New-York tribune., 1912-04-06
VOTE TO CALL W0ELFK|N
Fifth Avenue Baptist Church As
sured of His Acceptance.
PROBABLY COME IN FALL
Gypsy" Smith to Preach Easter
Sermon After Announcement
from Pulpit Sunday.

Dr Cornelius woelfkin. of the Rochester
Baptist Theological Seminary was 's'eo.
bv a unanimous vote of the congregation ~
the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church' loS'
night to I'll the pulpit left vacant ny mo
resignation Of Or. Charles f. Aked year
ago. as forecasted by The Tribune on
Thursday. His acceptance. Of when tne
congregation is already assured. VIII pe
read from the platform tomorrow morn
inc "Giosy'' Smith the noted evangelist,
will preach the Easter sermon Immediately
afterVard
Members Of the church said last night
that many messages Of congratulanon on
the choice Of Dr. Woelfkin had been re-
caived during tho last two days from
nrominent persons In the denomination,
who had learned Of his selection by the
pulnit committee through the Tribune's ac-
count One Of them WAS said 10 have
called him the 1uietest mighty man In III"
Raptist Church to-day Several others
comrared him to the Rev. DR. John Henry
.Iowe,t. who recently came from the Carr
Lane Congregational Church Of Birming-
ham. England. to the Fifth Avenue Pres
hvterian Church, this city. The Rev pr
William VI. Lawrence, president OF the
corporation Of Colgate University. sent the
following telegraph dispatch:
Heartily congratulate you on yonr
choice for pastor. He is great as
preacher able az n pastor. and | believe
will prove thoroughly efficient in any posi-
ton in which he may be placed
While the meeting which extended the
call was short and businesslike, many Of
those present remained afterward to talk
the matter over. No word of criticism was
heard against the choice of tho committee.
the general sentiment being that the best
man possible had been chosen for the place
II was pointed out that Or. Woelfkin was
n man Of many sides and activities. ana
that he was especially influential among
Young men. Not only did he ably NIL his
chair of homiletics at the Rochester Semi
nary. one of the deacons said. but he also
found time 10 lecture, to preach every
Sunday. to write and to act as president Of
the American Baptist Foreign Missionary
Society.
II was stated that much difficulty was en-
countered in getting him away from the
seminary. where the general opinion pre-
vailed that no would be the next president,
Dr Augustus II. Strong, the present head
Of the Institution, having handed in his
resignation Before going to Rochester
Or. Woelfkin was long head Of tho evan
gelistic work Of the Baptist Home Mission
ary Society in this country and many years
pastor Of the Greene Avenue Baptist
Church. Brooklyn, before that.
f. H. Paddock. secretary Of the pulpit
committee. presented the name Of Dr.
Woelfkn 20 the congregation in the alb
sence of Edgar L. Marston, the chairman.
The report of the committee recommended
that the church offer a formal call 10 the
clergyman and refer tho fixing of his com
pcnsation and the date Of his entrance 10
the pulpit 10 the Joint board OF deacons and
trustees Edward G. Ballard offered a res
olution embodying the recommendations of
tho committed with tho addition that the
matter Of compensation bo referred back
to tho congregation. as required by the law
of the state.
Injecting \ personal word into his re-
marks. Mr.. RaIlard said that when Or.
Woelfkin's name first came Up before the
pulpit committee the impression prevailed
that il would he out Of the question to win
him from his chair in the seminary Later.
however. after a conference with him and
after hearing him in the pulpit Of the
church. he came to the conclusion, with
the other members of tho committee, that
he was tho man for the place. His interest
in the work and his realization OF its r"-
sponsibilitv. Mr.. Ballard said, were I'M
questionable.
Mr.. Ballard added that Mrs. Woelfkin
would undoubtedly feel tho responsibility
placed upon her also and that she would
ho fully equal to everything expected of
her John u. Rockefeller. ir.. was present
at the meeting, but did not speak. II was
stated that Or. Wo"fkn would probably
take up his duties I'm his new pastorate in
the fall.