Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-20
KOEPSEL NEVER
PASTOR HE SAYS
"A. w. ChanSIor, Founder Of Re-
dondo Church, Denies Min
iSter'S Statements
REPUDTATES THREATS MADE
Letter Says Preacher Styled Self
the Bishop of the
Organization
REPUDIATES THREATS MADE

REDONDO BEACH, July 18th
Christian church of this city is in
dignant over the charges mad
against the society by Rev. Koepse
in this mornings Herald. A. w
Chanslor, founder of the Christian
church at this place, has issued tn
following signed statement:
Referring to an article that ap-
peared in The Herald of July 19,
regarding statement made by Rev.
L. H. Koepsel as to the condition
of affairs in the Christian church
at Redondo Beach, feel that it is
my duty to call your attention to
some errors appearing in same, and
to give you the exact facts in the
case, as am convinced from read
ing your columns that what you
want to give to the public are
facts.
You state that Fifteen members
are trying to oust Pastor Koepsel.
while forty are standing by him"
This information was, no doubt,
given you by the reverend, but 1t
is absolutely false.
First-He is not nor never was
pastor of the church, but was
simply sent down here by the
Christian Missionary society to
hold a series of meetings, and the
church as such has never called a
pastor In the person of Mr.. Keep
sci or anyone else. 1t is true, how
ever, that Mr.. Koepsel set him
self as "bishop" of the church,
saying from the platform that he
was the only one capable or quail
fed to fill the position, but as to
his being called as pastor of the
church, this is one Of his imaginary
visions that perhaps came to him
in the dark hours of the night, and
when he awoke and found 1t only
a dream he could not stand the
pressure of the disappointment and
assumed that position without any
action on the part of the church.
Second-The number of our men,
bers' that are standing by Mr..
Koepsel are about four, instead Of
forty, as there are not forty
members in the church, 1t having
only recently been started, and
was organized so far as 1t is now
before Mr. Koepsel ever came to
Redondo Beach; in fact, we were
in better condition before he came
than we are at the present time,
as the spirit manifested by him
while in our midst will ruin any
community, much less a church,
unless the people have the cour-
age to rise and shake off the vam-
pire that is destined to drag them
down rather than elevate them.
Third-The letter you refer to in
which threat was made to rotten
egg Mr.. Koepsel was not written
by a member of the Christian
church at this place or at any other
place. 1t was a postcard, mailed
Santa ATnnin1 I1SiUna6 and
stated that the writer was a
"Sprinkled Church Member" which
eliminates him from the Christian
church so far as our denomination
is concerned.
As to Mr.. KoepseIs letter to
Secretary Emerson of the Mission
ary society, who is a very excel
lent gentleman, it is too full of
false statements to deserve any
attention. It reminds one of a
dying man grabbing at a straw.
The facts are simply these: Our
church has said it does not want
him to preach for us. The Mis-
sionary society, which sent him
down here, has kindly and in a
most gentlemanly manner, recalled
him, and when he faces these con-
ditions, all brought about by his
own actions, in his dire distress
and as his last resort, like a viper
striking his last blow, he resorts
to little, mean, mud singing meth
DDS of debased politician who has
been honestly defeated, instead of
rising to the manhood of an or
dinary, decent citizen much less
that of a professed Christian gen.
tleman, and takes the opportunity
afforded him through the public
press to injure and hinder the
work of building up a Church of
Christ here, simply because he can
not be pastor of the church. Is
this the spirit of Christ or the spirit
of the devil? I will leave it for the
public to answer.
A. w. CHANSLOR,
Founder of the Christian church
movement in Redondo Beach.