The Washington herald., 1911-08-26
9aptist.

a unique proposal amounting to terms
Of cooperation between two Baptis,
churches Of the city was announced thi.
week. the essential facts of which ma,
be stated as follows:
At a regular business meeting of the
Columbia Baptist Church, held on Wed,
| nesday, August 9, three deacons of the
church were appointed a committee t.
wait upon Rev. Mr.. Sven and the Capt.
tai Baptist Church and discuss plan.
looking toward a cooperation between
the two churches or a union Of the two
with Rev E. Hez SVEN as their pastor
This was not a new proposition in any
sense. When Mr.. Swem returned t.
Washington a year ago last winter the
Columbia Church was without a pastor
and Mr.. Sven occupied its pulpit q
number Of times. The members were ir
favor then Of calling him as pastor. ant
call was actually made, but as 1t meant
Mr.. Swem's leaving the newly formed
Capital Church he declined to accept
The plan OF cooperation or union Of the
two churches was freely discussed a,
that tirne.
Recently the Columbia Church has beer
again without a regular minister in its
pulpit and Mr.. Swem has on two occa-
sions preached there on Sunday mornings
there being no services at the Capital
Church in the mornings. On one Of these
Sundays a number of the Columbia peo-
pie were present at the evening service
at the Capital Church.
1t was not a surprise, then. to any one
who has followed the situation that the
committee reported on last Wednesday
evening this plan: That the Columbia
Church call Mr.. Sven as its pastor at
a stated salary, to preach at the building
in Georgetown Sunday mornings. to con-
duct the regular midweek prayer meet
ing. and to assume regular pastoral
charge over the members The under
standing is that the members Of the
Capital Baptist Church will support the
morning church service at the Columbia
Church, and that the Columbia people
will attend the evening service at the
Capital Church The question of union
the committee recommended to be post
poned until the future, when by increas-
ed acquaintance with one another the
two congregations would be better quail
fed to form union.
The Columbia Church approved the re-
port of the committee extending a call
to Mr.. Sven on the terms outlined.
This call Mr.. Sven has accepted to take
effect September l.
The result is that Mr.. Sven will be
pastor Of the two churches, which win
cooperate one with the other. While an
ultimate union is contemplated neither
church is as yet committed to It.
When the matter Of a union is con-
sidered a number of questions must be
settled. Columbia is over ten years old,
and is a member Of the Columbia Asso-
citation. The Capital Church,is not over
two years old and is not a member of the
association. This will weigh in the de-
termination OF the name Of the united
churches.
Columbia is situated in fairly close
proximity to the West WASHINGTON
Church. The Capital Church has a clear
field OF its own On the other hand
Columbia has a valuable piece Of prop
erty on the corner of Wisconsin avenue
and Q street, so that the question Of
site must be worked out. 1t may be that
IL union is eventually effected an en-
tirely new site midway between the two
churches will oe decided upon.
DR.. Weston Bruner. former pastor of
the Fifth Baptist Church. E street, be-
tween Sixth and Seventh southwest, will
tomorrow. and his former parishioners
Of the Fifth Church will no doubt greet
him in large numbers. DR.. Bruner is
now head of the Home Mission Board of
the Southern Baptist Convention, in its
evangelistic division OF work. Until re-
Gently he was pastor of the Baptist
church of San Antonio, Tex.