The herald., 1898-03-01
WILL STAND BYITs CONTRACT
BOARD OF TRUSTEES CALL A
SPECIAL MEETING
The Two Factions Still Contending but
the Majority Will Sustain
DR.. Wendte

Tn resnonse to a call by the board OF
+rustees there was a large attendance
of the members of Unity church at a spec
t., r,aat,ne held last evening. The chair
man. Judge Humphreys. after calling ,he
meeting to order, made a lengthy state-
ment of the object Of the gathering anu
the motives that actuated the trustees III
calling IL. These were essentially tnat
s+otements had been made that the board
vas making plans to disrupt the church
and turn the property over to some o.her
organization; that the pastor. Dr. Wenote'
has been i'll ever since he came to Los An
pe,es. and unable to fill his pulpit; that the
church Is running behind $3.50 per month.
and that the contract with the pastor does
NOT amount to anything, and the congrega-
tion is under no legal obligation 10 Keep
1t If it desires change.
The chairman drew a melancholy picture
of the finances, and appealed to the MEM
bers to know If they desired TINS state Oh
things to continue He dwelt at length on
Dr Thomson's unQuestioned ability as
1,reocber and DR. Wendte's unfortunate i'll
ress that disables him from service and
the irreparable injury the church Is suf1er-
ing in consequence. He declared his lnten-
tion of standing Loyalty by the pastor, but
stuck tenaciously to the fact that there
could be change If 1t should be the wish
of the members.
At the request of the secretary, Mr.. Hall
read a financial statement as follows:
Seats rented, 1856, amounting to $23S5 per
year. collections, seven Sundays, $l2736;
seats rented since Dec. 1st, AZ. 1888; seats
released, 80, $235; expenses for the year
IN to date. $500; cash on hand, $l22.4O; ave-
rage of collections per Sunday, s18; total
deficit per month, 800. At this juncture a
telegram was brought in from DR.. Wendte
at Redlands, conveying fraternal greet
ing to the members saying his health is
improving rapidly, and he would be able
to fill the pulpit on March goth.
Judge Works inquired how much had
been paid the pastor, and upon ascertain
ing that the sum amounted to sos in all,
remarked that the pastor was not the
only one who had not lived up to his con-
tract.
Mr.. Harris said he was in favor Of har-
mony with a large Fl. The best way to
reach unison is to bury tho unhappy diff
ferences that have arisen. After having
treated the present pastor with absolute,
exact justice for the year. then they
could make change II 1t is the desire Of
the members. II yield to no man." con-
tinued the speaker, 'in my admiration of
DR.. Thomson, but he did not consult the
board Of trustees when he resigned. They
voted for him as long as his name came
before them. There are those who never
will consent that Dr. Wendte shall be
unjustly treated. and who will insist that
the contract be carried out to the let
ter. When Lincoln was elected those who
gave him the most trouble were the anti
slavery people, and DR.. Thomson seems to
be in a similar dilemma from his pro-
fessed friends. Dr. Wendte came here
sick, but he was invited here, and the cir
cumstances he has had to contend with
have not been conducive to his recovery.
Let us stand by him as long as his con-
tract lasts, join together and let by
cones be by-gones."
Mr.. Harris remarks were applauded
loud and long.
Judge Works expressed his establishment
that the suggestion should be made that
because the pastor is Ill the contract with
him should be violated and he turned out
~ the church. The board of trustees
were elected because they were in op-
position to him. They had gone to DR..
Wendte and proposed that he should send
for DR.. Thomson to I'LL the pulpit during
his illness. and in case he did not recover
his health DR.. Thomson would be here.
Thev have gone to him and demanded his
resirnation. The speaker ventured the as
sertion that the trustees had made no
EFFORT to improve the finances. 1t is the
duty Of the church members to stand by
the pastor, put their shoulders to the
wheel and carry It along.
r MI. Newberry was OF the opinion that DR..
ThomSon had not the slightest idea OF ever
returninB to Los Angeles to preach again.
md h&d 10, .slid before leaving. 77.s
II. Hoim6jin said thofe ssemed u ~ .a
1.S13d ~ = ~ III ~ " ai1,ovi = n