The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-21
Will MR.. STAEHLI GO?
The Consistory Votes to Re-
ieCt the Resignation
of the Pastor.
PASTOR MEURY'S LECTURE
Advises the Congregation to be
Lenient and Try and arrange
a Compromise.


pastor of the First German Evangelical
Church, Monmouth street, and the unan-
imous acceptance of the same by the con-
| sistory, has precipitated war in the Con-
| gregation. A split in the church is al
! most inevitable. The reason which led
the pastor to resign have not vet been
| made public, and as usual in such cases,
| all sorts of rumors have been flying for
| the past week or so, and even among the
| members of the congregation. Specula-
| tion as to the cause is rife.
| The resignation was handed to the con-
| sistory, December 9. and unanimously ac-
| cepted a few days late.
| The Consistory, of which Judge Henry
| A Puster is President, and the congrega-
| tion held meeting to discuss the resig-
nation yesterday afternoon. The meeting
| was long and somewhat stormy. There
was a fair attendance. Pastor A Il.
| Meury of the Central Avenue Reformed
| German Evangelical Church, presided,
| having been delegated for that purpose
| by President Wick of the South Chassis
of Bergen. Pastor Staehli did not attend
| the meeting. but his wife was there, and
| though at times calm spectator, her
| face gave traces of Excitement as she
listened to assaults upon her husbands
ministerial department.,
Chairman Meury gave the Consistory
| ten minutes in which to reconsider It's
action in accepting Pastor stacnlps
/
| of twelve members of the church. re-
tired and before ten minutes had elapsed
| reappeared and handed the Secretary a
resolution to read to the effect that II the
congregation was not satisfied with the
action of the Consistory it would resign
| TO a man.
| A vote was taken to determine the SEN
| timent Of the congregation. Then arose
| the question as to who were entitled to
vote. 1t was charged that there were
I ~ 0a vUAH
| on the list of membership. These, how
| ever, were regular attendants, and many
| of these, including the daught ers OF
| Frederick Nicholaus, who have work cd
| indefatigably in the interest of the church
| for the past few years, and the absence OF
whose names from the list, it is said, was
| merely a clerical error. All present,
| with the exception of Policeman Stuckey,
| who was in citizens clothes, were allowed
| by the chairman to vote. lt was proven
| that Stuckey, was not even regular
attendant. When the decision was E u
nounced. Stuckey is credited with giving
utterance to a conglomerate mass OF
words not authorized by the catechism.
The result of the first vote showed
| thirty-six members in favor of refusing
| to accept the resignation and twenty in
favor of it. A subsequent vote stood:-
Twenty-Five against accepting it and
eleven in favor of accepting it.
THE CHIEF ACCUSATION
| Inc main cnafSe urgeu ASdlHst Ea5boL
| Staehli by his enemies appears to De that
he is too fond of glass of beer. German
ministers are allowed at weddings and
christenings to partake moderately Oh
| wine or beer.
Pastor Staehli last night denied to a re-
porter of The JERSEY CITY NEWS that this
had anything to do with his resignation,
but said he could not unfold his reasons
until after the Chassis meets 10 decide
upon the question of accepting the resg-
nation. The Chassis will meet at the Free
Reformed Church in Grand street tomor-
row night. He said he had no personal
feeling in the matter. His reasons for
resigning were of q private nature.
From other sources it was learned that
perhaps lively incident in connection
with the recent fair was something 20 90
with the pastors action. A gold-headed
walking cane was ct first put up to be
voted TO the most popular member OIL the
Conssuory. The two champions for pop
ular.favor were Elier Frederick Nichol-
aus and Mr.. John Ahrends. who Is not
q member of the ConSlstOry or OF Inc
church.
Pastor Staehli is said to have worked
in the interests of Elder Nicholaus. while
Janitor Fogeler espoused the cause Of
Mr.. Ahrends. On the last night OF the
fair, at late hour, the vote was counted.
and iJ was found that Mr.. Ahrends was
the winner. He was cheered as victor.
The animosity on the other side was bitter,
1t is said the janitor turned out the lights
on the crowd, which aroused the wrath
of Pastor Staehli. and stormy scene be-
tween pastor and janitor ensued some
minutes later. Epithets, unbecoming
pastor or janitor, flew thick and fast, and
the pastor was ,fiercely criticized by the
victorious voters. This, however, was
denied by Mr.. Jacob Ringle, a member OF
the Consistory, who said this morning the
! incident as related was not true, and had
nothing TO do with the pastors action in
resigning. He was under the impression,
too, that Jantor Fogeler worked for
Elder Nicholaus in the cane contest. Mr..
Ringle said there is no conflict IN the
church, except a misunderstanding that
the newspapers have been pleased TO con-
vert into a conflict. The Consistory
would not resign from the church in case
the organization did not sustain their ac-
ton, but would simply resign from the
Consistory. and work just as hard in the
interest of the church as they mad ever
done.
PASTOR MEURY's LECTURE.
The Rev. Mr.. Meury, who presided a6
yesterday afternoons meeting, is not at
all pleased with the state of affairs. he
told the congregation plainly that he
hoped they would be more lenient and
treat their pastor in a more Christianlike
spirit, which he did not think it had done.
He read to the congregation from 81.
Matthews 1S:-"lf thy brother trespass
against thee, go and tell him of his fault
J between thee aud him alone. II he shall
| hear thee thou has gained thy
r brother. But if he will not hear thee,
; take to him one or two men that in the
! mouth of two or three witnesses every
5 word said be co-established And ii he
shall neglect to hear thee tell 1t to the
church."
"How many of you, elders. deacons and
members have done thiss" asked the
Chairman. SIT is easy" he said. ito ruin
a pastors reputation. 1t is difficult TO
f build it up again."
Mr.. Meury believes the church unruly;
that lack of discipline prevails. 1t was
/ wrong for Pastor St9-hli TO give up his
: ! position as President of the Consistory,
p | and n violation OF church rules.
Pastor Staehli is exceedingly well liked.
F., Almost everyone with whom the reporter
I talked yesterday in the neghborhood ex-
, pressed sorrow at the pastors delermlnh-
y tion. He came here about twelve years
ago, and built up from nothing church
that now numbers one huadred aul
eighty members, and has Sun'lay school
of three hundred scholars. AL first he
:, was paid but IS week. The little Old
= Sunday school chapel in which he first
:, u started has given way TO large aud COM
y Portable church building. The bricks In
front of the old chapel were laid and the
fence in front erected by his own hands
He is now receiving $50 a month salary,
- and it is said has no prospect OF another
l.. ifrhf