Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-23
NO BASIS FOR REPORT
Rumored Lutheran Churches
Are to Combine.
BEGAN BY CHANCE REMARK
Matter Not Seriously Considered by
Either Congregation.
MEMBER OF COUNCIL EXPLAINS
Question Has Not Come Before
Luther Place or st. Paul's Official
Bodies. He Declares.

| Two Lutheran churchmen met a few
| days ago. One is member OF the Luther
| Place Memorial Church. on Thomas Cir
| Gle. and the other is affiliated with ST
| Pauls Church, 18th and II streets north
| west. During their conversation the
| Luther Place churchman remarked: Il
| think it would be a splendid idea TO
combine our congregations. Ihe other
! was pleased with the idea. Nothing
| further was done in the matter.
| That conversation. ii is declared, IS
| the basis for reports that the two congre-
| cations are to unite.
| A member of the Luther Place Church
council today denied that the matter has
| been considered at all seriously.
| so far as the Memorial Church is
! concerned. he said, there is no sub
| stantial ground for the report. The
| matter has never been considered by the
| council or by members of our congrega-
| ton. 1t has not even been thought OF by
| any one, except as it was suggested TO
/ one or two members of the church, and
/ even in the most general way 1t has
! not been discussed by Memorial interests
| Any statement representing that even
| tentative plans have been made is totally
| aside the mark. No one has any knoWl-
| edge of what the attitude of the congre-
| CATION might be, for the simple reason
! that no one has even attempted to find
| out its views on the subject
No Formal Action Taken.
| AS for saying even that the council
would be willing to recommend such a
/ step, that is presumption and nothing
more. As a member of the council, /,
myself, do not know what the attitude
| of single member of that body is or
| would be- | have not given it serious
consideration myself.
| THE facts in the case simply these
| The only thing that has been done was
| for one member of st. Paul's TO sug-
/ gest to a member of Memorial that such
| a movement might be one worthy of con-
| Sideration. That many members of st.
| Pauls have thought about it may be true.
/ But the veStry and the people of Memorial
/ have been so intent upon solving the
problems of immediate Interest that they
/ have given no thought whatever to the
subject of consultations And that an
| era of new prosperity and new usefulness
| is to dawn upon the Memorial Church is
| the belief of all its members. The prob
| lens that have occupied the attention
/ of the congregation are solving them
selves. The finances of the church are in
excellent shape. Although there was over
| $1,000 raised during the last synodical
year, which ended last October. and 1t
| was a year of marvellous prosperity TO
the church, the collections from Sunday to
4 SUNDAY SlHCe Teui udi itdNC pCCL
gratifying. Indeed, during the months of
| April to July, inclusive, of this year. the
| collections exceeded those of the same
period last year.
| Other Matters to Settle.
| Everything else will be finally settled
| before we can give any thought to con-
solidation. The people of the Memorial
| Church have warm affection for those
| of st. Paus. and the two organizations
might be able to merge their interests.
But no one can say what the attitude of
! the people of the Memorial toward SUCH
| merger may be il the subject ever
| comes before them. The whole thing Is
! for the future to determine, and it seems
| to me to be unfortunate that the news
papers will say that tentative plans have
! been made, when as matter of fact the
| only thing that has been done was for
| one man to suggest to another to think
about it. / repeat that the question is
| not and has not been before our people,
| and that it will not be considered, If at
| all, until after every other problem Is out
| of the way"
| The late Rev. DR.. John George Butler
was formerly pastor of st. Pauls. He
became the pastor there in 1S49 and TWEEN
/ ty-five years later organized the Luther
Place Church, of which he remained pas
tor until his death several weeks ago
! Rev. L. G. Douglas of Lancaster, Ohio,
preached at the Luther Place Memorial
| Church yesterday morning.