The herald., 1897-10-25
HE is CHOSEN
BY a Vote of Sixty=three
to Twenty-Five
UNITY CHURCH'S NEW PASTOR
DIR. WENDTE OFFERS A REBATE
OF TWO MONTHS SALARY
Soma a cri ~, on;o q M, a vic Made hv
Some Acrimonious Remarks Made by
a Disgruntled Member of the
Congregation

The meeting of the board Of trustees
and congregation of Unity church last
evening could hardly be called symbol
cal of all that brotherly love, as preached
from time immortal, should be. The
board, of which Niles Pease is president
met at 1880 to decide the much debated
question of the next pastor for the flock.
The approval of the congregation as to
the appointment of DR.. Charles w.
Wendte of Oakland, Cal, who had been
chosen by the board as the most suitable
man to fill the place of Dr. j. S. Thom-
son, was the final move which was re-
quired, and the real object of the meet
ing.
DR.. Wendte's salary, fixed at $4,000 for
the year, was bone of contention, and
some discussion followed the announce
ment that the whole thing had been
practically settled. DR.. Wendte has in
formed the board that he is willing to
forego two months salary if he is called,
as an extra inducement toward his ap-
pointment To settle the question as
speedily as possible it was decided to
put the decision of the board to a viva
voce vote of the congregation, which
mum bered some hundred or more per-
sons. The result, however, was to Gre
ate halo of indecison in the minds of
the president as to the majority.
standing vote was then suggested, which
was equally confusing, and on j. l..
Pavkovich's recommending that vote
by ballot would be the most satisfactory
method of obtaining a decision, slips of
paper were handed round and the meet
ing waited with bated breath to hear
the opinion of the majority. Eighty
five votes were cast, and siXty-three
ayes to twenty-five hayes decided the
momentouS question in favor of the Oak
land pastor
Mr.. Pease made a short speech, in
which he said that the conduct of the
church members during the last few
years had hardly been shining ex-
ample of what practical Christianity
should be in this age of heresy and
schisms. Too many people signed the
books of the church as members merely
on the strength of their liking or opin-
ion for the pastor, and not through any
trne of the church itself. AS a conse-
quence a religious organization, such
as this was. would speedily find itself
in a constant state of disruption and
chickering's, utterly destroying all feel
ing of love and friendship between the
members, and changing amity and con-
cord into hatred and malice. When the
congregation was guided in its actions
solely by its regard for the church in
the abstract, and all friendship for the
pastor was allowed to assume a second
ary place, then, and, not until then,
would the church prosper. And further,
he thought that when the minister was
better known by the congregation, a
repetition of the recent dissension would
be a remote possibility.
Some CONSERVATION was caused at
this point by lady in the congregation,
who rose and said that DR.. Thomson had
been we'll known, but yet he was treated
as shamefully as pickpocket.
Mr.. Pease then stated that such re-
mark was hardly in keeping with the OBJ
ject for which the meeting was called,
and that to cast any reflections on the
church at this time was quite out of
place and unnecessary. He himself
was not believer in DR.. Thomson's
methods, although he could not but ac-
knowledge that he had been greatly ben
Gifted by some of the reverend gentle
mems sermons, which he could describe
as being nothing less than wonderful.
At the same time the present occasion
would be an auspicous one on which
to let by-gones be by-gones, and bury
all the past troubles of the church. Tie
vote Of the majority showed the con-
gregation to be in harmony with the
board, and the result should be accepted
by the minority in friendly spirit He
trusted that this would be the end of the
churchs troubles, and that harmony
would once more prevail among the
members. Mr.. Pascoe read a letter
from DR.. Thomson to DR.. Wendte, ask
ing him to accept, and wishing him every
success in his new field of labor.
Some discussion followed as to the
various qualities, both good and bad, of
the departed minister which was cur
tailed by R. N. Bulla, whose motion to
adjourn was seconded and adopted with
out opposition, the meeting having lasted
some forty-f1ve minutes.