The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-07
WON'T WORSHIP UPTOWN.
MINORITY OF THE CHURCH OF TEE
STRANGE IN ENJOYABLE.

II stays Dewutowu ana Prays Every Thursday
fer the Majority. which Voted to GO Up &c
Fifty-peventh st~reet-Chureh IHad to H1ove
Somewhere 20 Escape n Raised Rental.
Tho name Of the man who sont an anonymous
letter to the papers on Saturday. in which IL
was stated that the Church OF tho Strangers "is
rent By disoord. dissension. dissatisfaction. con.
t~ention. secession and separation" has not been
revealed.
There is no row In the Church OF tho Stran-
gers" said q member yesterday. Everything
is peaceful There are no dissensions, seces-
sions. or separations. A majority Of the MEM
bors OF tho church decided to buy q house of
worship uptown. A minority Of tho congrega-
tion was against such n proposition. They re-
fused to go uptown to worship. and, what's
more, they won't 20 up there. The minority
didn't like tho methods by which q majority
vote on the proposition to move uptown was OBJ
tainod. thoy don't like those methods any better
now. and they don't propose to appear TO sp.
provo Of them by worshipping in tho new
church. But IL must DO understood that there
are no discussions or secessions in the Church of
the Strangers."
Whatever tho trouble in the church may DO
called. It originated in changing the place of
worship from 900 Mercer street, where the late
DR.. Deems preached so long, to 800 West Fifty
seventh street, the odifce owned by the Central
Congregational Church, OF which the Rev.
DR.. William Lloyd was the pastor. 1t seems
that the ground on which the old Church of the
Strangers stands is owned by tho corporation of
rent of 81. 800 has been paid by the church. Tho
lease Of the ground expires on May /. The Snug
the rent would DO 5000 a year.
the church couldn't AFFORD to pay such a rent.
They so reported to the congregation. and tho
a new house Of Worship. II was found that the
property OF the Central CONGREGATIONAL Church
Church at 12s West twelfth street We're for
sale. The prices we're about tho came. The trus-
tees reported in favor Of the Centre! Congresa-
,t a p ,ss 5,;aS e the T c,opsrsgssion was called
a aoon a me middle 10 % oil last November to vote upon
would cost $sS. 900. which included a mortgage
seventy-two against. No effort WINS made on
the part OF the pastor, tho Rev. Daniel Asa
another. After the vote WAS announced it was
practically decided to give up the. project Of
matter like that. with the vote a tie, the wishes
Of one side should be respected as much as those
The question of moving was not revived until
z meeting OF the congregation. held on Dec. Is.
s Maen tioey w eSs 70 Su lns i%sds'i Wien many nfo or tae t GSRt
the meeting had boen called for the purpose of
ing the Central oonsresat tiHG ape propef TT ouyI
man who has been a member of the Church Of
the strangers Tor .tWenty.three years gave the
tSs %setfn ae sc bec yesterday afternoon, of
Tho meeting was quito different from the
one in November. Among those present were
persons who hadn't been seen In the Church of
the Strangers In five years. Whether they had
kept up their contributions during that time
can't say. 1t 10 fair to suppose. however, that
when q man doesn't attend a church for five
church sSare ns du nfSa' th hsP' time I'm e0RWSf hen | sup 1S ssSf
surprise at seeing some of those persons there
solicitation Of MI. blackburn. Then I found
campaign among tho congregation, to Sc:
the Central congregational property. A
number OF pretty warm speeches were
the members took The platform to speak against
turned 70 Mr.. Blackburn and asked him point
blank II he thought 1t dignifed ana proper for q
matter like that under discussion. and reminded
MT. Blackburn that his conduct then was very
different from his conduct before the November
meeting. The pastor followed in a speech justi-
in 144 persons voting in favor of buy
lng the property to a against IL. 4
"A short time after that, on Jan. 20. I think
was. a letter, signed by a large number of tho
members of the congregation who were not in
'avor OF moving uptown. was sent out inviting
the members OF the church to attend what
called a mid,week prayer meeting, to be q
,eld every Thursday night in the First Re- '
ormed Presbyterian Church. in Twelfth street. 1
thursday night was selected SO as not to inter- j
ere with the regular prayer meeting of the /,
,rayer meetings have been largely attended. {
Whether a new church will grow out of them
emains to be seen. The proposition has been I
discussed to some extent. At every one of our
own. and we want 1t understood that there fs
row and no secession"