CHAPTER XI.
THE GENERAL CONVENTION OF 1901 First Services--Drake's Chaplain--Flavel Scott Mines--Bishop Kip--Growth of the Church in California--The General Convention in San Francisco--A Western Sermon--Personnel of the Convention--Distinguished Names--Subjects Debated--Missions of the Church--Apportionment Plan--The Woman's Auxiliary--The United Offering--Missionary Meeting in Mechanics' Pavilion--College Reunions--Zealous Men--A Dramatic Scene--Closing Service--Object Lesson--A Revelation to California--Examples of the Church's Training--Mrs.Twing--John I.Thompson--Golden Gate of Paradise.
As we turn away from Chinatown, with its Oriental customs and its peculiar life and its religion, we naturally give ourselves up to reflection on the mission and character of the Christian Church.
While we recognise the good that is done by "all who profess and call themselves Christians," and thank God for every good work done in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ, we may more especially consider the development of the Episcopal Church, pure and Apostolic in its origin, on the Pacific coast.

We must ever keep in mind the services held in this region as far back as the year 1579, by Chaplain Francis Fletcher, under Admiral Drake, when the old Prayer Book of the Church of England was used on the shores of the Golden Gate, a fact commemorated, as we have already noted in a previous chapter, by the Prayer Book Cross erected by the late George W.Childs, of Philadelphia, in Golden Gate Park.

This was prophetic of bright days to come.

Time would roll on and bring its marvellous changes, but the truth of God would remain the same, and the Church would still flourish and the liturgy of our forefathers would hold its place in the affections of the people of all ranks, as at this day.

Drake and Fletcher could hardly have realised, however, that the good seed which they then sowed, though it might remain hidden from view for many generations, would in time spring-up and yield a glorious harvest.
We are not unmindful, of course, of the labours and teachings of the Franciscans among the California Indians; but when this order of things passed away and the Anglo-Saxon succeeded the Spaniard and the Mexican, it was but natural that the old Church which had made Great Britain what it was and is, aye, and moulded our civilisation on this continent, should seek a foothold in the beautiful lands by the Pacific and on the slopes of the Sierras.