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Prayer Book Exhibit Opens in New York City

Diocesan Press Service. June 28, 1974 [74189]

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- A historical exhibit of the American Book of Common Prayer from the Custodian's Collection opened here on June 17 in honor of the Rt. Rev. John M. Allin, who was installed on June 11 as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

The exhibit, held in the Seabury Bookstore at the Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Avenue, New York City, is sponsored jointly by the Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer, The Seabury Press, and The Church Pension Fund.

The exhibit illustrates the history of the American Book of Common Prayer from the Proposed Book of 1786, which was quite influential but never official, to the publication material of the Church's Standing Liturgical Commission which is preparing what could be a 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

The Book of Common Prayer came into general use as the uniform official liturgy of the Church of England on Whitsunday, June 9, 1549.

While the Anglican Communion is this year observing the 425th anniversary of that book, the Episcopal Church in the U.S. will observe the 185th anniversary of the first American Book of Common Prayer which was adopted and established on October 16, 1789, as the liturgy of the church by its first complete General Convention.

The American book of 1789 was carefully revised to reflect the vocabulary and patterns of American speech, as were subsequent revisions in 1892 and 1928.

The Standing Liturgical Commission is working toward an Easter 1976 deadline for the completion of a draft Proposed Book of Common Prayer. The book must be adopted by the General Convention the following September, be used by the entire church for the next three years, and finally be ratified by the 1979 convention before it becomes the new Standard Prayer Book.

The present Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer, the Rev. Canon Charles M. Guilbert, has served since 1963. The office of Custodian was established by General Convention in 1892, together with the adoption of the First Standard Book. Previous Custodians were: The Rev. Samuel J. Hart of Connecticut, 1892-1917; the Rev. Lucien Moore Robinson of Pennsylvania, 1917-1933; the Rev. John Wallace Suter, Sr., 1934-1942; and the Rev. John Wallace Suter, Jr., 1943-1963.

The Custodian's Collection presently consists of about 300 volumes and is housed at the Episcopal Church Center, New York City.