Evening star., 1952-09-08
1853 Bishops Attend
Boston Convention
OF Episcopal Church
BY Cospor Names
Sfor Sfoff CORRESPONDENT

BOSTON. Sept. 8.-The 57th
triennial general convention OF
the Protestant Episcopal Church
in the United States of America
today opened its business sessions
with 168 active and retired
bishops and 648 clerical and lay
deputies present.
The general convention, operat-
ing as Congress does with two
houses meeting. is the supreme
legislative body of the Episcopal
Church. To become church law
Ia bill must be approved by the
House Of Bishops and the House
|of Deputies. Several joint ses-
sionS are scheduled during the
tWo-week meeting.
The Episcopal Church, sixth
largest American Protestant body.
has approximately 2.5 million
members. It has "a dioceses.
analogous to a State, and 28
missionary districts.
Election Is First Task.
First order of business for the
House Of Deputies today will be
the election Of officers, including
a president. The Very Rev.
Claude Willard Sprouse, Dean of
Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral,
Kansas City, Mo-, was chosen at
the 1949 meeting in San Fran
cisco.
The Rt. Rev. Henry Knox
Sheriff. of New York, presiding
bishop Of the Episcopal Church,
will preside over the House of
Bishops.
Later today houses will an
nounce the membership of 10
standing committees.
The Rt. Rev. Angus Dun.
Bishop of Washington. will ad-
dress a joint meeting of the
Episcopal Evangelical Fellowship
and the Evangelical Education
society tonight in John Hancock
Hall. The fellowship promotes
ecumenical relationships with
other Christian church bodies
and the society aims to educate
young men for the ministry with
the evangelical teaching Of the
church.
Nearly 1000 persons milled
around Boston Garden last night
seeking admittance after police
closed the doors to the jam
packed arena. It was estimated
that 1000 persons filled the gar
den for the service officially open
ing the general convention.
They heard Bishop Sheriff. de-
clare "the church is inevitably
involved in the problems and per-
plexitieS Of the times in which
we live. We cannot attempt to
live in some ivory tower remote
from life.
"War and rumors of war, inter-
national misunderstanding /. at
home, shocking revelations of
lowered moral standards in public
and private life. massive attacks
upon the Christian faith and
practice, with serious limitations
upon freedom Of worship-these
are stern realities which do more
than hamper the life of the
church. They place in jeopardy
the very existence of the church
except in the catacomb."
Says Church Is Afflicted.
Warning that I'VE live in a
world in which hatred, suspicion,
struggle for power and personal
advantage are rampant" the
speaker asked will anyone be
bold enough to claim that the
evils which so afflict humanity are
not evident in us? No wonder
that those outside the church 80
often state as they head the ma
jestic claims and noble exhor-
tations of the gospel, physician.
heal thyself'."
He asserted the church, which
is governed by the principles Of
democracy" must meet these
dangers by "the quality of the
spiritual life within the household
Of faith"
Earlier yesterday. the Most Rev.
Geoffrey T. Fisher. Archbishop
of Canterbury, warned in a ma
tion-wide televised hookup that
Russia can only win If we fail
ourselves.
The English visitor. speaking at
the morning service in historic
Old North Church. declared "po-
litical Communism shows that If
men lose God they soon lose all