LENOIR COUNTY, St. Matthew's, Kinston. This church is recently organized, under the care of the Rev. Mr. Mason, of Newbern, who occasionally visits it; and Mr. Ichabod Wetmore is authorized to officiate there, as lay reader.

LINCOLN COUNTY contains three churches-Whitehaven, Smyrna, and St. Peter's. The two former are under the pastoral care of the Rev. R. J. Miller. The latter was admitted into union at this convention, and appears to have been reared by the missionary labours of the Rev. Robert Davis.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, St. James's church, Wilmington, the Rev. Adam Empie, rector. This appears to be the most numerous and flourishing parish in the state. We are pleased to see that minuteness of detail in the rector's report, which we have hitherto vainly hoped. for, and without which no general view of the Church can be given, that will be satisfactory. We therefore insert the whole of his report; observing merely that we should have wished to have seen the number of families stated; and also the relative proportion of male and female communicants.

Baptisms,
Marriages,

12

7

13

137

Since our last report, 15 have been added; but deaths and re

movals have more than counterbalanced the increase.

The number of white adults in this parish is about

Number of children, about

Number of coloured persons of all ages,

Number of children in the Sunday school,

COLLECTIONS.

In church, for the convention fund,

do. for the Missionary Society,

Received for do. from the Prayer Book and Missionary

Society

Received for do. from Ladies' working Association
By annual subscriptions of Julius Walker and Dr. De

Rosset

Amount of missionary collection,

200

130

100

100

$ 26 60

34 75

12.00

20 00

4 00

70 75

The state of the congregation continues the same as last reported. In compliance with the recommendation of the last convention, a cent society has been established for the benefit of the missionary fund.

Orange county, two churches-St. Jude's and St. Mary's; both under the care of the Rev. Robert Davis. These churches are probably very small; as no returns, save a single baptism in each, are given. Mr. Walker Anderson is lay reader in St. Mary's, and parts adjacent. PITT COUNTY. Grace chapel. This church has been once visited by

the Rev. Mr. Mason, of Newbern, and Mr. Joel Patrick has been authorized, by the standing committee, to officiate as lay reader.

ROWAN COUNTY, two churches-Christ church and St. Peter's, Lexington; both supplied by the missionary labours of the Rev. R. J. Miller, and the Rev. Robert Davis. We notice that both these clergymen have returned the same number of baptisms in Christ church, viz. 16. The return of St. Peter's is 22; of which 6 were adults: the burials in each have been 4. The number of communicants, and indeed all other particulars respecting these churches, are not stated. WAKE COUNTY. Christ church, Raleigh. The Rev. Mr. Green appears hitherto to have had the charge of this church; but we understand that it is henceforth to be under the special charge of the bishop, who is to reside at Raleigh. A benevolent lady, we are informed, bequeathed a legacy of 14000 dollars, lately, for purposes, which admit of the appropriation of part to the erection of a church in this place; and, as it is the seat of government, it appears to be judiciously chosen for the Episcopal residence.

WARREN COUNTY. Emmanuel church, Warrenton. "At Warrenton," says the Rev. Mr. Green," a neat and commodious church has been erected, which was opened with appropriate services on the 8th of August last. The Sunday school in this place is still kept up by the unremitted activity and benevolence of the females of the congregation."

We have had occasion frequently to lament the want of minuteness and accuracy in parochial reports. If every clergyman would consider the county in which he lives, (especially while there are so few, rarely more than one in each,) as the field of his labours, we might have an accurate report of every individual who professes himself to be attached to our Church. In this way we might arrive at some certainty in our estimate of the annual amount and increase of our numbers. It is obvious that our abstracts must be defective, when the sources are so from which we derive all our information. It costs us no little labour to put together the scattered members; but it is a labour which is hardly perceived by the reader, and draws from him at most only a cold assent to our general accuracy. Sometimes the reverse is the case, and we are blamed for the faults of others. "There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people." From the force of this remark, however, North Carolina may, in some measure, plead an exemption; for the convention has adopted a mode of procedure, which, if generally adopted and accurately executed, would greatly relieve us. We allude to the report on the state of the Church. The most of this document we proceed to lay before our readers.

"On reviewing," say the committee," the parochial reports of the last year, and comparing them with those of the preceding year, we find that many have been added to our communion; and that, without exception, each individual parish appears to be in a flourishing condition. The establishment of parish libraries appears to be engaging the attention of the clergy, and it is a measure which the committee cannot

too highly recommend to every congregation. The Sunday schools which have heretofore been established, are reported, by the rectors of the respective churches, as still receiving the attention of the pious, and they hope, the blessing of the Almighty.

"The missionaries who have been employed by this convention during the last year, report favourably of the prospects of the Church in that section of the state in which they have laboured. The committee would remind the members of the Church throughout the state, as well as those here present, that for our past success, particularly in the western part of this state, we have been indebted (under God) to the exertions of a few zealous missionaries. The members of our communion are so scattered throughout the different sections of the state, that missionary labour is the only possible method of supplying their call for the ordinances of the Church. These scattered sheep should not be neglected. The committee, therefore, would recommend, not only to this convention, but to the Church at large, the propriety of increased exertions and increased liberality in behalf of the Missionary Society.

"At this convention, seven new congregations have been admitted into union with the Church in this state: most of them are from the eastern part of the diocese. The number of communicants, belonging to the Church in this state, is 480, as reported; though the exact number, or the increase since last year, cannot be correctly ascertained, owing to the fact that a great part of the congregations, not having the benefit of regular ministrations, their true state cannot be reported. The baptisms during the last year have been about 200. Our friendly intercourse with the Lutheran synod still continues, and may it long continue. A representation from that body has appeared in the convention, and we hope to draw still more closely the bonds which have, for some time, connected us.

We omit the remainder of the report, which recommends the elec tion of a bishop, that we may proceed at once to state, what we have already announced, the unanimous election, and subsequent consecration of DR. JOHN STARK RAVENSCROFT, AS THE FIRST BISHOP OF NORTH CAROLINA. This last important event took place during the session of the general convention in Philadelphia, on Thursday, May 22, 1823, in St. Paul's church, in that city. We hail it, as most propitious to this rising diocese, and to the whole Church. God, in his providence, has raised up one who is mighty in the word and doctrine, and who will labour for the salvation of the souls of men. Το him be all the praise and all the glory.

PENNSYLVANIA.

THE thirty-ninth convention of this diocese was held in St. James's church, in the city of Lancaster, from Tuesday, the 13th, to Thursday, the 15th of May, 1823. The following is an abstract of the parochial reports.