A history and record of the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of West Virginia, Part 32

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The Council of 1901. Charleston.

The Twenty-fourth Annual Council met in St. John's Church, Charleston, on Wednesday, June 5, Bishop Peterkin presiding. Beside the Bishop and the Bishop Coadjutor, there were present twenty-five of the Clergy and twenty-seven of the Laity.

From the Bishop's address:

Visitation to Porto Rico.

At the request of the Presiding Bishop, and the Chairman of our General Board of Missions, I consented to undertake a visitation to Porto Rico to look after the interests of our Church in the Island.

Accordingly, I sailed from New York on the 5th day of January, 1901, and returned on the 11th day of March. Through the activity and liberality of friends in this country, I was permitted to see before I left the Island, the financial difficulty in the way of church building in the city of San Juan removed, and also to welcome an approved man to take

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charge of the congregation. It is still a day of small things with us in the Island, but we shall hope that the work al- ready begun in San Juan, and that, still longer established in Ponce, and on the adjoining island of Vieques, will now the more prosper under our hand. As my full report to the Pre- siding Bishop has been published, in the April number of the "Spirit of Missions"-a magazine that ought to be in the hands of every Churchman-I shall not here further speak of it, save to add, for preservation, a list of my services while on the Island.

Tuesday, May 14th. Attended the Annual Meeting of the Board of Managers of our General Missionary Society at the Church Missions House in New York. This Diocese receives from this Board $800.00 for work among white people, and $400.00 for work among the colored people. We also receive $800, from the American Church Missionary Society. Of course, we could use more money, if we could get it, but as many other Dioceses and Missionary Jurisdictions are in the same condition, we cannot expect additional aid. We must always be on our guard against imposing in anywise on the General Church, and strive each year, more and more, to take care of ourselves. In this way, as well as by direct contribu- tions, we can advance the cause of Missions. I cannot but wonder, that so many persons seem to have such little sense of the imperative and solemn obligation of missions. This re- sponsibility does not belong so much to any organization, like a church, or parish, or mission, as to individuals, who by bap- tism or affiliation, are identified with such organization. It is, therefore, depressing, and on any Christian grounds, in- explicable, to the last degree, that any report be sent in from any association of persons, or even from one person, which shows no recognition of this obligation. I urgently press upon the Clergy, as not the least important of their duties, that they exercise a more decided leadership in this matter, and that they make it more a matter of conscience to see that all their people, however small the organization, however

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scattered the constituency, be represented by offerings for every object called for by the General Church or by the Dio- cese. That it can be done appears from the reports of some of our feeblest congregations; that it is not always done, equally appears from the depressing blanks on many reports.

Hospitals.

Caring for the bodily wants of men was so large a part of our Saviour's personal work, that it would seem as if it must now necessarily enter largely into the work of His Church. The messengers of John were bidden to go and tell their Mas- ter what they saw and heard, and the signs given them were chiefly in the healing of the sick, and the Church today must show the same Divine credentials. From such premises we may argue strongly for the importance of Hospital work.

It ought to be a source of great satisfaction to us all, that in our weak Diocese there seems to be some appreciation of this work. We have two hospitals, the Reynold's Memorial, located near Moundsville, and the Sheltering Arms, at Paint Creek. The former, the Reynold's Memorial, has since its opening, eighteen months ago, cared for 522 patients, of which number 276 were cared for free of charge. The latter, the Sheltering Arms, has during the past twelve months, cared for 222 patients, and, for most all of them, without charge.

While neither of these hospitals is under the control of the Council, yet, they may very properly be regarded as Church Institutions, because they are the legitimate fruits of the labors of our church people; after all, Councils like that assembled here today, sitting at such long intervals, and for so short a time, would be but poor boards of management. I believe it to be for the greater Glory of God, and the greater good of man, that through their own Boards and Staff these hospitals manage their own affairs.

The development of such work has been phenomenal in the last few years. When I started the Sheltering Arms, about fifteen years ago, there was, I believe, only one hospital in

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the State, having a capacity of perhaps fifteen patients; there are now twelve or fifteen, having a capacity of perhaps 700 patients. As soon as the means can be provided, we hope to graft on to our work at the Sheltering Arms a training school for nurses, as has already been done at the Reynold's Memo- rial. The idea is not chiefly to supply nurses for hospitals, but for the scattered homes of our people throughout the State.

Convocations.

At the Council of 1897, acting under the provisions of Canon III., title "B," of our Diocesan Canons, I reorganized the Convocations, making five where before there were but three. This arrangement has not proved to be satisfactory, and I have, therefore, acceded to the request of the four Con- vocations specially concerned to reverse my action taken in 1897, and restore the former status. As appears from the record, there is Canonical provision for the formation of the Convocations, but their efficiency is dependent upon the cor- dial co-operation of the members, and so in the most impor- tant sense they are voluntary. I therefore formally announce that the New River Convocation is merged into the Kanawha, and the Central into the North Western Convocation, and in each case according to mutual consent and request of each Convocation.

Our Convocations then stand as follows: First-Eastern Convocation extending from Harper's Ferry, our extreme eastern point, to the western boundary of Grant and Pendle- ton counties, or as it may properly be described, the eight counties east of the Allegheny Mountains. This Convocation has an area of 3,870 square miles and a population of 86,496. There are nine Clergy, nineteen Churches and chapels and 1,145 communicants.

Second-The North Western Convocation, extending from the Allegheny Mountains to the Ohio River, and north of Jackson, Roane, Clay, Spencer, Nicholas and Pocahontas counties, in all twenty-six counties, with an area of 9,245

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square miles, and having a population of 367,423. In this Con- vocation there are seventeen Clergy, thirty churches and 1,897 communicants.

Third-The Kanawha Convocation, comprising the rest of the State, viz: That part lying south of the North Western, on the waters of the Tug, the Kanawha and the New Rivers; in all thirty-one counties, and 11,230 square miles; the com- plement of this Convocation is thirteen Clergy, thirty-one Churches, and there are 1,130 communicants. The figures given above are only approximately correct, and the latest returns are not available.

In starting upon this new rearrangement, I desire to em- phasize again the importance of the Convocational System, which I fear has not yet been fully appreciated. To isolated Clergy-as so many of ours are-its social features are most valuable. To such it stands for fellowship and counsel and for the better knowing our opportunities, and the more re- alizing our obligations for Church extension within our bounds; while to the different points of meeting, the sessions are valnable as showing the spirit and power of the church, and by the mouth of different witnesses, assembled from vari- ous points, establishing our faith and practice.

I would like to see the Clergy make attendance a matter of conscience; and if some regular time be appointed and due notice be given, one of the Bishops will be only too glad to at- tend. They will welcome the opportunity of thus meeting the Clergy, and consulting about the common work. Let us all look for, and labor after, a more vigorous and efficient life for the Convocations.

Supply of Churches and Self-Support.

We have never been more embarrassed than during the past year by the long-continued vacancies in different parts of the Diocese. We have made every effort to fill these va- cant charges, but have by no means been always successful, so that now while we meet in our Annual Council, we need

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at least seven more men to fill up the thirty-eight charges into which our work is at present divided.

The question of supply ought to be considered in connec- tion with that of self-support, since the two are very closely related.

The heaviest financial burden our churches have to bear is the support of their Pastors, and as this directly effects the question of supply, the whole matter is continually giving us great anxiety.

It deserves more consideration than it is generally able to command ; and I very much fear that oftentimes, those whose special duty it is to consider this whole subject, and to make provision for the churches' need, give it but little thought. I am, in one way or another, continually insisting upon the personal obligation and responsibility of our Church officers to provide for the current expenses of the congregations they serve, in a more business like way, and I am convinced that it can be done and that it ought to be done. I am waiting patiently for a more judicious and courageous leadership on the part of the Clergy, just along these lines. I have striven to be perfectly frank in regard to all these delicate matters, and believe that some progress has been made in the appre- hension, by our people, of the proprieties and necessities of the situation. And yet in the effort still farther to correct, what may often be unconscious thoughtlessness and unrea- sonableness about these matters, I want to speak a few plain words.

And I am led specially to do this because in all seriousness, a good deal of the criticism made, both publicly and by let- ters, upon our General Diocesan Administration would seem to imply that there was lodged with the Bishops, our Mis- sions Committee, or somewhere in the Church, indefinite re- sources of men and money, and that the failure to supply either as demanded, was simply from ignorance of, or indif- ference to the conditions, or, I might almost say, from malice aforethought.

REV. ARTHUR R. PRICE.

22 JAK HYMN

ST. DAVID'S, POWELLTON.

REV. JEFFERSON R. TAYLOR.

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It is to be feared that the small and weak congregations do not clearly understand and distinctly remember what are necessarily their limitations in a missionary field like West Virginia.

As long as the Apostolic rule remains in force, that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel, there seems to be no way to avoid this embarrassing question of money, and I am very much afraid that the objection to its frank dis- cussion and fair settlement, comes chiefly from those who think they have fulfilled their Christian obligations when they attend the services-or at least some of them-and it may be send their children to the Sunday School, and all perhaps in a patronizing kind of way. I am afraid that many people are apt to apply to the Clergy, but not to themselves, the in- junction, "Freely ye have received, freely give."

As far as personal obligations and co-operation are con- cerned, many of us have much to learn. In making arrange- ments to fill such vacancies, as from time to time occur, the Bishops need the cordial co-operation of all the members and friends of our Church, and especially of all the Church offi- cers. If a congregation is so far unable to support itself, and manage its own affairs, that they have to depend upon the Bishop to conduct negotiations for them, and secure a mis- sionary grant from any of the sources at their command, to aid in the support of the Minister, then the Bishops ought to have definite and positive assurance of what they can depend upon from the people in whose behalf they are acting. With- out this they are in danger of being placed in a most embar- rassing situation. It has happened more than once that men have been induced upon our representation to take charge of work in the Diocese, and after that, the promise of local support has more or less failed. I say local support, for our Missionary Boards have set the example of full and prompt payment of all pledges. Such failures in the support of the Clergy are very embarrassing not only to the Bishops, but the church officers, who are considered specially responsible

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for collecting and paying over the various subscriptions . promised-no doubt but that in many cases these officers could do their work more thoroughly and wisely, but it is also true that they often meet with humiliating rebuffs from subscribers, who ought to be glad to have them undertake and carry out that disagreeable work of collecting, from which they, themselves, would certainly shrink.

When we are trying to perfect arrangements for the supply of a vacant charge, it is certainly of the utmost moment that we should know about this very important matter; we are expected to be very liberal and definite in regard to mission- ary appropriations, but are often left very uncertain what we can absolutely depend upon from the place or places in question, and so we cannot intelligently and honestly con- duct the negotiations for supply.

It is for the people themselves to say how this result can be secured more surely in the future than perhaps it has been in the past. One would think that a nice sense of honor, to say nothing of the loyalty to associates in the congregation, and may I not say especially to the officers of the Church, who by his suffrage, are put in a very responsible and thankless position, and to the Bishops, who have upon them the care of all the Churches, would prompt every one frankly and cor- dially to meet the pledges, which of his own free will he has made for the support of the Church.

And as in all such cases, where a number of people are united in the conduct of any undertaking, it ought to be re- membered that since it is simply impossible to please and sat- isfy everybody, that it is utterly disorganizing and demoraliz- ing for people to withhold their support to the Church, sim- ply because they could with something different, or because the Minister does not happen to strike their fancy as a man of eloquence and power. Personal gifts are rare, and we have no right to demand more than that faithfulness which is required in Stewards. We are all interested in getting the most efficient men we can in any wise command, but in fol-

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lowing out this endeavor we have duties to one another, as well as to the Ministry of the Church, and it is nothing less than disreputable to put off in any way upon others-Church officers or Bishops-the burden which we have in common assumed. The fact that there is no legal redress for such a state of things, should make all the more binding upon the conscience, the high moral obligation to do our full part in the maintenance of the Church to which we are in any wise related or pledged.

I believe that one reason why our people are not more ex- act and prompt in fulfilling their obligations is that they have indefinite and unreasonable expectations about getting aid in some way from other persons. As they are poorly in- formed as to the extent of our work and the resources at our command, so they have erroneous ideas about the ability and responsibility of the Diocese, and of the General Church to help weak congregations.

I was told once of a lady, who came to the chief officer of the Rector's Aid Society of a large Church, to ask aid for some poor person and was much surprised to find that there were no funds available for the purpose. "Why," said she, "I thought there was a fund for this purpose." "So there is." was the reply, "but it is made up of the offerings taken up at the time of the celebration of the Holy Communion, and I notice you never put anything in. How, then, can you expect such a fund to meet the ordinary demands upon it, when so many, and von among the number, fail to contribute to it?" And I had, on one occasion, personal knowledge of a Clergy- man-the Rector of a large and wealthy Church-who ap- plied to his Bishop for $200.00, from a certain Missionary Society, to whose resources he had never contributed so much as a cent. These, perhaps, may be extreme cases-I hope they are-but they serve to illustrate the too common disposition to be seen in Churches, and missions, as well as in individu- als, to shirk our own responsibilities, and depend too much on others. The Diocese and the General Church has no other

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resources except those which the churches commit to them, and their executive boards are often at their wits' end to meet these imperative obligations; they always have demands far beyond their powers to supply, and by a great stretch of charity and prerogative, often hold on to unpromising fields, when new and inviting territory opens out before them.

Resident Pastors.

In thinking over this matter, I have come to the conclusion that in many cases our Infant Missions and Churches are too impatient of results. They forget the conditions of develop- ment; and so the little band of five or six members that, with commendable zeal, have, with occasional services, increased to fifteen or twenty, expect now to develop speedily into a full-blown Church, with a settled Pastor and a handsome building. But, granting the need of a Pastor-that is the ministry of an individual man to a single congregation-it is well to remember that there may be a period of growth in which a Pastor in the full sense of the word, however desira- ble, is a too expensive luxury, and in which a Church building must be strictly proportioned to the means of the congrega- tion, and that however plain the building may be.

If you could more effectually secure these two things, first the building of a Church strictly within the means of the peo- ple, and, secondly, the cordial co-operation of various Church- es, in such wise as to secure the help of a Pastor, long before any one of them could command all his time, you would have taken a long step towards efficiency in a work like ours.

And as a further suggestion in this direction, I may say that, in looking over a field like West Virginia, it is hard to tell how, with a comparatively small force of Clergy, and one that from the difficulty of support, if from no other reason, must increase but slowly, we can hope to accomplish a great deal, unless our Missionaries will be more leaders, who will gather workers from among the people, and by the help of these workers, keep better in touch with their widely extend- ed fields, and thus, by the help of others, oversee the work

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that is carried on far beyond their own power to conduct. So our work must develop, if at all; and so, I suppose, we ought to say it has been developing; but what we want now to do is to impress upon our people everywhere that the divis- ion of such large fields is something they must patiently wait and labor for; there is no reserve fund of money which can be drawn upon for Churches or for Missionaries; along this line we are about at the end of our rope; there seems no reason to expect the Diocese or the General Church to do much more for us than it has done, or is doing; the Missions, the Churches, themselves, must more resolutely put their own shoulders to the wheels, or the Chariot will not move more rapidly. I am afraid that there has been too much cod- dling, at home as well as abroad, and as one way of counter- acting the evil effect, we should more steadfastly insist that a Church or a number of Churches must show their ability to support a Pastor-at least in a very large part, before they ask for one. Of course, there may be exceptional cases, but experience shows that we cannot take the local judgment in determining what these exceptions may be. You can hardly trust the average member, or friend of the Church, very natu- rally, chiefly interested in his own congregation, to form an impartial judgment as to the relative importance of places that claim our care. Indeed, he is not expected to do so; the General Administration is for this very purpose.

Clerical Emancipation.

And while I am speaking thus of the administration of our congregations, I shall take advantage of it to speak what I think is a needful word in regard to the importance of freeing the Clergy more and more, from these absorbing details, which, I think, are often unfairly and improperly put upon them.

In the early Church, the Apostles found it necessary to re- sist the encroaching cares of business details. They said that it was unreasonable to expect them to leave the Word of God and serve tables, and so they chose the Deacons to attend to

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these matters; that is, they put definite responsibility for this special work upon men chosen for it. In the interest of effi- ciency of administration, a division of labor was demanded. They appointed the Deacons to attend to the business in hand, that they might give themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.

And such a division of labor is not only for the benefit of the Clergy, but in the interest of the people. Yes; it will be greatly to their interest to free the Clergy, more and more, from looking after what they can through their agents, do for themselves, that the Clergy may be the more free to do what the people cannot do, i. e., look after the spiritual in- terests of the congregation. It is high time that the Clergy struck for a little more independence of those hindering busi- ness cares, in assuming which they have often unnecessarily burdened themselves, and taken away from their people du- ties, which under a wise leadership they would be ready to meet.

I am free to confess that one of the things I have in my mind, in insisting so continually upon drawing and maintain- ing the distinction between the business of the church and its more spiritual administrations, has been to promote what has been well called, "the emancipation of the Clergy," their emancipation from the serving of tables, in order that they might the more freely and fully give themselves to the min- istry of the Word, and to prayer. I am going to use sub- stantially the words of another in setting this before you more fully.

As we look at the practical administration of the Church today, there seems to be two fields of service, each of which is more or less antagonistic to the other. What fits a man for one, seems often to unfit him for the other, and so it fol- lows, that to whatever extent he is obliged to serve in both, he is at his best, in neither. One of these fields of service is his naturally, and of right. In it he is the preacher, deliver- ing his message; the pastor administering comfort and in-

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structions to his flock; he is the student, the man of prayer, of mediation, of vision, of spiritual power. With these duties most ministers are satisfied, and happy when they can give themselves wholly to them. But the other field-of antagon- istic service due to modern conditions in many places-en- croaches upon the minister's time, divides his strength, strips him of power and sometimes of respect. This is the alarming tendency, to make the minister the man of all work, or as it were the errand boy of the congregation. I protest against it in the name of God and man. It degrades the minister, and cripples his work. It has no promise of the best results in any department of the work.

I do not think you will have any difficulty in following my meaning. As we all know, besides the ordinary demands upon the Clergy as Pastors and Preachers, many additional ser- vices are exacted. Do you want any intimation of what these additional services may be? This list will perhaps serve: Readjusting mortgages; repairing and painting property; looking after stoves and furnaces, coal, rent, sexton, notes, deeds, interest, insurance, bazaars, suppers and entertain- ments, and such like things. Can you be surprised that such exactions should sap a man's vitality, and unfit him for strong, vigorous and prophetic utterances on the Lord's Day? When a Christian Minister is expected to be everything from . an Apostle to the walking advertisement of an oyster supper, it simply means that the supper will succeed at the expense of the Apostle, and the waste of the man.

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A history and record of the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of West Virginia, Part 32

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