The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-17
NORTHWEST
REFUSES
TO LEAVE CHURCH
AN IOWA CONGREGATION SEEKS
THE AID OF THE COURT.
Petition Is Filed Against Rev. S. Kos
ter of Hull, Revealing His Propensi-
ties for Horse Trading and Refusal
to Accept Dismissal from the Pas
torate. .-.E
Special to The Journal.

Webster CITY, Iowa, Oct. FIT church
congregation votes to depose Its pastor, and he |
refuses to be ousted, can the power OF the state
Of Iowa be evoked to enforce the order of the |
church membership? If SO, will the Iowa courts |
say that 1t is improper for minister to emu
ulate David Harum in horse trades and at the |
time preach the gospel? "
These are the principal questions that must
be decided in the most novel lawsuit ever |
by the Reformed church at Hull against Rev.
s. Roster. to eject him from the pulpit and
the parsonage, ~
Rev. Mr.. Roster has proved a perplexing prob
lem for the Hull church. Tho he has been
deposed from his pastorate by three separate
church organizations he still clings to the
passionate and constantly declares his willingness
to deliver sermons regularly and to attend to
the other duties of his position - -.
The petition fled in court states that the
trouble began a year ago. when one Of the
pastors horse trades to the attention Of
the public. He already had a reputation for
driving bargains with shrewdness worthy OF
the hero of Wescotts novel: Like the Yankee.
Rev. Mr. Roster apparently considered 1t en-.
tirely proper to "do' the other fellow, II he
could. While he has never admitted that a
minister has not the right of any other man to
make a good bargain, his townsmen have been
brought to have wholesome respect for his
| ability along this line
But during the latter part Of August last
year Rev. Mr.. Roster went a little too far.
according to the strict views and high morality
of his parishioners. At that time he wanted
to drive to point in the northern part Of
|
| little trip he borrowed horse of parishioner,
| one John Van de Berg, living near Sioux Center.
| The pastor was detained by slight accident to
| his buggy at farmhouse near Hartley, and az
| he did not wish to drive the Van de Berg mare
| too hard, he borrowed horse from the Hartley
man for the rest Of the journey.
A Trade and Exchange.
1t is stated in the petition that on the return
| trip the minister effected a trade with the
Hartley man. getting the latter's horse in ex-
| change for the Van de Berg mare and also $25
| in cash: that on his return to Hull the divine
| left the Hartley horse in the Van de Berg
| stable.
One other irregularity is named in the suit
Mrs. N. Gable of Perkins owned church build
| ing, and she had stated she did not want to
sell it unless it should be continued church.
DR.. W. J. Workman Of Hull wanted the build
ing for a. barn.. He could not purchase it
directly, but the Rev. Mr.. Roster bought it
and turned it over to the physician, who prompt
~ stationed his horses in it. For this the pastor
was given a long church trial, conducted in the
Dutch language. In. the end he was convicted
and expelled from the pastorate and church.
Undaunted. he appealed to the Western synod,
but the decision was affirmed. Then he took
his case to the National synod but again the
| decision was against him.
| After all this, he still refuses to leave the
Hull parsonage and church. He takes the posi-.
ton that he has spent his life in training for
that no church organization has the right to pre-
vent him from making use of that profession by
action which amounts to blacklsting. Evers
other means having been exhausted to get rid
| of the pastor, the church has now brought q
. civil action in the courts Of common law, ask.
Ing that Its powers be invoked to carry out the
, orders of the Reformed denomination. D.