The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-17
Episcopal House of Bishops
Took Definite Action and
New Commission is About
To Take Up Work-New
Vision Of Duty.


Discussing the action of the gen.
eral conventions of the Protestant
Episcopal church at st. Louis on the
subject of social service, the Right
Rev. Edwin s. Lines, bishop OF
Newark, said that the appointment
by the house of bishops of the social
service committee. Of which he was
made chairman, was particularly Tor
service during the convention, as one
tof the standing committees to which
subjects are referred for reports, or
be put in form for. action. 1t showed
new interest on the part OF the house
Of bishops, he said, in giving such
committee place with those OF re-
ligious education, foreign and do
nestle missions, and like commit
tees, to cooperate with the commit
tee in the house of deputies on the
same subject.
The permanent body, continuing
under a standing resolution of both
houses Of the convention, Is the Joins
commission on social service, with its
headquarters at the Mission House,
No. -2s1 Fourth avenue, New York
city, with the Rev.. F. M. Crouch,
secretary. The membership of the
commission is to be determined at
each. general convention by the ap-
pointments of the chairmen of the
two houses, with permission to in
crease It's membership by adding ten
more. The new appointments were
not announced when the convention
adjourned, but probably most of the
former members of the commission
will be continued among whom were
the bishops Of Connecticut, Chicago
South Carolina, Massachusetts,, New
ark, Michigan, Oregon, and Bishop
Fiske, of Central New York; the
Rev. G.. X. Gilbert, the Rev. c. N
Lathrop, the Rev. r. III. Nelson, the
Rev. DIR. John p. Peters, the Rev
Samuel Tyler, the Rev. J. H. Melish,
J. r.. Bracket. William F. Cochran
III. D. English, Rathbone Gardiner
Samuel Mather, Clinton r. Woodruff
william Fellowes Morgan, Robert A
Woods, Dean Susan T. Knapp, Miss
Vida D. Scudder, and Miss V. G.
Simpkovich.
This general commission meets
frequently" Bishop Lines said
keeping close relation with eight
provincial commissions, more than
seventy diocesan commissions, and
also with a great number Of paro-
church, giving information and sug-
proper thought about social, service
may be developed and expressed
"A great deal has been done in
the last six years particularly, and
the new commission will take up it's
work with a feeling that it has man
date from the whole church through
the general convention to do more
than ever before. Some of the do
ceses, like New York, Long Island
and Newark, have paid secretaries
who give their whole time to the or
ganization and advancement of the
work in their own dioceses PubIica
ton of the subject by members of
the commission and persons of ex-
perience have been common ways OF
arousing the church to a new vision
of its duty. There has been steady
progress with the radical utterances
of some who have spoken in the
name Of social service have not pre-,
vented.
while the Episcopal church is
conservative, and not given to SEN
sationalism, 1t is plain that it was
never before so aroused to thought
and action upon subjects which come
within the range Of social service az
to-day. The recent general conven-
ton indicated the high-water mark sc
tar in the endeavor to bind the
church with the interests of the great
company of people, making it thor
ough1y democratic in its feeling and
work.
THE utterances upon the subject
were plain and strong and the church
was committed in the most definite
way to efforts to bring in social Jus
tice, to remedy social and industrial
abuses. to give all people the best
possible chance in life, to keep the