Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-30

trict for thie fund on the basis of
j y per cent Of salary plus house rent.
Later I'm the yeor I received notice from
Or. Mains Of n raise of 2A per cent on
the same basis. This was ossasioned.
of course. by the increase In the number
OF the Board of Bishops. Under date Of
September 81, 1920. / sent out notice
TO each OF the pastors on the district ar
follows: you will please note the
change OF per cent In the Episcopal
Fund az made by the Book Committee
from IL per cent To 2A per cent The
former rate was sent TO you by author
ity Of the church. Now the came au-
thority has made an increase 10 meet
the Increased demand, and pass u on
TO you and your churches. Sorry that
IL comes thus in the midst Of the year
when some budgets are made mp.
I find in some instances that the re-
turns Gent To me indicate that the pas
tors have forgotten the later cornmuni-
cation and are reporting on the old
basis of 1% per cent.
The raise Of the per cent by the con
ference for the Retired Ministers Fund
to the ~ per cent on the same basis.
and the above raise In the Episcopal
Fund has produced no little objection
and i'm some cases harsh criticism, ana
developed n disposition 20 call halt ~
not paying the increased amount. In
such cases II tthe prorating Of salaries
we're insisted upon IL would cause the
ministers concerned 10 be more deeply
in degt for living expenses than they arc
at present.
Centenary Collections.
Though I have tried. | have been IN
| able 20 get any definite figures on Cen
| tenary> collections. for the simple rea-
| son that in most cases there are none
| The brethren are going At il personally
| from house 70 house and will not Be
| able. until the last minute. 70 report
| for they are stiH looking for the lasi
/ dollar. Reports coming in and infor-
| nation gained by the way indicate 4
condition not specially encouraging
| The facts developed are about ~ FOL
| lorgr. The subscriptions, for the most
uart. were given for only one year. W.
have had TOO many "fives' already anc
the people positively refused 70 e
| further on term subscription Tn'
exc1tsa for a refugal TO renew i trouhl'
| is taken 70 name me, il that through
out the rural sections the poor anf
positively proftless crops during ~
mast year have left them without ability
70 meet current expenses for their ow'
use. The fact that money me countr1
over IL exceedingly tight. 90 that nc,
have much difficulty n horrow!ni
Ynon4y to tide them over the stress Bu
really fear the chief reason Is ma
there is little vision and no particular
intere~t in the great causes reproser ts'
nv the centenary movement They q
not sense IL and do not want you Z
~ n make them do 20. Someone ha
said that We are provincial. Z donh
( nor that II IS 90 and the natural result
are that vve are self-centered and down
right selfish. Our eyes d. not zee a A
the poor. broken, war-stricken world
diving and with its weli-nigh palste
fingers beckoning us - come to N
raac,,a. Not all our people are 50 <aN
some OF them are deeply Interested -
~ause they see and are In deep agon
~ anul bcause they cannot do NOR
themselves and get others 70 come r n
-escue. You can almost locate these 2
the statistical tables.
Rural Problems.
: IN our rural territory We nave eve
increasing difficulties il putting to'
ward our financial programs. and .o
: that matter al projects and plans ~ =!
church. The rural church problem
ft1u o< perpIexities that vex the sou
Where the matter IS 70 end no one a
tell. Weak churches are growing VTea-s
ar. The people. 4 they 90 70 cnurc
IL all. are going 20 the nearby own
which IS made easy BY rapid ana on
Portable means II travel, and me coui
try church IS LETT practically eTIlpt
. The general disposition, as I aave no-f
i, i 20 place the blame Tor mis- coT
ditton where II VII cause ne teast ~
: comfort 70 the dear people, maj - n
il on the preacher. lie IS aot tHlc-en
he cannot preach, ne does 1ol ora"
0. they would 30 for they are Guns'
FOR the gospel. which = 1re -e-
Bishop Fowler said something .4Ae -Ai
when addressing q class TOT 4dIll-ss'-
into conference. Brethen. 90 not
round the barnyard trying % drive =
cattle up 10 The -ck. but put me %
der in il and they viii come IT.
enough as far as Il goes, out =
fields beyond are waving WITH .usclo'
= grasses the cattle wlA not = Lo1Ad
: the rack. nor yet IN The pound. III
viii take to the fields Tor whas : Bette
, So people 90 where they IND what ms
: dssire-yshat they want or think tn'
: ao-and will roam the feids 20 and
: despite the fodder in the rack.
sabbath Designations.
: Nobody claims perfection .or 9
: preacher. but this thing IS not all caus
e bv him. and as Bishop Quayle on
: said. In the name Of the Lord Z
cannot be religious let Us be tair. q
worldly spirit which wants nor
brooks any religious restraint, the maj
S means Of lazy dissipation on the "a
n hath. the automobile. the SUNDAY new
n paper. not 70 say more, has created
>, condition in the hearts OF the toA
C which IS far more responsible for @
& country problem than IS the 'neftlcie
q nrearher. What our church meek
n country and otherwise, Is the relgi'
"a of our ord Jesus Christ with It's Sa
o riticial element dominant. Religio
q pure. simple. vigorous. able 20 stand
, its TWO feet and does nor have 20
q nursed. able and willing 70 run on q
/, rands Tor the King. But that - p
= / what the many want else they wou
= seek il where il may be found-in {
) church OF the living God. Anyone "
\ denies himself this because he thin
8 the preacher Is dun or unintercSti
:. has lost his high privilege and entire