Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-27

The Dunkers are. as they term
themselves, a peculiar people" Their
strait-laced views are as rigid as were
those of the Puritans. This will be
shown in a question that Will be
brought up before the conference as to
whether the students of the church
schools have right to take part in
intercollegiate baseball contests. AL
ready the church has expressed itself
against it's members going to fairs,
lawn parties and similar places. The
rolling of tenpins has been regarded
as contrary to the spirit of the chureh,
even though the alleys on which the
bowling is done are free, and the
bowlers do not even bowl for the
sugar"
The annual conference is a remark
able organization Its dictum is final
in all things 1t is as powerful in the
affairs of the bunker church as the
Council of Nice, which promulgated the
famous Nicene Greed, was powerful IN
its day. The government of the church
is well planned for representative con-
troll The congregation is the lowest
body. 1t may embrace three or four
churches, but it is still the congrega-
ton. The district is second in rank. 1t
is made up of dozen or more congre-
cations. 1t acts upon those matters
PASSED on to it by the congregations,
and in turn passes matters or general
interest on to the annual conference.
When that body speaks, the last word
has been said
One of the hardest questions con-
fronting the church is the matter of
dress. For years 1t has been trying to
stem the tide of growing inclination on
the part Of it's younger members to de-
part from it's teachings in the matter
of personal adornment. Especially is
this tendency marked in the cities and
towns. The rules of the church are
positive against the women wearing
hats. The wearing of hat If per-
sisted in, will bring the wearer before
the council meeting, and If full re-
pentance is not there manifested, ex-
communication will follow. Likewise,
1t is absolutely commanded that the sis
ters shall wear the little bobbinet cap,
known as the prayer covering" The
male applicant for church membership
who wears mustache is promptly told
he cannot become a member until he
shaves it off or grows full beard. The
wearing of gold, either in the form of a
watch, a chain, or a ring, is prohibited
among the members, the ground for
this being the scriptural passage which
admonshes Christians not to be given
to the wearing of gold, the braiding of
the hair or to following after the vain
fashions of the world. Refusal to hear
the church on these matters is sufficient
ground for accommodation.
This matter has often been brought
before the annual conference, and that
body has taken some action in connec-
ton Herewith but it has not yet found
the way effectively to curb the ten
dency of the younger element in the
church to cross the line of demarcation
in matters of dress. 1t is claimed that
many of their members forget that the
world admires the man or woman who
displays the courage of conviction, and
has most respect for those who stay
closest to the principles Of their church.
The little straw bonnets of the city
sister and the necktie of the city
brother are frowned upon by the rural
member, and he is vastly in the ma
jority, the church having gained but
little foothold in the cities.
In doctrinal matters the bunker
church is more closely connected with
the Greek church than any other. They
practice feet washing, believing that
those who neglect this have no prom
Use of salvation; they practice trine i'm
mersion, believing that there. must be
separate immersion for each of the
persons of the trinity; they have as
their love feast" what others believe
to be the Passover, holding that the
Savior instituted the supper as well
as the bread and the wine. They are
rigid adherents of the doctrine of non