The San Francisco call., 1896-04-05
Surprising Outcome Of a Vote
Of Confidence and a
Protest.
BAY CONFERENCE MAY ACT.
The Reverend Gentleman at the First
Church To.Day-Explanatory Tele.
gram From Kalamazoo.

| The following interesting dispatch was
received last evening:
| TACOMA, WASH, April A secret that up
to the present has been well kept was the call
gwen by the First Congregational Church of
this city to its old pastor, the Rev. C. o.
| Brown, who has perilous time holding down
| his charge in San Francisco.
| large portion of the congregation has
always stood by DR.. Brown during the late
unpleasantness, and it was during the trial
that resolutions of confidence and sympathy
| were drawn up by the church here and for
| warded to him. This brought forth vigorous
protest by telegram from J. w. Wallace, one of
the trustees, who was at the time in San Fran
cisco, and who urged that this action was pre-
mature, and the councils verdict should have
been heard before such an action was taken.
This action OF Trustee Wallace was taken up
by Dr. Hallock, and he threatened to discip-
line Wallace for his utterances.
Nevertheless the resolution was sent and DR..
Hallock last Sunday morning surprised his
congregation by handing in his resignation to
take effect at once, and claiming change of
climate was necessary.
Something had to be done, and DR.. Browns
friends here, who are many in the church,
straightway proceeded to give him call to
this charge, and he has much as accepted
but just when he will commence is not stated
Trustees and deacons all acknowledged to your
correspondent that such was the case.
Some $50 names have been secured to
the several petitions requesting the trus-
tees of the First Church to dismiss DR..
Brown. These petitions will not be tor
mally presented until just before the
session of the Bay Conference, on April IA.
1t Is hoped between now and that time to
secure at least fifty more names.
1t is practically understood that the
church officials will not take any action
looking toward the retirement of the pres
| ent pastor, but as matter of form a dupli-
cate copy Will be presented them.
The dissenting mem bers look to the Bay
| Conference for relief on the proposition of
whether the findings of the council raise
| the question OF DR.. Browns ministerial
standing. This will be the issue, and is
not in any way dependent on the commit
| tee on credentials bringing it before the
conference. Congregational usage admits
of any minister in good standing raising
the question, and several of the local cler-
/ gymen have already signified their inten
ton OF doing this very thing. They want
| DR.. Browns connection with the church to
be determined once for all.
/ The talk of Browns resigning from the
pastorate of the First Church seems to
owe its parentage to those who oppose
him. The minister has no intention of
leaving the chuch of his own accord, at
least not for some months to come.
! "lf DR.. Brown contemplated such q
| move" said an intimate friend of his ves-
terday, II certainly would know it. Dur.
ing the past two weeks some twenty five
new names have been added to the church
roll. These people will not be formally
accented until May, so it is safe to assume
that DR.. Brown will remain in charge until
after that interesting event. He would
not think OF losing the prestige incident to
| such proceeding. Outside of this l am
sure that the reverend gentleman has no
church because few disgruntled people
wish him to. anticipate that the Bay
Conference will take no action in the mat
ter and if it did it would be SO much time
wasted. The congregation of the First
Church means to have DR.. Brown for its
| pastor, regardless of the Bay Conference
or any other body"
! Rev. c. o. Brown asks the publication
Of the following telegram:
| KALAMAZOO, Mich, April A.
| To Ret. c. O. Bro,cn, 170S Geary street. San
| Francisco: Never heard breath of scandal
| against your name in any form while living
| here. LYMAN GATES.
DAVID MERRILL.
DR.. Brown said the dispatch was in reply
to an accusation in an evening paper con-
Meeting his name with that of a servant
| girl in Kalamazoo. Mr.. Gates was presi-
| uoHC Ol tue ClTSL NdLOUdI Dd0k OF
Kalamazoo and Mr.. Merrill was head of
Que of the largest flour milling firms there.
Both were trustees of the First Congrega-
| tional Church, Merrill having been presi-
dent of the board for many years.
"a similar report regarding a school
teacher in Kalamazoo, added DR.. Brown,
twas published in weekly while I was
residing there. 1t was disproved, partly
by my own efforts"
DIR. Brown will preach as usual at the
First Church to-day. Immediately fol-
lowing the morning service he will organ
ize o Bible class, to be known as the
Pastors Bible Glass;" Future ministers
| are expected to conduct this class on the
| lines laid down bv DIR. Brown.