St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-17
Signs Of a Split in the
Church Of the Assem-
sion.
Several Members Of the Flock
Object to the New Church IS
Scheme. ae
Rector Lloyd Says the Re:
ports of Disaffection Are :, y
Greatly Exaggerated. % .
Members of His Congregation
Give Reasons for Oppos- o.
ing the New Idea. s ias

~ ~
Church circles in the Sixth ward are
agitated over a report which has been
going the rounds for several days past
to the effect that split has occurred in
that hitherto harmonious body, the
Church of the Ascension, and that the
cause of the trouble is the project now
on foot for building new church on
property donated by Samuel Deering,
prominent member of the church. The
present church is most pleasantly
situated in the center of the ward, and
is accessible from all points, while the
site of the proposed new church is on,
George and Bidwell streets, near the
city limits. The land is swampy and
regarded by many as unfit for the pur-
pose. At the vestry meeting held
recently there has been almost perfect,
unanimity in favor of the new site,
there being but one vestryman who OPP
posed the idea, he having condemned it
as wrong one from the first. A vestry
meeting was held on Tuesday evening
at the Office of DIR. J. 0. Lewis.
matter was warmly discussed and
the meeting eventually broke
up, owing to the impossibility
of transaeting business during the pan
demOnium which prevailed. 1t is said
that several members of the congrega-
ton have since asserted in emphatic
language that if the church is removed
from its present location they will i'm
mediately walk out. A representative
of the GLOBE yesterday visited Rev. j.
W. Lloyd, rector of the church. In
reply to questioning as to the truth of
the rumoTS, he said: ~
sits a. lie. Generally speaking, harmony
the church as It always has OF
churc ten feet from its present site, some
one would be found to object on one plea or
another. There has been no split and there
will be no splitin our ranks. for nothing Will
be done unless the whole church is in favor,
of the proposed move. There are, of course,
few dissatisfied people, Some fancy they
have been sighted, and one lady who for
merly did a. great work for the organization
of the church.in its earlier history, has left
for that reason am constrained to believe.
You may deny the story emphatically, for
there is nothing in it.
Mrs. A. e. Messenger, who resides at
1856 East Colorado street. was, strictly
speaking, the founder of the Church Of
the Ascension, and years ago when the
church was given its first start it was
Mrs. Messenger who rented the room In
which monthly services were held by
Rev. Charles ROllert. now deceased:
who was at: that time a travelling
and Minneapolis. When the church
greater it was the same.
Mrs. Messenger who collected all {
the money for the erection of the press
ent structure, let all the contracts, and
in fact, superintendent the whole work..
herself. Mrs. Messenger has left the
church, though her daughters, Misses
Eva and Clara Messenger, still attends,
Mrs. Messenger, questioned as to the
truth or falsity of the rumors of dissen-
sion in the ranks, said: .5t
It is true. If the church is removed from
its present location to the outskirts Of the
city there are several who will leave the
ranks. My daughters now attend the church,
and if it is moved they of course will leaveIc
I am member Of Christ church. and much
prefer that my daughters attend church with
me in any event. 1t can not be wondered at
that there is objection to moving the church
from site where it has been eminently sue
cessful, to point inaccessible to many of its
members. The result will be to throw the
church back ten years; there can be no
doubt of that.
DR.. Lewis, who is vestryman. is also
strongly opposed to the moving scheme.
He Said:.n
Yes. there is such rumor, but I hope it is
not a true one. l think the idea Of planting
our church, which has now a beautiful loca-
tion away out on those two suburban lots is
a wrong one, and have opposed it from the
first The disagreements resulting from this
idea, which has taken strong hold on several
of our MEMBERS have doubtless given rise to
the supposition of a split, but / don't think
any has occurred. There Is no telling what
may result from the carrying out of any such
scheme as the one proposed, but l hope to
see the matter adjusted satisfactorily. There
lsa wide divergence of opinion. of course"
There APP pears to be an idea among
some of the good people of the flock
that the building of church on the
lots presented to the organization by
Mr.. Deerihg may have the effect of en-
HANGING the value of the adjoining lots
Owned by. that gentleman. but would
hardly enhance the prosperity OF the
church itself. A meeting will be held
at DR.. Hawkins Office on Dakota ave-
nue. Saturday evening. when the dis
cussien will be resumed, and an at.
tempt made to arrive at a definite con-
clusioii. fiss -