Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-14
CLkSHlNG CHURCHMEN.
The BaptistS Recall Rev. Mr..
L0men as their Pastor.
Whereupon Some of the Mem
bers seosde Altogether.

The Baptist church Of this city
seems to be In . peculiarly unfortu.
nate position at present, owing to q
wide difference Of opinion as to
whether Mr.. Lemen should be the
pastor or not. A short time ago he
resigned that position to accept the
one Of financial agent Of Shurtlef
college, at Upper Alton, aud last week
he shipped his household goods and
made ready to his family to
Alton, but his friends rallied about
him aud so urgently protested that he
consented to remsin here II they de
sired him to be their pastor again.
Many Of them claiming they would
leave the church If he did not, a bus.
mess meeting Was held Tuesday even.
ing to determine the question, and
from all accounts 1t appears to have
been q rather lively one, tt ere being
much feeling shown over the matter,
A motion was made for Mr.. Lemen &c
take the chair, but this was opposed
on the ground that the rules required
that the presiding officer shall be the
pastor, or Ia his absence
some member of the church.
aud that Mr.. Lemep Is neither, hi
having resigned the pastSrate, anc
never having deposited his member
ship letter in neither church here, but
had retained that elsewhere. There
was much lively discussion over this
and the motion was iuaTly overruled
and another person called TO the chair
The friends of Mr.. LINEN offered Q
resolution inviting him to serve al
supply for the church for one year
This brought the matter to q direc
issue and q counting of votes. The
m Ntion was, after some very earnest
discussion, carried by a large me- ority
the vote being ~ to 81. When tn,
matter was thus settled, several of tn,
prominent members of the church
asked for letters of dismissal, which
we're oheerfully granted, while otherl
expressed themselves as not quite de-
cided Is to what they would do, ex
cept that they would withdraw theil
support, even If they let their mem
bership remain, and attend othel
churches.
The minority who thus stoutly ep
pose Rev. Mr.. Lemen's return as pas
tor, do not seem to put forward any
objections to his moral character
but simply that they do not believe h,
Is the man for the place, and tina
their personal feeling Is such tina
they cannot work hsrmoniously will
him as q pastor. 1t is indeed unfor
tunate Cor ali con oerned that such
difference should arise. The church
here has had trouble in the past, blu
had ov ercome II, and entered upon
career of usefulness and prosperity
which promised great things fer TIT
future. II Ia to be hoped that thtt
new trouble, like former ones, ma,
be left behind as the church pushe
forward In its course, The map.
friends of Mr.. Lsmen cal
not but regret also that hi
return to the %pastorate, so eagerly de
sired, Is married by such a contest. A
a cttiz an Rsv. Mr.. Lsmen has Away
been very active In all public enter
prises, especially of a benevolent ma
ture, AMI there are many outside OF tn
church who wilILbe glsd..on this account
that Council RiuHs 10 NOT 90 lose hiu
He will now be on the grounds to pusl
forward the hospital scheme In whicI
he has been 80 actively interested
and there are other enterprises for tn
relief of the poor and distressed Il
which he will also probably be proml
nent az In the past.