New Britain herald., 1925-08-01
CHURCH
 FACING CONTEST
Proposed Constitutional Changes
 to Be COmbatted

to Be COmbatted
 New York, Aug, 1 Rl-A clash over the existing form of goyern- ment in the Episcopal church is forecast. at the general convention of the church in New Orleans next October, majority and minority re ports on provincial organization made public today indicating a sharp division of sentiment on proposed constitutional changes.
 The problem dates back to the formation of the American church in 17S5, and has been debated with more or less vigor in every general convention since 1865. lt reyolveS around the question of a need in the church for strong provincial, or regional, organizations in various parts of tho country composed Of doceses in geographical and sym. pathetic propinquity, Underlying the proposition is the opposition of considerable element in the church to archbshops who, they feel, would sooner or later be created as eccle- siastical heads of the proposed pro- vincial bodies. Financial problems of a voxing character are also in volved.
 There are eight provincial organi- cations in the church, but it is pointed out by the majority of the joint commission whose final report ,, is now made public that the powers given 10 the provinces in 1918 were purposely limited, whereby they were in large measure prevented from accomplishing anything of out standing merit" This majority, l4 bishops priests and laymen in a commission of 23, now propose a series of amendments 10 the Constl- tuition and canons of the church which will give the provinces a dis tinct standing and confer upon them powers of relatively high import ance.
 I The Final Report
 The final report of the commission recommends that requests for ap- propriations for work in a province shall be made with the provincial organization, which shall prepare the budget for the dioceses and missionary districts within that pro- vince; that appropriations by the national council of the church based on this budget shall be made in bulk to the province and distributed by it 10 it's constituent doCeses and dis tricts; that missionary bishops with in the province shall be elected hy the synod of the province; that con- sent to the election of bishops shall he given by the synod of the prov ince. and that the resignation Of a bishop within a province shall De acted upon by the house of bishops of such province.
 In advocating these changes the majority urge that they are neces- sarv for the "Creation of larger in terest in the church's program Of work, in order that it may be ade- ouately supported:' that more et- | fectjve organization of the church for carrying on it's work will there by be created; that they will relieve the congestion of business in the general convention. and will develop the province into "an effective unlt as q means of accomplishing the foregoing objects.
 Minority Report
 Touching specifically upon the recommendation with regard to budget and appropriations of funds. the minority say: This recommen- dation would place in the hands ot 1 a few doccses in missionary prov inces the control of the missionary work within the provinces. Thls W ork is done by bishops who repre- sent the whole church, and with 1 funds supplied by the whole church We believe that the proposed rec i concentrations if adopted, would in ,troduce a feeling of seCtionalism and would also seriously interfere with the proper administration of the missionary work of the church. We believe that the present method by which the making up of the mission arv budget in the domestic field re ceives the careful consideration and approval of the missionary bishops before 1t is presented to the national council. is much better method than the alternative proposed in the report of the commission
 "There are in the church eight provinces" says the report. "in five of these provinces there would be no enlargement of powers if the most drastic of these recommenda- tions were adopted, as there are nc missionary districts for which bish, ops could be elected, or to which funds could be allocated The cor responding loss in missionary inter est in these five provinces, where nearly all the funds for our mis- sionary work are contributed would be most serious"
 Summing up their objections, the minority members of the commis. sion say: At time when we arc endeavoring with success to awaken the national conscience of the church and to get away from 'paro-