The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-11-23
NO AGREEMENT.
The Tabernacle Is Still the
Debatable Ground With
the Two Branches.
NOTHING DEFINITE DONE.
Trustees Will Talk Only With
an Empowered Com
mittee.

The controversy between the rWo
branches of the First Congregations
Church relative to the separation propos-
ed by some members of the downtown
branch Is as far from being settled as
ever It Is now impossible for any one
to say what the outcome will be- IL IS
known that the Board of Trustees OF the
Hill church positively refused to grant the
concessions asked in the voluminouS peu-
ton sent TO it by the provisional board
of the downtown church. When these de-
manas were refused Those who took the
question of an Independent church in their
hands asked the uptown board just what
II would agree to in the way of a separate
church.
In answer to this, Mr. Frank H. Hail.
acting under directions from the Board of
Trustees. wrote that the Hill Board was
nsrfectly willing to come to an under
standing regarding the present question Of
a separate church. providing the dowtown
people would select committee vested
with fun power to close an agreement,
whose actions would be binding. Inls
committee must be given full power 10
close the deal. the letter stated, or no
conference touching upon the separate
church question would be held
NO answer has been received from the
downtown people and their intentions are
unknown to the hill branch. member
of the IIill church. who Is in position to
know how matters lie, spoke OF the con-
troversy few days ago. giving the IN
formation quoted above.
s"The board that conferred with the
Board of Trustees" said he, "had no
power to close any transactions, therefore
the trustees would enter into no agree
ment regarding the disposition of the
Tabernacle property.
The Tabernacle members who are seek
ing separation were requested to ap-
point a committee or a board, these rep
,resentatives to be given full power to act
as they see fit, their actions to be for
ever binding. The provisional board
named recently. was not acting with fun
authority. Their acts, as the trustees
found out at conference, were not those
of people vested with power to act as they
saw fit Everything they did was reported
back to the members OF the church for
further instructions. That is one of the
reasons why no agreement was reached.
The uptown board wishes to meet COM
mittee that will close the matter without
further discussion and loss of time.
Another reason for the refusal Of the
demands in the petition is that those de-
mands were simply out of the question.
One clause calls for turning the property
over to the Home Missionary Society; an
other that it be decided to the Congrega-
tional Society. and SO on-anything, so
long as they get the property out of the
hands of the Church Society. Something
definite must be asked.
st feel sorry that separation is asked,
but if they think that this is the only
plan whereby successful church work
can be carried on, then SO be it,
1.-THE Tabernacle has been going lower
and lower ever since the two churches
were consolidated. Really can see no re-
lief for the downtown people. Pledges
of funds to maintain the church have not
been kept as well as was anticipated. Up
to date less than one-h half of the sum
pledged for the year has been received
and ten months have elapsed Sixty per
cent of the funds must be received with
m two months to realize the total sum.
1.-THE church has been experimenting but
little If any success has attended the ef-
forts. l wish the matter was settled one
way or the other. No good can come out
of this continual delay"
Those of the downtown branch who
were seen, refused to discuss the matter
1t is thought however, that reply to
the recent communication is being
framed. ~