Evening star., 1908-01-26
DISTURBANCE IN A CHURCH
STATEMENT BY THE CLERK OF
BAPTIST CONGREGATION.
Review of the Situation-Election
of Rev. Edgar E. Ricks-Con-
troll of Affairs.

troll of Affairs.
As an outgrowth of the recent disturbe
conditions in the First Baptist Church
tcoloredp of West Washington the whole
situation in the congregation has been
made the subject of a detailed formai
statement Issued yesterday by authority
of the church and over the signature OF
j. T. Smothers the church clerk, 1t Is as
follows:
'.Tne internal affairs of the First ,coi-
oredl Baptist Church of West Washing
ton Cd Co have been aired in court. lheS
were dragged into the public tribunal by
a few members of the church who were
liegitimately voted out OF office and power.
and a decision was handed down by the
bonorabln court on two occasions. in
favor or the church. These decisions
failed 10 please the malcontents, who pro-
ceeded To convene an ex-parte council.
which council. after hearing one side of
the cause only declared that the eectioii
of Rev Edgar +. Ricks. by a large ana
lundsputed majority of the members o'
this church was un-Baptistic. simply De
cause notice was not given from the pui-
nit two Sundays preceding the call
| 1T is clearly evident that such d con-
| tent jon is 1t mere technlcdHty anu a
clamoring for the letter of the law Whlch
| Jaw had been carried out IN spllil. ine
na.contents were "A party to its execution,
and recognized the fact that the cnurch
was properly assembled to call a pastor
! by putt rlg III nomination candidate OF
| their own choice. Their candidate was
overwhelmingly defeated.
Alleged Lack of Votes.
.'At this disclosure of the lack of votes
10 carry out their desires the moderator
who should have been impartial. seemed
| 10 have been acting for the small minority
and attempted to arbitrarily adjourn the
meeting against the will of the majority.
The church refusing to adjourn, the MOD
orator in defiance of the Wlshes OF tne
majority went through the form OF du-
iournment and vacated the chair' "hers
upon the majority, whose right 1t IS TO
| rrlIe in due BaptStic order. put announcer
moderator i'll the chair, proceeded WIN
the business. called Rev. Ricks TO the pas
torate of this church. and adJouFneu III
| regular order.
/ Strbe statement as to carrying out the
! snirit of the law is atteSted by the TACT
| that the church had been meeting lot Two
months attempting at each meeting W
call IL pastor. The names or seVeIdi
mittec at these meetings. all OF Whom
failed of election. All of the meetings
were largely attended
/ .The name of Rev. Kicks was sys-
tematically withheld by the coHiIli. ,.ase, !,
Who with the acting pastor, seemed bent
on frustrating the will oil the HaJoi's
| at all hazards. At their doors the re-
Gently disturbed condition or our church
may be laid. ,,,o,
tens that when the moderator attempted
| +, adjourn the meeting they, toSetner
with the moderator, left the building. we
submit that even it such a contention
were true their participation IN .He ~ -
| mart of the meeting and the defeat OF
! thei;- candidate proved beyond posslpiliIy
| of doubt that they were sadly IN the
| ,,incrity. The court took this view OIL
| the situation.
Use of Directory.
| .rhe statement of the officers of the
| church as to Hiscoxs Directory was mis-
construed by some members of the coun-
oil il being made to appear that the
| oficers of the church stated that the
E,irs. Baptist Church did not use His
| cox.s or any other directory. AS mat
ter of fact we stated and still maintain
that we as a church have not ddopted
| Hiscox's Directory, we iurlner nia'ii.sIii,
| that it would be 'un-Baptlstlc Tor any
| council TO attempt TO make us or any
other Baptist church adopt the use OF
any book but the Bible.
| .:yyhile it is a fact that we have not
adopted Hiscox's Directory, We nave not
departed from the spirit or any oI Tue
| teacbines but have consistently adhered
/ IN the principles and practices OF the
| BaEtist denomination.
/ ..It does not appear to us that the
leaders of this movement against tne
| sovereignty of the church, especially ahe
| nine excluded ones, can possibly nave
/ the interest of the church at heart or
| they would not have treated the church
| wifi contempt by ignoring her call, with
| the seal of the church affixed and signed
| by the clerk of the church. whose OIL
| icial right as such is not questioned Ihey
! should have accepted a council when one
4 was offered by the church before tney
| tbrew off the ecclesiastical and resorted to
| the civil authorities.
| As to Mutual Council.
| .Inasmuch as no effort was made to
| reason with the church after charges
/ were preferred before asking for coun-
ell: inasmuch as the excluded members
have refused to turn over to the churcn
more than $40 of the hard earnings OF
its members, the church could not con-
sistently grant a mutual council, feeling
that it would be 'un-Baptistic' to allow
a small minority to rule the church. es-
| pecially when the church is in the right.
| There are many more facts connected
/ with this cause that are withheld for
| charitys sake.
| we regret that we are forced to thus
| appear before the public, but inasmuch
| as the eloquent pleadings of such fair
minded dvines as Drs. George w. Lee.
w. j. Howard. j. I. Clark and NJ W.
| D. Norman failed to secure us hearing
at the council we submit the above
| mentioned facts in justice 10 our pastor
| Rev. Edgar T.. Kicks, and in defense OF
| our action as a church.
'-Rev. Ricks is a product of the public
| schools of the District of Columbia and
an slumnus of Howard University. He
has filed the positions of vice president
| of the District of Columbia Christian
| Endeavor Union, delegate 10 the Anti
Saloon League. committee on comfort OF
| the Boys Brigade convention, pastor OF
! ST Philips and st Johns Baptist
| churches, filling these positions with
credi to himself and the race. AS pas
| tor of the aforementioned churches his
wor.. speaks for itself. We have letters
| o. commentator in behalf Of our pastor
| from the best citizens of both races.
Satisfied With Choice.
THE First Baptist Church is satisfied
with her choice and purposes to retain
| Rev Kicks as pastor; but in Difference
to the advice of the ex-parte council
Councils among /Baptsts having naught
but advisory powers). letters of dismis-
sion will be granted to those in good
| and regular standing who may apply in
| pS rson for the same.
| .-Regretting the undue publicity and
| shame full humiliatio to which we as a
| church have been subjected, We leave our
| c;ust. in the hands Of God. pleading His
l,.l. ncIyf inc fnf h2 hrf pf on