to be held in New York
within the next two years.