The San Francisco call., 1896-05-31
If the Trustees Refuse to Com
ply, Legal Proceedings
Will Be Taken.
SEVERAL PREACHERS IN VIEW
But No Formal Call Will Be Extended
for Several Weeks-0ther
Church News.

Those members of the First Congrega
tional Church who are not in sympathy
with DR.. Browns faction are about to make
determined effort to have the church
opened. 1t is their intention to supply the
pulpit with some local preacher for few
weeks, but very soon a call will be ex.
tended to a pastor to occupy the pulpit
permanently.
The, application will be made to the
trustees as the church was closed by theil
order in the first instance. The applica
tion to sell the church having been denied
the anti-Brown church members hold that
the trustees have no right to keep the
church hermetically sealed.
They want it opened for Sunday-school
prayer meetings, etc., as we'll as for regular
services, and if their request is denied it is
their intention to see if they cannot legally
compel the trustees to give them back
what they claim is their church.
Several men have already been taken
under consideration as probable successors
to DIR. Brown in the pulpit of the First
Church, but as they are none of them con.
sidered strong enough to fulfill all require
ments, their names have not even been
spoken outside the small circle of leading
spirits who have taken them under ad-
visement. No secret Is made of the fact,
however, that it is intended to call a pas
tor to the First Church as soon as the
building is reopened and things have got
into something like running order.
On the other hand, those members OF
the congregation who wish to sell the
building on Post street and build again on
Van Ness avenue have no intention of re.
opening the First Church where it now
stands. They are not satisfied that the
application TO sell has been denied, and it
is their expressed intention to wait a
while and see if a second application to
dispose OF the building will not be more
successful than the first was.
DR.. Browns friends say that it is a oues-
ton whether the members of the conRre-
CATION who stand by the old church have
the right TO call a new pastor; il is their
belief that they have not
There is a majority of officers and dea-
cons against opening the church on Post
street and without their consent a pastor
could not legally be called. The leaders of
the Brown faction say, however, that if
the old church is sold and new one
erected on Van Ness avenue they will not
oppose themselves TO call being extended
to some Eastern pastor of note, provided
he be q strong and eloquent man. His
friends say that DR.. Brown intends to re-
tire magnan1mouslv as soon as the new
church is built. Until then the Brown
party will, they state, go on holding
services in Golden Gate Hall, at least as
long as there is congregation enough to
defray expenses, and it is their belief that
their fold will not suffer for lack of sheep.
As both the party which wishes to re-
open the church and the party which de-
sires it to remain closed are confident
of success, 1t is difficult to predict how the
affair will end. One thing is certain-a
strenuous effort is to be made to reopen
the First Congregational Church and ap-
point pastor.
The DUBUQUE Ministerial Association
has offered fellowship to Dr. Brown and
has sent lengthy communication to the
Bay Conference setting forth its reasons
for doing so.
Rev. DR.. w. s. Mathew has been re-
elected editor of the California Christian
Advocate. His many friends consider
him eminently fitted for the office.
A new Christian church has been dedi-
Gated at Bakersfield. Rev. A. C. Smither
of Los Angeles preached the sermon.