New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-08
STLUKE'S CHURCH FOR SALE.
THE SOCIETY FORCED TO DISBANp.
ATTENDANCE AT THE METHODIST CHURCH TOO
SMALL TO SUPPORT IT.

ATTENDANCE AT THE METHODIST CHURCH TOO
SMALL TO SUPPORT IT
meeting Of the trustees OF St. Luke's Methodist
Episcopal Church, in FOTty-hrsst. near siNth-ave.,
held last week and It was unanimously decided TO
sell the present church property. No action was
taken, however, about the future accommodation OF
the congregation either By uniting with other
Methodist Episcopal church in that part OF the city.
or By building church. The action practically
that the financial affairs OF the church win be
4wouud up and the congregation will disband. TIE
members OF the congregation will separate and seek
such other church homes each one finds conven-
lent The trustees, however. will Told the money
which viii from the sale Of the church property,
enc make such disposition Of 1t in the future their
Judgment or circumstances may direct Tie trustees
Of the church at present, several Of whom the
ganizers and first members Of the congregation, are
John S. Sils. of No. $50 Eighthave; Abraham Mead,
Of No. $50 Sixth-ave.; Samuel Andrews and william
Cornell.
It's action Of the trustees will be heard with sur
prise BIZ many Methodists for It has been kept quiet
an1 even the pastor OF the church. the Rev. Herbert
welch, has been kept in ignorance OF 1t. Abraham
Mead the president Of the Board OF Trustees, has
been officially authorized to place the property 10 the
market and 10 sell it the highest bidder. but IT was
the feeling Of the trustees that the sale should be ef-
fectei quietly possible and BY private snle as
the public announcement of this step might cause an
immediate fallng-of In the attendance, and might
prove stumbling block 70 negotiations for uniting
with some other congregation. The trustees DO not
wish TO give UP possession OF their property at once
tu, are willing 10 90 so In April.
About year ago the question OF making radical
change in the church was earnestly debated by the
congregation and several plans seriously dis
cussrd. One was TO unite this church with ~.
Pauls tie Fortythlrd Street and the thty-'mrd
Street urchcs form strong central cJlurch
with money sufficient to build church and several
annexed buildings for the furhcrance Of church and
mission work. This received much attention,
and 1t met the favor OF many Of the people In the
congregations. The ST. paul's society had from
100000 TO 100000 In money ST. Luhes from
10000 10 100000; the Forty-thlrd Street Church
about ESQ OOO and the Fitty-th!rd Street CDHFcA
about 10000 which, with the private and public
subscriptions such project would b-ing out, would
make over $500 900 TO start with. Another plan
which met some favor to have these churches
With the exception OF ST. Pauls, unite and enter upon
aggressive mission work In the dense population on
The West Side, FOrtysecond ST., While anOther
suggestion was one that has long been common with
hotestan churches In this city, and that Is TO move
uptown. Although MI these and some other Plans
were seriously discussed. yet none OF them were
carried out
member Of the church. in explaining the reasons
Ior the radical step the part OF the trustees OF ST.
luke's. said to Tribune reporter:
"The announcement OF tbs action Of the trustees
VIII probably be great surprise to the pastor OF
Tie church TO the public. Aside from the iour
trustees and three TO whom the property has
been offered for sale In the last few days no one IN
le city knows anything about II. what Were lAe
immediate leading the trustees 10 this radical
s'epl Well, suppose It's the same old story Every
body Is going uptown our congregation has ovid
died down until al present have only from 10 10
lou members. Last spring eighteen families LETT our
congregation and reduced number by nearly
nall, and our membership has been dwindling away
ever Since The action OF the trustees couid not
nave been longer delayed. Their policy OF keeping
Inc matter quiet simply to make the change with
as little harm as possible TO the congregation But
Inc sale Of the church could not long have been de
ye1 even with the united action OF the other Metho-
oht Episcopal churches"
d. Lukcs Church IS built on leased land, owned
" Mrs. Ebridge T. Gerry. In the back yards OF
VI. oiock there Is street which at one time was
puohc thorUughfare. but houses have been built all
i'uhd II, completely hemmlng IL in. It belongs
" the city, so no one use II for building p'r
Fuses No cart has rumbled over It's grass grown
e. cnehts for many years. The ground rent OF
=, Luke's Church is $1,65O a year. There is n
"'e OF twehty-one years. With a privilege OF twenty
o"e years renewal Eleven years Of the fret twenty
&c years have pasted. The church buildings cost
=, 800 The trustets already have had two offers
~'ooV" for the property. but have refused them.
n. Lukes Church was built IN 1866 by a minister
~ e nethodist Episcopal Church. who pastor OF
.u fHty-tlirdst. church. He dissented from the
own % % the blslBlps and formed "a society of his
whjc Du th church In 1855 for his congregation.
s.sWshpped there nearly two years when the
Cbnsssr.assuon sold the church TO the New England
ssAu0n'' also split" from an orthodox church.