The Washington herald., 1909-01-18
CHURCH FACTIONS
WAGE A CONTEST


Monday evening. February 1. declined to
vote upon them as they were presented
by the pastor at the morning service.
They declared that there was no meet
ing called after the service: that no Of
fcer OF the church presided Therefore,
the yeas" whose numerical majority
OF the congregation is disputed. carried
the motion 70 accept the resignation prac-
ticslly without a dissenting vote
status of the Dispute.
As the case stands now. the designations
Of Messrs- HeitmuIler. Barclay. and Wur-
demsn- have been accepted by the con-
gregation at a church service. The coun-
eli has called a meeting for Monday
evening, February /, to act upon the
resignation. and Dr.. Butler has called
a meeting for February TO nil the va
eaneies caused by the resignations-
II is evident hard fight for the control
Of the church is az hand Il is acknOwl-
edged the council is the governing aU-
/ thority. One faction may seek 10 prevent
the other from holding its meeting By
gaining physical control Of the edifce.
The three coUncilmen. constituting a
majority Of the council, are prepared 70 in
sist upon their authority and upon the
legality OF their action. and the coEse-
quent illegality Of Dr. Buffers.
This fact was admitted by one OF the
cOUncilmen-that the designations were
presented as a test OF the sentiment IN
the congregation. The cOuncilmen sin
cerely believe they have the majority
with them. They viii ignore the action
taken by the congregation yesterday
morning.
The questions involved in the c0ntrO-
versy are. II is said. questions OF church
discipline and church rule. Certain points
Of disagreement have arisen between the
pastor snd the majority Of the council.
Two members OF the council. A D.
Spangler and L. ?. Randolph. are siding
with Dr. Butler II is said
1t is wholly false that We have ever
requested. or intimated. that Dr.. Butler
resign, said one Of the councilmen last
night We have the highest regard for
him. and have sought to shield him from
any open rupture. But he brought that
upon himself. ! can only say that the
right OF the congregation 10 govern Itself
must be established, or. rather, empha-
sized
There Was No Complaint.
NO. there was no complaint made at
al when Dr. Butler brought his son. Rev. /
G. II. Butter. 70 assist him at our church.
after ne had been requested 10 resign as
pastor OF the Keller Memorial Church on
Capitol Hill The latter has never been
an orncial pastor Of the church. or rec
ognized BY the council. His salary has
been paid out OF DR.. Buffers salary I
The congregation has never appropriated
money for L.
The many points OF the controversy
VIII be brought out a. the meeting we
have called. and we feel sure our stand
viii be vlndicated by the congregation - +
The Vaccinations Of the coUncilmen
and their small following have been
foiled, said one member who supports
DR.. Butler. "Thet have visited many OF
the congregation III the effort TO arouse
sentiment against DR.. Butler They failed
miserably. and their designations viii
hope, end a gloomy chapter OF the
churchs history which has been dragging
along for months
DR.. Butler declined to make any formal /
statement. saying ne had the best in
terests Of the church at heart
An EnviabIe Career.
Dr. Butler was born IN Cumberland. I
Nd, eighty-three years ago. He was
educated at the Gettysburg Theological
and as a youth Of twenty three :
came 10 Washington in 1919 to assume /
the pastorate OF St Paurs Lutheran +
Church, Eleventh and II streets. the pull I
pit OF which Is row occupied BY Rev. /
John 7. Huddle. He remained with St. I
Paurs for tweaty-three years, and in .
the progress Of the civil war was ap-
pointed by President Lincoln as chap /
lain at several OF the local hospitals. A /
devoted band Of Lutherans founded under /
his direction the present Luther Place 1
Memorial Church in 1873 Il was intended /
as a memorial 10 freedom and peace T
the emancipation Of the slaves and the .
healing OF old wounds after the civil war.
II cost approximately SI40.000. and IS to- +
day free Of debt, with the exception OF .
a S,eeo mortgage incurred when the
tower was burned four years ago The +
congregation numbers nearly 100
a celebration OF Dr. Buffers sixtieth I
anniversary as a pastor in Washington (
VIII be held on Wednesday January q.
and of his eighty-third birthday anniver-
sary in July.