Evening journal., 1909-05-07
621-623 Market ST.
LAYMAN ON THE
CHURCH TITLES
Continued From First Page.

Continued From First Page.
and final ousting Of one Of the ablest
and most Cody ministers OF this Con-
ference. They have gotten rid of DR..
Lightbourne, but what an awful price
TO pay! The best church in the VIII
mington Conference lost; others in a
state OF turmoil over the matter that
makes well-nigh impossible any salts
factory church work.
Layrilen Interested.
Now, then, taking these things into
consideration, and seeing the havoc
wrought by such arbitrary ecclesiasti-
cal ruling, is it any wonder that lay
men are becoming awakened and are
inquiring into the real condition Of
affairs as they relate to the ownership
Of church property? No set of off,
cials, If they be wise business men,
are going to place property for which
they pay good dollars into the hands Of
body Of men who can wrest the con-
troll of the church building from them
at any time, when in the judgment of
these dictatorial ecclesiasts that par
ticular church is not entirely sub
missive to their mandates.
THE Rev. Mr.. Poole's reference to
Epworth Church having received aid
from the Methodists Of the Conference
a number Of years ago, when It was
struggling for existence. is very far
fetched indeed, and had he taken the
pains to acuuaint himself with the
facts, as he could have done by con-
sulting any official of the church, he
probably would not have made refer
ence to the matter. Mr. Poole's exper-
ience in soliciting Conference aid for
his own church (McCabe Memorial)
has certainly shown him how utterly
such efforts fail. OF the $4,000 or
more paid In the erection, etc. Of Ep-
worth Church. probably about $500 was
given by few churches in the Con-
ference. I am sure those contributing
even this small amount have no quar-
rel with Epworth because its officials
have business sense enough to inquire
into its ownership. II Mr.. Poole knows
Of any one having contributed a single
dollar toward Epworth Church and is
dissatisfied with the present attitude
OF its officiary, let him present his
claim, and the trustees stand ready to
refund him his money.
"The fact Of the matter is Epworth
Church congregation have practically
paid for their own $4,000 property
even II they had to almost sweat blood
in doing So and the sum contribute
in the manner alluded to by Mr.. Pool
was so insignihcantly small as not to
be considered, in the manner suggested
much less to warrant the implied
charge Of receiving money under false
pretenses. We would advise Mr.. Poole
to acquaint himself with the facts in
, the future before rushing irto print
with statements that are misleading.
We are acquainted with number
Of the officials Of McCabe Memorial
Church and do not need TO be remind
ed that they are men OF sense and
, loyalty. If they choose to build a
church, pay for 1t, less a few minor
contributions from some Conference
churches, and then foolishly turn il
over. body and soul. to such an eccle-
siastical body as the Wilmington Con-
ference is proving itself to be in later
years, that is their business, and we
have no complaint, only to remark
that they aer not the only otherwis,
sensible men who have been known t
do foolish things. Epworth Church Of
. hcials prefer, after paying $4,000 fol
! its house of worship less a few mlnol
: contributions by some other Confer
ence Churches to see to it that they
and no one else, shall own their pro
perty. That is our business, and W.
/ do not propose TO be dictated to b.
) those who have never contributed ma
/, terially to our success.
THE congregation OF Epworth ha
had in contemplation extensive i'm
n lprovements, costing possibly $4,000 o
/ $4,000, but pending inquiry as to title
/. action along this line will be deferred
as our people will hesitate to put thei
money into an enterprise which the.
do not control.
"To wander from my text, let m
? say. in the judgment Of a host o
: Methodists, that this last session Of tn
Wilmington Conference did more harr
, TO Methodism in one day. in the de
posing of such a Cody preacher a
5 Rev. Or. A. W. Lightbourne, than ca
Y possibly be overcome IN decade. w
2 do not envy those responsible for thi
:, disaster, and II they can survey wit
Il complaisance their work OF destruc
e ton to Methodism. then indeed is ou
t beloved church to be pitied in havin