Evening star., 1909-02-26
ORGANIZE SEPARATE CHURCH
LUTHER MEMORIAL DISSEN-
TERS ISSUE STATEMENT.
Reasons for Withdrawal Set Forth
in Resolutions Adopted at Meet
ing of New Congregation.

The awaited statement of those men,
bers who recently withdrew from the
Luther Memorial Church has been issued,
and those who have gone forth from the
church after disagreeing with the policies
of Rev. DR.. ]. G. Butler announce that
they have organized into the Independent
Lutheran Church. For the present the
meetings will be held in the Confederate
Memorial Home, 1922 Vermont avenue
avenue northwest. Rev. Arthur II. Sedg
wicfI. a congregational minister. formerly
of Worcester. Mass, will preach at the
services to be held Sunday at II o'clock.
r. r. Rodrick will have charge of the
music Sunday school will be held at
9:3O o'clock preceding the church service.
In the statement the dissenters say that
the reports which have been printed of
their meetings have been misleading. They
deny in the opening paragraph that the
Luther Memorial congregational meeting
held February l was called for the eX-
press purpose Of evicting the pastor, Revv.
DIR. Butler, but for the purpose of con-
Sidering' the resignation of certain mem
bers of the church council. the election OF
their successors. the consideration or the
financial business of the chruch and
such other business as the congregation
should see fit to discuss.
They declare that the results OF the
meeting when DIR. Butler was upheld by
a majority of those in attendance were
so unsatisfactory that the dissenters felt
that they could not conscientiously con-
tinue to worship at the church under ex-
listing conditions, and they decided to
withdraw.
Pastors "Arbitrary" Rulings.
Resolutions adopted at business meet
ing of the new congregation, held We'd
nesday evening. are then appended, ana
give a number Of reasons why the dissent
ers left the church. They object to the
'arbitrary and unparliamentary' rulings
Of Dr. Butler upon that occasion, as wen
as the Opposition of the pastor to the
efforts of the members OF the council 10
improve conditions at the church ana to
place before the members of the congre-
CATION the status of the finances and rec
ords" The resolutions also declare:
''It will thus be seen that while the I'M
mediate cause of the withdrawal or theSe
members was the manner in which the
meeting of February 1 was conducted.
the main causes were more deeply seated,
being in reality the cumulation or years
of dissatisfaction with the conditlons III
the church, which conditions. In the opln-
ident retrogression in all departments or
the church work.
Desire to Avoid Controversy.
The closing paragraph 1oilo"s.
''The unanimity with which the with"
drawing members have acted and the
success which has so far attended their
movement furnishes the strongest evil
dence of what might have been accom-
plished in the mother church had the
conditions there been favorable. When
these members first withdrew they felt
that in whatever steps they took they
would like to act together. Consequent
ly they met and effected a temporary
organization for one month in order to
give time for careful consideration OF
the subject. At the meeting Wednes-
day evening this temporary organize
ton was continued for a further def
mite period, as an independent Luther
an body, with the unanimous UNDER
standing that our object is solely re-
ligious worship and that any cOntin-
uance Of the recent controversy is to
be carefully avoided. Having with US
large numbers of those who were for
merly the most active workers in the
Memorial Church, we have every rea-
son to expect the growth of our move
ment."