The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-16
MEMBERS OF ST. JOHNS DIFFER ON NEW RECTOR Spirited Meeting of Legal Mem bers Held This Afternoon
 to Take Action. REV. S. F. SHERMAN
 CHOICE OF VESTRY Church Membership Said to Have Strong Leaning To-
 wards Present
 Assistant.

Gs A lively difference of opinion as to the choice of a successor to the late Rev. William H. Lewis, DID,, rector of St. Johns Episcopal church, de- veloped this afternoon when a, special meeting of the church, for the legal members only was held to take action on the report of the vestry's pulpit committee.
 The choice of the vestry is Rev. Ste- phen E. Sherman Canon of the Cathe- dral of All Saints, Albany, N. Y. While the dissenters from this choice have not formulated any specified candidacy, it is generally Understood that among the members of the church-m embers in the sense that they are communir cants-there is strong leaning to- wards Rev. Frank E. Bigelow, the assistant rector. who has been acting in the pulpit since the death of Dr. Lewis.
 tended by about 75. It was called to act on the report of. the vestry pulpit committee in relation to securing 8 new rector It was predicted, when the meeting was called, that the choice of ReN MT Sherman would be ratified, for the vestry committee felt confd ent of having sufficient votes to have his candidacy endorsed.
 The call was issued by Fred Atwater, clerk of the St. Johns Episcopal so- ciety. The vestry includes 15 mem bers. B. H. lHarral is senior war den, and Jonathan Godfrey, the junior warden. Other members Of the board are Fred c. Nichols, denry Atwater, Tracy B. Warren, Charles Ferry, Chas. M. Cole, Hamilton s. Shelton, D. Fair child Wheeler Fred Atwater, Chas. G. Sanford, Sanford Stoddard, Henry A Qxvie p iS sI16 ESref f7- erick w. Hall. The pulpit committee of the vestry includes Jonathan God frey, chairman; Lewis P Curtis, Tracy HB. Warren and Charles B. Ferry.
 The sub-committee of the vestry. acting on the call to the vacant pull pit, secured the names of 50 clergy men whom they considered eligible. The endorsements of Rev. Mir. Sher- mans name were especially strong, in cIuding those of the bishops of Col orado, Albany, Missouri and Connec- ticut- Rev. MT. Sherman has been in his present position for three and one half years. Prior to his call to AL bany he filled a pulpit at St. Louis, for five years, and for two years be- fore that time he was in Rochester He is S9. married, and has two sons He was educated in this country and in German Universities.
 The vestry is practically solid for MT. Sherman, while in the congrega- tion are many who are not eligible to vote. They cannot be admitted to vote, now until the annual meeting of the vestry, the first Monday after Easter, April IS. To be admitted, a person must be 21, not a member of any other ecclesiastical society, and must declare his attachment for the doctrines and discipline of the Pro- teStant Episcopal church in the United States.
 The communicants, of which there are about 300, are represented by only a. small percentage in the legal mem bership of the church society When the meeting was called to order this afternoon it was expected that repre- sentatives of the church society, would seek to have the matter of a rectorship postponed until the mem bers of the church could secure legal admission into membership after Easter.
 When Clerk Atwater called the meeting to order, H. J. Edwards, a communicant of the church but not a legal member of the society, obtained permission to speak
 He said the legal membership of the society is only 27, out of 300 commun- a number of the members would like to speak in opposition to Rev. MT. Sherman, if they felt they had tke right to do so-
 S1dI0IC0 F OOL0s dlSO not a. legal member. was given permission to speak. He said he didn't believe that the church vestry was a unit in favor of Rev. Mir Sherman, but this state rnent the clerk at once corrected
 MT. Fsoote said he didn't believe that Rev. MT. Sherman appealed to the body of the church. He criticized the =yestry for not having called others in order to give the congregation a chance to pass on more c1ergym
 Personally, he said he preferred an older man, ones of more experience, ssone who has found himself and is a real rector, and not a man who could be guide ed by anyone else but whose life had been lived in a Christian man ner and not in any other may, and one who would be able to lead other rec tors in Bridgeport, most of whom are young men
 MT. Godfrey at once questioned Foote's attitude. He asked if he meant to criticize Rev. MT. Sherman.
 MT. Footte at once replied that he had no criticism to make of Mr. Sher- man, personally, but spoke merely in general terms
 MT Atwater, indignant, said, if such statements as MT. Foote's were to be made, he would not care to serve longer in the vestry.
 The motion to endorse the call of MT. Sherman then passed, without a dissenting voice.
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 PERSONAL MENTION.
 Dr Arthur Seriueeour ff 7o1 War