Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-03
Interesting Controversy to Be
Considered by African
NJ. e. Church
NEW PASTOR, BUT NO CHURCH
Building Dedicated to Use Of colorsd
Msthodist. il Claimed BY Mrs. Sarah
Wright, Former Pastor, to Be Her
Own Personal Propsrty-Has Been
Reported as Church Property

people. or the former pastor. Mrs Sar-
ah A. Wright? Mrs. Wright claims it
as her personal property, and says it
will remain in her possession until the
Indebtedness against 1T, which she has
personally assumed, is paid of. Fur
thermore Mrs Wright claims there is
no church organization. and has not
been for twelve months. The situation
was made public when Rev. A. D.
Williams came here. ss the newly APP
pointed pastor, Of the Iowa conference,
and soon found sthat lie had no church
in which to hold services.
The situation is an interesting one.
not only to the colored Methodists here.
but to many of the white people wilo
have subscribed money ito found an
African M. e. church in this city. Rev.
NJ. l. Gordon. of Ottumwa. presiding
elder Of the Des Moi1les district, came
to the city to investigate. and will take
the matter up with the bishop. In
cidentally Mr.. Gordon and Rev. MIR.
w lh1&1lllSs QISSsSkNSU HNl5 NankS0 pSASAS
County Attorney Egelmayer.
Claims of tho Church.
Presiding Elder tiordon says that
Mrs Wright, as pastor of the church
here, reported the property here as
church property to tlle Iowa conference
at Chicago on Sept Z. 1907. She also
reported it as church property at the
1908 conference HELD in Keokuk last
month At the recent conference Mrs.
Wright was relieved from pastoral
work here, and made an evangelist OF
the conference Mr.. Gordon says that
when he asked Mrs. Wright about the
church, she informed him THAT she was
going TO hold q mission In the butld-
ing. and that he couldn't have 1t tor q
church. Rev. Mr.. Williams says that
the church is ready ,and willing 10 as
sumo the Indebtedness OF $375, Ia the
shape Of q mortgage held 10y y, il.
Cummings, and Mr.. Cummings has ex-
pressed q Willingness to transfer the
mortgage hrom Mrs. Wright to THE
church.
New Pastor But No Church.
REV. Mr.. Williams entered into his
I sastoral work here about the middle OF
September, and held his first service as
uastor OF the African NJ. 3. church OF
Marshalltomn on Sunday Sept. 20. On
Monday morning, Mr.. Williams says,
Mrs. Wright asked irim for the key OF
the church, THAT ahe migf1t move from
the building an organ that belonged to
her. He gave her the key, but instead
of reteurning It Mrs. Wright mot only
kept the key, but had q new lock put
on. She then announced, 90 Williams
says, THAT the church belonged TO her.
Alone Responsible, Says Mrs. Wright.
Mrs. Wright, when asked concerning
her side of the controversy, said that
she did change the lock. She claimed
the building as personal property under
4 warranty deed. mo one else is re-
sponsible for the indebtedness, and un-
I'll the church is free from debt 1t is
mine" said Mrs. Wright. CAS- far as
tho church organization here is con-
cerned, there Is no church, and there
hasn't been any for twelve months.
How then could the church own the
building, IL there is no church? asked
the conference for aid, and was told
that 1t could do nothiry. Everything,
got had to work IL, and all thu
money put into it L put It in. AS far
as far as the people who .elped me are
concerned, am running mission
there, and the church is not locked. I
held services last Sunday, and will to-
morrow"
Reported % Church Property.
The minutes Of the conference session
held at Chicago in 1907 show the Mar
shalltown church reported as church
properly, and so accepted by the con-
ference An itemized table shows $15S
as the total amount collected for local
purposes; $562.50 for purchasing build
ing or repairs: and other collections
under various church heads. In the
conference minutes the value Of the