The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-10-01
DULUTH MINISTER TOOK HIMSELF
OUT OF THE CHURCH.
Christian Denomination Board Didn't
Put Him on the Grill, as Has
Been Intimated in Press Reports;
No objection to His Believing
Whatever His Conscience Dictates;
Statement of State Trustee.

airship, the north pole, or new reli-
gious creed. Such prominence has come
| to Rev. Bruce " Black since mis- an
nouncement that he is thinking along
new and quite different lines from many
people. Inasmuch as the purpose and
action of the board meeting of the
Christian church which wa, held ten
days ago has been misunderstood, a
representative of The Free Press in
terviewed a board member who was
| present at the meeting in st. Paul.
| He said:
"The purpose of the meeting of the
state board held in st. Paul recently,
and the scope of it's action have been
greatly overstated in reports pub
lished in The Free Press, taken from
some source. 1t has been given out
somewhat directly that Mr.. Black was
on trial at the board meeting for what
has been referred to as his lapses in
the church at Duluth. Nothing could be
further from the truth. Neither Mr..
Blacks beliefs or his conduct were on
trial before the board in any sense,
and he was there simply as one repre-
sentative sent by one faction of the
church to lay matters before the board
on the proposition hereinafter stated.
Factions Held Meetings.
"Both factions of the church at
Duluth held a meeting and there is was
decided to lay the proposition before
ri 10 hot
board, would approve of the organiza-
ton of second church in Duluth, and
give it the support and sanction which
the board gives all churches in the
state when needed. That was the real
proposition which the board met to con-
slider, and not to consider or pass upon
Mr.. Blacks beliefs or conduct at all.
In order to put this proposition before
the board in an orderly way, each fac
ton of the church at Duluth sent two
ment to st. Paul to give such infor-
nation as the board might need, and to
give each side a fair representation and
hearing on that proposition. One faction
sent Mr.. Black as one of its represent
tatives, and he was there in no other
capacity, and was there for no other
reason. OF course the personal differ
ences between the people at Duluth
came into the discussion incidently, but
was not given any particular weight
by the board. After a full hearing,
which was very orderly and good ma
tured throughout, the Board concluded.
unanimously, that the work of the
church at Duluth was not strong enough
to warrant it in chartering another or
second Christian church there, and di
rected that this conclusion be communi
Gated to all of the members in both
factions in the most kindly way, and
directed that the members of the church
in both factions be urged to consider
the matter sincerely, and in a Christian
that existed so far as possible and
that the board would lend them every
assistance and would procure pastor
as soon as possible to Jake the place
in the church vacated by Mr.. Black.
Black Has His Rights.
at was fully conceded by all mem
bers of the board that Mr.. Black abs
the right of every citizen to believe
what his conscience dictates to him,
and to put such construction on the
scriptures as he thinks best, also that
that he had right to step out of the
work at Duluth if he deemed it the
best thing to do, but did object to
using the means and energy of the
board to organize a second church
at Duluth to accommodate those who
wished to follow him away, while the
church already there, is barely self
sustaining
'Mr. Black was not a personal ele-
ment in the deliberations or conclusions
ing directed to what is best for the
church at Duluth giving Mr.. Black
full freedom to follow his own incli-
nations.
"After hearing Mr.. Blacks state
ment, what was the opinion of the
members of the board as to his new
bent of thought p" asked the reporter
From what Mr.. Black said no con- |
clusion could be reached as to his
present drift of thought. He denied
at the meeting that it is Emanualism,
Christian science, spiritualism, mental
healing, laying on of hands, theosophy
or any other well known cult, but he
did not decline his new cult in any def |
mite way. When asked what he pro-
posed to teach his followers, he said
that it is simply the spiritual power
OF healing through prayer. That was
as near as he came to giving any
impression as to what his new depar-
ture isl
No Warrant for Conclusions.
"The board member was shown ex- !
tracts from Mr.. Racks sermon at Du-
luth last Sunday wherein Mr.. Black !
said in substance that the board had
antagonized him and invited him to
depart for other fields, and wherein
he CONSTITUTES the action of the board |
as asking him to confess guilt to the
charges. After looking them over the
members of the board stated that there
is no warrant for such conclusions
Il