PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES. 



671 



GENERAL COMPARISON. 



The General Convention. This body, which 

 is the supreme legislature in the Episcopal 

 Church, meets triennially in the place ap- 

 pointed from time to time. It assembled this 

 year in Philadelphia, October 3d, and contin- 

 ued in session until October 26th, inclusive. 

 There were about fifty bishops present, and 

 also clerical and lay deputies from forty-eight 

 dioceses and two missionary jurisdictions. The 

 Convention consists of two houses, which hold 

 sessions as distinct bodies, viz., the House of 

 Bishops and the House of Clerical and Lay 

 Deputies; but concurrent action (as in the 

 case of the Senate and House of Representa- 

 tives at Washington) is necessary to valid legis- 

 lation. In addition to regular business re- 

 quiring attention, such as action on proposed 

 amendments to the Constitution and Canons, 

 reports of standing and special committees, 

 the state of the church, etc., the chief feature 

 of interest to church people at large was the 

 very full and able report, and its free and 

 careful discussion, of the joint committee on 

 the Book of Common Prayer, appointed three 

 years ago. The entire proceedings are pre- 

 sented in the " Journal of the General Conven- 

 tion," as a supplemental journal. 



Domestic and Foreign Missions. The Board of 

 Missions consists of the bishops of the Church, 

 of the members of the House of Deputies and 

 of the Board of Managers. It holds its sessions 

 at the sacrie time and place as the General Con- 

 vention. The Board of Managers consists of 

 the bishops, the treasurer of the board, and 

 fifteen laymen appointed triennially. This 

 board is charged with all the powers of the 

 Board of Missions during the interval between 

 the triennial meetings, and divides its work 

 between a Domestic Committee and a Foreign 

 Committee, with headquarters in New York. 



Domestic Missions. $*&. 1, 1882, to Sept. 

 1, 1883. Missionaries (13 missionary jurisdic- 

 tions and 25 dioceses) ; bishops, 14 ; other cler- 

 gymen (white, colored, Indian), 425 ; teachers, 

 other helpers, etc., 45 ; total, 484. The finan- 

 cial condition was as follows: 



Collections, legacies, etc $272,082 61 



Expenditures (thirteen missionary jurisdictions 



and twenty-nine dioceses) l y&Sh AO 



Missions among Indians and colored 61<440 4 



Office and other expenses 14-240 93 



Cash in bank _31,069JU) 



Total * 272 ' 082 61 



Foreign Missions. Sept. 1, 1882, to Sept. 

 1, 1883. Missionary bishops, 3 ; other clergy 



(white and native), 87 ; teachers, helpers, etc., 

 154; total, 194. The financial condition was 

 as follows : 



Collections, legacies, general rand $142,571 6 



Specials, etc 16,85s 55 



Treasury overdrawn 8,711 84 



Total $162,641 84 



The Woman's Auxiliary to the Board of Mis- 

 sions renders efficient aid in the work of all the 

 departments, by means of parochial, city, coun- 

 ty, and diocesan associations of ladies, formed 

 for the purpose of raising money, preparing 

 and forwarding boxes, and otherwise helping 

 on the missions of the church. 



Money raised for domestic, foreign, freedmen, and 



Indian missions $47.627 76 



Boxes for the same (1,540 in number), value 10a,619 18 



Total $157,246 88 



The American Church Missionary Society 

 (also auxiliary to the Board of Missions) has 

 employed during the year, in 17 dioceses and 

 missionary jurisdictions, 40 missionaries. The 

 financial condition was as follows : 



Receipts from parishes, etc $12,644 28 



Receipts for foreign missions 261 08 



Balance in hand Sept. 1,1888 2,894 10 



Total $15,799 41 



Boxes of clothing sent to missionaries 



Boxes of clothing, value 



The society has also in legacies, securities, etc., 

 over $31,000 



The Mexican League, in aid of church work 

 in Mexico, reports that during the past three 

 years (Sept. 1, 1880, to Sept. 1, 1883) it has 

 contributed, in both general and special, 

 through the Foreign Committee, $54,968.39. 

 The interest in this work is much abated, 

 owing to various charges and ill rumors in 

 regard to Bishop Riley's doings, as well as a 

 general "muddle" in Mexican church affairs. 

 The whole subject was brought up at the 

 meeting of the Board of Missions in October, 

 but no satisfactory result was reached.- 



The American Church Building Fund Com- 

 mission, established in 1880, is doing a good 

 work. The object proposed was to create a 

 fund of $1,000,000 to aid in building new. 

 churches in any diocese or missionary juris- 

 diction, and, if possible, to gather this sum 

 within three years. Although the commission 

 has not been able to accomplish that grand 

 result, it has gotten well under way, and looks 

 forward with confidence as to ultimate success. 





