The herald., 1895-09-29
PRESBYTERIAN PARRAES|A
The Old First Church and
Its Many Troubles
A charge OF INSTRUMENTATION
Preferred Against the Pastor,
Rev. Burt Estes Howard
HE WILL DEFEND HIMSELF
The Ruling Elders Are Also to Be Called
to an Accounting
Like the Clergyman, They Absolutely Refuse
to Obey Presbytery
The Trials to Commence Before the Ecclesi-
astical Court Which Will Convene in
East Los Angeles October 10th.
What Mr.. Howard
Says
The Ruling Elders Are Also TO Be Called
to an Accounting
Like the Clergyman, They Absolutely Refuse
to Obey Presbytery

the Rev. Burt Estes Howard was last
evening served with papers notifying him
to appear before the Los Angeles Presby-
terry on October 10 to answer to the
charge of having violated his ordination
vows.
At the same time the ruling elders of
the Westminster Presbyterian church, J.
G. Salisbury, J. X. Hoffman. H. G.
Wiley. M. N. Avery and H. T. Gordon
will also be tried by the ecclesiastical court
on charge of contumacy in resisting the
authority and orders of the Los Angeles
Presbytery.
These trials are the result of the schism
in the First Presby terrain church of this
city which has existed for some time, and
which has resulted in the formation of
two church organizations where formerly
only one existed.
What the outcome will be no m an can
predict; but whatever it is, there will be
an appeal taken and ultimately the split
up in what was the First Presbyterian
church of Los Angeles will be passed
upon by the general ssembly of the Pres
byterian church of America.
The ecclesiastical judiciary of the Pres
byterian church is constituted on exactly
the same principle that civil courts OF
tue United States are. First, there is the
session Of the church itself, which cores
ponds with justice court. Then there
is the Presbytery. corresponding with the
superior court. Then comes the state
synod, similar to the state supreme
court. Finally there is the ecclesiastical
court of last resort-the general assem- bly,
Of the church of America, corresponding
to the United States supreme court.
The case of the Rev. Burt Estes Howard
and the ruling elders, no matter how de-
cded, will be passed along through all
these bodies for review. 1t will therefore
be seen that before the final decision is
reached some considerable time IS going
to be consumed.
A meeting of the Los Angeles Presby-
terry was held in San Diego. At that ses-
sion delegates representing the protes-
tants, or anti Howard members, of the
First Presbyterian church were present
but no action was taken regarding them.
The delegates came home after the pres
bytery adjourned and a meeting of the
anti Howard members of the church was
held at which it was decided that the
way to get their sh re OF the $54, 900 for
which the church property had been sold
was to organize. The organization of
the ants was accordingly effected. Then
request was made by the ants to the
presbytery to call meeting and formally
divide the First PRESBYTERIAN church,
and also to divide the money coming
from the sale of the property at Second
and Broadway.
cordlngly held and the church divided.
A commission was also appointed to d.
vile the money and property. The anti
Howard peopls were given the name
Central Presbyterian church. The other
faction was given the name Westminster
Presbyterian church, and the name First
Presbyterian church was dropped.
And here commenced more trouble.
The Rev. Burt Estes Howard and his
followers declined TO recognize the action
OF the presbytery as legal, or AS sound
ecclesiastical law. The Rev. Howard
and his congregation declined to accept
the new church name, continued as the
First Presbyterian church and refused to
abide by the presbytsrv's action in any
respect. And it is for this refusal that
they are to be tried.
1t was not until the presbytery met at
G Bowie Heights church last week
that it was officially decided that the
Rev. Howard and his coadjutors should
be called to answer for transgression of
what was supposed to be the ecclesiasti-
cal Law OF the pres Dyterian church. The
consequence was that the sessions of the
presbytery last week were decidedly
spicy.
First the question came up as to
whether or not Westminster church and
Central church were formally enrolled in
the presbytery. The moderator decided
that they were and stopped an acrimoni-
GUS debate.
The Rev. Burt Estes Howard, by con.
sent, addressed the presbytery, requesting
that they restore the First church to its
place or the roll and declare Its CONT
nuity un broken. This action would. he
thought. stop all ecclesiastical litigation
and would put his church in a shape to
settle civil litigation. But the suggestion
was not followed nor acted on There
upou tho Rev. Howard resigned from the
chairmnas of the standing com mttees
of the young peoples societies, and his
resignatjOnwas accepted.
But il was on the third day of the SEES
sion of the presbytery that a bomb was
NthroHn into the. camp in the shape of the
eeport of a committee Ion the pastor and
tession of the Westminster church." The
rport was lengthy and went into ex-
telsve detail OF the action of the pastor
AM the ruling deacons in refusing to
recognize the authority of the prea hytery
to divide the First Presbyterian church
nndo reor2anize il into the Westminster
l'reSyteran church.
Rubtu buc OiliCtT3 OF inc CnurCl
refnsSl to issue letters of dsmission In any
namepther than that of the First Pres
bytefs church; that they mad persist
en'ly Infused to respond when the stated
clerk oitne Presbytery In calling tn roll
OF churtes called the name of the 'West-
minister Nchurch of Los Angeles; that
the erection of a new church building
mad been \contracted for in the name of
the Flrst\ Presbyterian church. In fact
the report reviewed all the acts of Rev.
Howard am the ruling elders IN defiance
OF the Prstbytery and closed with the
statement thT all these demands and re-
fusals were IN direct contradiction of the
PLAIN teaching of the discipline and form
OF government of the Presbyterian
church" Thereport recommended that
judicial proceedings be commenced
against the Rev Howard and the elders.
E. +. Galb.a ith we're named as the com
mittee to represeit the Presbytery and to
sonduct the pro'ecution AT all stages.