Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-05-20
Capitalization
Of CHURCHES IS
SYNOD PROBLEM
Governing Body of Reform
Church Meets Next Month
at Asbury.

It is understood that one of the es-
sential features to be discussed at the
coming session of the general synod of
the Reformed Church in America,
which convenes in Asbury Park the
first week in June, will be the question
of more equitably apportioning or To-
eating the churches of the denomina-
ton in the many cities composing the
jurisdiction of the synod, whereby the
possibility of overchurching a COM
munity will be eliminated, thus dis
pensing with a needless waste of re-
ligious effort and financial support,
which could be more advantageously
applied to promoting churches in To-
calities sorely In need of denomina-
tional representation.
Church Capitalization.
In a nutshell, 1t Is said that the
heads of the church are realizing the
modern trend toward the centralizing
of churches and the discouraging OF
the promiscuous tendency to promote
the erection of new churches in a field
that is well supplied with parishes of
the denomination. 1t is declared that
the more equitable Capitalization of
churches would have a tendency ultf-
mately TO increase the pastoral sala-
ries, thus assuring a larger percentage
Of young men going into the minis
try.
;The movement has been made i'm
perative by the cosmopolitan trend of
the population, which, in many large
cites, makes it unwise to promote new
churches unless the need of such is alb
solute. The present president of the
synod, the Rev. DR.. James l. Vance,
of Nashville, and formerly pastor of
the North Reformed Church, his city,
is opposed to the too promiscuous erec-
ton of churches and favors the more
conservative policy.
The North Reformed Church, in this
city, of which he was pastor, has a
membership of over 1880, and two Sab
bath school sessions are held on Sun
day, o in the morning n another
IN the afternoon.
Local Churches Crowded.
The First Reformed Church, at Clin-
ton and Johnson avenues, has also a
large congregation and requires two
Sabbath school sessions for is pupils.
There is no over-crowding of the Re
formed parishes in this city, as the
Clinton avenue church is situated near
Lincoln Park; the New York Avenue
Reformed, in the heart of the Iron
bound district; the Christ Reformed. in
the Forest Hill section, and Trinity Re-
formed is located at the head of Ferry
street.
In a population Of over $50, 900 there
are not more than seven Reformed
churches, while there are nineteen
Presbyterian, t~wenty-one Methodist
anr eight Baptist churches. The policy
OF the Reformed church has invariably
been conservative, and a discussion of
this feature, 1t is understood, will be
for the purpose of discouraging the
young pastoral element from becom-
ing inoculated with a too previous
church building fad.
Aside from this, the routine work
will occupy the attention of the some
$50 delegates during the seven days of
the meet, unless some as yet unforeseen
matter is injected for solution into the
proceedings. 1t has been rumored that
a delegation of prominent church wom-
en- were preparing a petition to be sent
to the synod praying that the church
would go on record as condemning the
Mormon missionary movement, which
is spreading hroughou the country.
Local Pastors to Attend.
The local pastors, who will represent
this city at the sessions, will be the
Rev. Lucas Breve. of the North Re-
formed Church; the Rev. Otis NJ.
Trousdale, of the First Reformed; the
Rev. Albertus r. Brock, of the Clinton
Avenue Reformed; the Rev. Henry
Merle Mellen, of Christ Reformed;
the Rev. Edwin Emerson Davis, of the
New York Avenue Reformed. and the
Rev. Charles B. Condit. Of Trinity
Reformed Church. The Rev. DR.. Will
lam H. Demarest, the past president
OF the synod and present head of Rut-
gers College at New Brunswick will
also attend the meet. Including lay
delegates and visiting clergymen, the
attendance will number over five hun-
dred.