The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-23
Episcopal Diocesan Convention
Closes This Evening.
Two Days Sessions of Value to
the Delegates.


the cathedral at 1880 a. m, and the
business of the day consisted chiefly
| in taking action on some of the recon-
| mendations made in Tuesdays con-
| ferences and in business sessions OF
the Woman's auxiliary and of the
| Daughters of the King.
The first days session of the
| Protestant Episcopal diocesan conven-
ton began promptly at 8 O'Clock Tues
day morning. with Bishop Wise pre-
siding The bishop used a gaVel made
from pieces of wood taken from the
/ first Grace cathedral building which
stood at the corner of seventh anu
Jackson streets and from the present
cathedral. This gavel was the gift of
| Canon George NJ. GeiseL
| After the singing of hymn ana
the reciting of the Apostles creed and
isome prayers, a roll of the clergymen
was called. This was followed by
roll of the parishes, during when
| delegate from each of the latter pre-
scented certificate showing the
parishs right to participate in the con-
! vention.
The rest of the morning was devoted
to conferences on various SUBJECTS
Religious Education.
The first of these, conducted by
! Bishop Wise, was on the SUBJECT OF
| religious education. In addition to
his own talk, the bishop both asked
and solicited questions. The points
brought forward in this conference
were, that the primary work or the
church is the making of Christians
land that the best way to do this is
to begin with the child. The child
must have a proper home atmosphere.
and also Sunday school teachers VINO
are competent to teach and who I'M
derstand child nature. A more gen.
eral esta blishment of suitable schools
for the training of Sunday school
teachers was advised. Such schools
have been started in many cities of
the United States with gratifying re-
suits. DIR. Percy Fem of Wichita
/ told of one that is working in his
parish.
The relation of Christianity to good
citizenship is now so fully realized
that the National Education assc-
citation has offered a prize of $1,000
for an essay that will best tell how
to solve the problem OF teaching re-
hgion in the public schools.
Bishop Wise said in conclusion that
Topeka has in Bethany college the
best nucleus in the west for Christ
ian school for women, that it could
easily be made to rank with Smith or
| Wellesl ", and that it is his determin
alton to bring it up to the standard of
those schools.
The next conference was conducted
by Henry Diegel, lay delegate from
Atchison, and had to do with the
church's recent provision for pension
ing superb nnuated and physically in
ca pacitated clergymen, and for caring
for the widows and orphans of cler-
gymen- The Episcopal church of the
United States has within the last
year, raised fund of over eight mill
: lion dollars for this purpose, and this
: with a yearly assessment on each par
iSh, equal to seven and one-half per
cent of its clergyman's salary, is con-
fidently expected to give to every
clergyman over sixty eight years old
IL H.
/ of his life
Rules for Parishes.
I The third conference conducted by
/ Rev. r. H. Mize of Kansas City, Kan,
{ discussed the rules laid down at the
national convention of the church
held at ST. Louis last May, for con-
i Quoting the business of the various
dioceses.
One of these rules is, that any par
ish spending more than $4,000 a year
+ must have it's books audited by a pro-
I fessiona1 accountant before sending
/ in its annual financial report to the
! diocese.
! The fourth conference was conduct
/ ed by Prof N. A. Crawford of K. S. A
c., and concerned the church paper
{ and its value to the average COM
municant. Said he, despite the val
liable knowledge gained from such pa
pers concerning the church's work
turnout the United States, only about
! one churchman in seven is a sub
4 scriber.
A After luncheon, which was served
| in the guild hall at 1 o'clock. the
bishop conducted a conference on wo-
mans work in the church, after which
the delegates visited in a body the
, various diocesan institutions of To-
peka.
, The bishops annual address was de-
livered in the cathedral last evening.
Bishop Wise's Annual Address
: At o'clock Tuesday evening
, Bishop Wise delivered his annual ad-
| dress in Grace Cathedral to the dele
gates of the Diocesan convention. The
choir for the evening formed from the
visiting clergymen.
/, After speaking a few words in
memory of the late Bishop Frank r.
Millspaueh and the late Rev. James
, Henry Lee of Manhattan, the bishop
said: THE war is with us, the time
: has passed for discussing the right or
, wrong, the wisdom or folly of our
governments course Every citizen
should now do his duty in this struggle
, to uphold democracy and freedom
What can and shall the church do in
, the present crisis?
In the first place the church
should champion the move for national
prohibition and be against the waste
full use OF grain in the making of in
! toxicants 1 think the diocese SHOULD!
show its sentiments by petitionius
congress in the matter
, Il think it is also the church's duty
to exert its utmost influence toward
Z legislatio to keep evil resorts away
from the neishborhood Of military
training camps 1 think the diocese
should petition in this matter also
Seventy thousand young men will!
shortly i.e assembled for military
training III Kansas camps. Chaplains
will be needed for these camps Let
the diocese give as many of its cler-
gymen for this purpose as possible.
and its people cheerfully provide the
4 money for any expenses involved i'll