The Portland daily press., 1896-04-11
WHAT WILL DIR. SIMPSON SAY
A Church Divided Over the Secret
Society Question.

Rev. Mr.. Woodman Declined to Preach in
Hall Tenanted by the A. p. A. Order,
liz and Hired Hall of His Own. DR..
Simpson Yet To Be Heard From.
A gentleman who was formerly lead
ing member of the Church of Emmanuel
says there is a strange state of things in
that church, and that Rev. DR.. Simpson,
the head of the Christian Alliance move
ment of which the church is a part, may
be asked to settle some disputed points.
At the present time the membership as
largely confined to women, most of the
men having Withdrawn, and in place Of
worshipping in Williams hall, the
church meets in little room at 499 Con-
gress street.
The trouble grew out of the un-
willingness of the pastor Rev. g. Edwin
Woodman, to allow members of secret
societies to retain church membership.
When the church was first organized
there under the late Rev. B. Luscomb,
| there was an anti-secret society clause, in
| the articles of association, but under the
pastorate of Rev. Mr.. Campbell, that
| was changed, and members of secret So
oieties became connected with the
church.
More than that the society leased the
hall two evenings In the week to the
local chapters of the A. 2. A., the lease
of the hall being held by the trustees Of
| the church.
1
About the first Of January Rev. Mr.,
Campbell having resigned the pastorate,
a well known lawyer who is member
of the A. p. A. order suggested that 1t
might be well to take suitcase Of the
hall, and this was done, the lease run
ming for three years.
| About that time Mr.. Woodman, who
was then an exhorter, not having at that
time been ordained. was engaged to act
as pastor of the church. the matter of
ordination being left for the future
Soon after he began pastoral work he
brought up the matter of secret societies,
and the original articles were restored,
and Of course the members of the societies
were given the option Of withdrawing
from their secret orders or from the
church, and promptly withdraw from
the church.
Notice was then given to the A. P. A..
council that they must vacate the hall.
but they stood on their legal rights, and
refused to bulge. MIR. Woodman feeling
that he could no longer preach in that
ball, in joint occupancy with a secret
society withdrew, and secured the room
where he now ministers to his people.
While the matter was in controversy,
and before the change was made there
was a meeting of the board of trustees,
called at time when Rev. Edward P.
Allen, was present, and at the suggestion
of the pastor, Mr.. Allen withdrew from
the room while business matters were
discussed. ''But isn't this a secret So
ciety?" asked one Of the members who is
also member of a leading order. The
point was allowed to be we'll taken. but
it did not end the dispute.
The members who were forced out say
that the a. p. A. councils paid to the
church nearly if not quite all that the
church paid for the hall, and that as a
have remained. They insist also that the
work could have been much better carried
on where the society then met, and that
the change was a bad one all around.
1t is also claimed that Rev. DR.. A. B.
Simpson of New York, never attempted
to draw the line against members OF
secret societies, and that the extreme
position taken by the Portland church
will not meet with his approval. They
say that DR.. Simpson never in his life
tried toloonfne the membership of the
Christian Alliance association to persons
who are not connected with secret orders.
An appeal can be taken TO sDr. Simpson,
and will be unless the members who have
retired find other religious homes.
At the present time the membership oil
the onurch of which Rev. Mr. Woodman
is the pastor, is said to wholly confined
to those who are not identified with the
secret orders, and Of women.
It is due to those who followed Mr..
. Woodman from Williams hall to say that
no special objection was made by tbs
pastor or members to the A. P. A. order
the objection applying to all the secret
orders. What will be the end Of the mat
ter remains to be seen. Mr.. Woodmar
has simply returned to the rule made b,
Mr.. Lusoomb, the first pastor. and som.
of the present church members are under
stood to insist that they are in line will
the teachings of DR.. Simpson, and tna
Mr.. Luscomb, who died missionary O
the Christian Alliance was in a positi OF
to know the views of DIR. Simpson re
garding secret societies.
Bishop Ryan Of Buffalo died yesterday
| morning