The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-08
BEFORE 7HE CHASSIS.
Pastor Freund's Applica-
tion to Form a New
German Church.
A HEARING ON NEXT TUESDAY.
The Chassis May Decide That the
Hoboken Minister Shall Not
Preach Under Its Wing.


The Rev. j, w. Freund, the late pastor
or the German Evangelical Church, of
Hoboken, is likely to meet considerable
opposition from within the body of the
church in his efforts to gather around
him new congregation. The meeting Of
the Bergen Chassis, which it was reported
was to be held yesterday afternoon, at
No. 26 Reade street, New York, and before
which it was stated that the Rev. Mr..
treund had been asked to appear to answer
charges preferred against him by his late
par1shioners, was held behind closed
doors. No admittance to the rooms OF
the Synodw accorded to represen tatives
of the press during the session.
THE CHASSIS MEETING
To learn what had been the drift of the
discussion and the result of the delibera-
tions of the meeting l sought out the
Rev. I. w. Gowan, the pastor of the Grove
Church at Union Hill, at his residence in
that place.
said pleasantly, when l had stated the
nature of my visit and he had invited me
to seat on bench Just. outside the door
of his prettily shaded cottage
well, the Journal has gotten you way
off the track in its report of this matter.
There was no meeting of the Chassis held
To-Day Ihere was meeting of Com
m1ttee of Chassis to consider the applica-
tion of the Rev. Mr.. Freund and u num-
Der OF signing petitioners to the Bergen
Chassis for permission to form new
church. 1t is the usual form of procedure
| in matters of this kind"
But were not the charges of the menu
| bers OF the German Evangelical Church
| against Mr.. Freund the occasion of the
meeting of the committee?" asked
| A HEARING NEXT TUESDAY.
'The members of the church have
| formulated no charges" Mr.. Gowan re-
piled. .'An application to the Chassis for
| permission to form church is usually
| followed by an investigation by the Chassis
of the necessity that exists for a new
| church. Frequently the movement is so
weak as not to warrant the permission.
| Frequently it weakens an established
church, and is discouraged on that
| ground
"The Committee of Chassis met today
| to give the Consistory of the German
| Evangelical Church an opportunity to
state their reasons why the permission
should not be granted. On next Tuesday
the applicants will be given an Opportun-
ity to state reasons why they should
\ be allowed the privilege to organize. The
charges az ainst the Rev. Mr. Freund, as
they now stand, are merely rumor.
This investigation may develop tangi-
BILE charges on which it is possible he may
| be cited before the Bergen Chassis to de-
fend himself The committees duty il
! simply to take testimony on the app1ica-
i cation and report it, with their recon-
mendation, to the Chassis. There is no
| guarantee that the Chassis will be gov
erned by the recommendation"
| THE TESTIMONY SECRET
| will you give me an epitome of the
testimony taken by you today, Mr..
| GowanW asked.
''That would not be possible was his
rejoinder. "To do that would be like a
| Grand Jury making public the testimony
on which it is to base its findings before
| all the parties to the transaction have
| been heard. The proceedings are strictly
confidential, for transmission to the
Chassis. Even on the findings of the
Chassis an appeal can be taken to Par
ticular Synod of the church and from
there to General Synod"
| DEACON wILKENs TALKS.
In the hope still of learning the nature
| of the testimony, Inext called on Deacon
| Albert Wilkens, at his residence, No 22s
Hudson street, Hoboken. Mr.. Wilkens
said that he, with other members of the
Consistory, have attended the meeting Of
the committee and laid their testimony
before it. The nature of the testimony he
would not disclose.
He said he and his fellow deacons had
no desire to appear in the papers either as
affirming or denying any of the state
ments made in the press concerning the
Freund difficulty. Some of the accounts
he charged were very much mixed, but
he did not care to straighten them out.
The meeting of the Committee of Chassis
to hear the testimony of the petitioners
will be held at the rooms of the Reformed
American Synod. No. 26 Reade street, New
York, on next Tuesday at ten O'Clock
| a.. m.