Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-06-06
MORSE LUTHERAN CHURCHES
seventh Annual Meeting 90 BE Held
mt ~. Paul. \

seventh Annual Meeting 20 BE Hello
at 81. Paul.
st. Paul, May 2s.-On June . about
800 Norwegian ministers and lay del
gates from the thousands of congrega-
ions OF the United Norwegian Lutheran
.hurch OF America will meet In st.
'aul to attend the seventh annual meet
ng OF that church, which Is held In the
first Swedish Lutheran church, cor
Ter Woodward and John streets, June
to 10.
This meeting Of the United Norwe-
.ian Lutheran church. which Ia the
argos. church organization among
he S~candinavians In this country, will
re exceedingly interesting to the MEM
,ers OF the organization. as well as to
he public at large, from the fact that
{ is expected that at this meeting the
iexatious seminary problem and the
ecret society question Will be settled I'm
ONE definite manner.
The secret society question would
ave been discussed last year when the
annual meeting was held I'm this city,
cut the delegates found 30 much work
n determining the standing Of seeding
members that This question WAS not
considered. IL was expected that the
natter would come up In the form OF a
report from The committee appointed
Il the previous annual meeting to In
Testigate the matter thoroughly and
% prepare n resolution upon which the
annual meeting might act. The COM
nittee has published the report OF its
abors In the form OF a statement OF
Hhat they fnd the secret societies to be.
This statement contends that secret
tocicties are religious organizations,
which. i'm n way. are antagonistic To
The Christian church and to the teach
fags OF the holy writ No curse OF ac-
ion Is recommended In this statement
- TO what III United church should do
but the Inference Is strongly against
The secret societies and In OF
adopting regulations which will provide
,or the expulsion OF members who Join
tecret societies and the refusal to admit
10 membership In the church applicants
who are members of secret societies. !
1t Is stated by several ministers, who
are in position to know how the major
ity OF the church people feel In regard
to this question. that there IL a strong
hntagonism to the secret societies. one
OF the prominent ministers Of this
church said yesterday, when told that
the First Swedish Lutheran church OF
Ht. Paul had expelled six members be-
cause II was found that they belonged TO
the Modern woodmen OF America: :
II am very glad to hear that. IL
places the church on record. and II be-
comes a very easy matter TO determine
how to deal with the individual cases.
I believe that the United church Will
adopt, perhaps at the next meeting
strict measures against the secret So
%cleties. The Swedish Augustana ~
the Norwegian synod are both opposed
10 the secret societies., and our people
feel about the same way about the mat
ter. only they have not expressed them
selves in proper resolutions"
Besides this. the vexing seminary
question will come up In all It's phases.
One OF those is the large number OF
! propositions for a site for a new semi
nary, In case the church decides to-
found a new institution. a large num-
Der Of sites have been offered. Among
these Is a ten acre lot near Lake Har-
riet. the Minneapolis academy property
a large tract Of land on University and
Smelling avenues and a ten acre lot on
Marshall avenue. near the Mississippi
river. The last is considered the most
available by the committee. 1t a be
secured at a very reasonable figure. and
It Is believed hat in case the church de-
e.des 10 build a new school that It viii
be located on this site.
Another difficult problem Is: what
hall be done with the thirteen churches
which were suspended at the last an
nuai meeting because they would not
obey the dictates OF the annual meeting.
and support the seminary OF the United
.hareh. These churches are, TRINITY Oh
Comstock. Barron county. W~ts.sSinn-'
cas-, Minneapolis. Mimi: Cumperh
Barron county. Wis. Eagle Lake. KAN
iiyohi county, Mimi: Willmar, Kan
diyohi county, Mimi; Lismore. Mo-
,les county. Mimi: lions. Pesh-
tigo, Wis: Escabana. aba
Mich: ST. Petri. Minneapolis, MIMI.
Dur Saviour's, Marinette. Wis; Hane-i
ands. Mobiles county. Minnesota. Tnese
churches are at present suspended Inc
presfdent. Rev. g. Hoyme. was nirecte"
BY the annual meeting TO visit these cont'e
cations and prevail upon them 10 1om
lack IN the church. He has visited tnem'
and they nave TtIuSfo Pp'' -
.ha Auyshurrlan faction and come back
~ the United church. The annual meet.
ina can now do nothing but expei these
,hurches and their ministers, and ~ IL en-
,ectea that this will be done at the o
ing annual meeting. II II is done there are
, great number OF congregations that will
leave the United church through sympa
thy with the cause OF the Augsburgians
nnd these thirteen congregations, and a
reneral secession will follow.
Ii will be remembered that at the last
annual meeting Prof. George Sverdrup and
Prof sven Oftedai the two leaders OF the
| Augsburgian faction, were not received as
lelegates from Trinity church In Mime
fpoiis on account Of the alleged personal
| lisoualifcations OF these gentlemen. At
The last meeting of the ~Augsburgians a
committee of peace was appointed. which
ronsists Of the following members: Pref.
q. Syerdrup, chairman; Rev. r. r. Har-
Doe. Rev. +. Nelson. Olaf Hon and Bard
Anderson. This committee Is instructed
o take whatever steps thought necessary.
% bring about an amicable settlement or
he controversies OF the United church and,
It's factions.