The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-06
Dir. ELDERS NEW DEPARTURE.
The Latest Phase of the Madison Avenue
baptist Church Controversy.
A card bearing the following words has
lren circulated extensively among BaptIsts:

| tpen circulated extensively among Baptists:
The Gospel Of Christ is the power Of God unto saliva.
non. The Madison Avenue Baptist church will open
sS," and sTscntn 9ys , for public wgrsng on ae
card personal invitation
To those Immediately Interested this card had
great significance. 1t meant that those men,
bcrs Of the Madison Avenue Church under the
leadership Of the Rov. DIR. J. +. Elder, who no
longer worship in the splendid cdiflce ut Mndi-
son avenue and Thiry-ilrst street. had found
an abiding place in the church building in West
fIlty-third street. near Seventh avenue
The Rev. DIR. j. +. Elders people claim to te
tho real Madison Avenue Baptist Church. :"
but other persons make like claim. The dis
putc is the ouigrowth Of an old controversy
AZ long ago ~ 1862 an effort was made to unite
the Madison Avenue Baptist Church and the
Baptist Church in Oliver street. BY the terms
OF the proposed union the Oliver street people
demanded that the Madison Avenue Society
should terminate: but 1t was soon avcrrcd by
some that the termination could not be lawfully
brought about. because the Oliver Street Society
held q separate charter from that Of the Madi-
son Avenue Society. and tina, the deed of gift
from the ono to the other was not valid An
appeal WIS taken t. the courts. and n protractcd
litigation ensued. the case being carried up TO
the highest court.
1t had brrn understood that the consolidated
congregations would meet In the Madison ave-
nur ediilcr; hut the dispute forbade the fratcr-
mai plan. ana both branches vacated the church
ana met in lecture rooms. Finally, on account
oi decision Of the highest court all hopes "
uniting the two societies were abandoned. and
virtually two sep1rat" societies were formed
one branch was known M the Elder purity"
and the other rs the " Mllbank party" 1t has
now been arranged that the Millhank party
shnli have p0sSession ~ the Madison avenue
rdiilrc. which they are redcrorating and rrfur-
nishing at an expense II $4,000. 1t Is soon TO
b. rroprned for worship.
The terms on which the Elder party" hava
obtained pp~s 'ssion Of the West Fiity-third
street ediii'e ure MS follows. Tho ReV. Dr. FL
doris trustees have leascd the cdillcc and LOT for
six months with tue option IT purchasing. The
property is owned hy the Mctropolitgn Savings
Bank. The bank took it on foreclosure Of u
moringc some tmc ago from Baptist society
and holds II ~ 10000.
The Rrv. Or. - r. insists that his pnrty is the
only society Ont lied Ia the name =" Mud son
Avenue Baptist Church" H. said Yesterday:
This church was instituted in 1871 ana has
man NAM Gny MIN six kaS'ors n al w Il, history
took charge in 1898 then in 1925 the
RN Dr. Spencer II. Cone; ia 1872
iic kcN. Elisha Tucker. IN 1879 the Roy G.. L.
MaEgnn: in 1859 The kcy. Dr. Henry E.Wcston:
in $50 the Rev. DIR. j. +. Elder For many
y.ars Il Wns known ~ the Oliver Street Bnitist
church lut IN lst2 the so'ioty moved tn Madi-
son aVeuu" and Thirty-flrSi street and took its
present name. Owing. however. 10 u defective
title, the property was lost to Us and We were
compelled To- seek another homo. In West Fifty
lhlrd street We welcome ali the people"