Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-19
Presbyteridns
Planning Merger
Continued from rase One
before there can be any actual merg.
ing.
THRl.E BIC pRnRIENic

Continued from rase One
before there can be any actual merg.
ing.
THREE BIG PROBLEMS
These are named as the big questions
which must first be answered:
On which site will the merged con-
gregatlons worship?
Which name will the combined
church useP
What pastor will have charge of
the consolidated flock?
Each church Is possessed Of u wealth
Of tradition and history which IL would
like to keep distinctive, and the success
OF the whole proposition, 1t was admitted
today. depends on the willingness of
one or two Of them to yield
According to former Judge W w
Porter, one Of the most prominent and
active members OF the Second Prcsby-
tcriau Church, the congregation Of that
church, At an informal meeting. unanl-
mously approved merger Of the three
churches, or oven Of two of them. IL
nothing could he arrived at by the
trio.
The Second however" ne SAID. "is
ilourshiug. II is strong spiritually.
financially and numerically and in its
activities. The impulse OF tho Second
toward a merger Is because of the con.
Nlcuon that there arc too many
churches In the downtown section"
At first. according to one OF the mem
bcrs of one Of the committees. IL was
suggested that a new church be built
from tho proceeds Of the sale Of the
three, In this way It was thought
one OF the most formidable rocks in
the progress Of tho merger would bC
,pf 81, IL
Of labor and building material and be
cause each Of the three churches /,
large enough to accommodate the pro
posed merged congregation. this plai
was virtually abandoned as imrractica
and wastcrul
WOULD PRESERVE CALVARY
1t preliminary meeting held b,
the Session Of the calvary Church som
time ago set OF resolutions was pre-
sentcd by former Judge Robert y. Will
son, an active member Of that church
In addition to pointing out the dif
hculty Of merging three churches int
one homogeneous body, the resolution
set forth that the consolidation woul,
not promote the best results for tn
cause of religion" but requested tina
IL any union were effected the name an,
]
According to Howard H. Yocun. su
perintcndeut Of the Sunday school o
Calvary and n member of the committee
considering the matter. a statement ol
Calvary's attitude antcdatnE the meet
ing of tho congregation tomorrow woult
| be ill-adviscd
The Tenth Presbyterian, according e
one OF it's members who did not wisl
TO he quoted, has gone on record al
favoring a merger.
FINANCIAL WASTE \ FACTOR
Il was pointed out by a man keenl,
| interested in the consolidation and con
! WINGED Of the wisdom Of it that tn
/ financial waste cntailed by the thre
| churches operating separately Is appal
! ing. The assessments Of tho churcl
| properties. which are appraised withou
| being taxed, are always uudervalued
| he said. but despite this fact the tota
| valuation that City Hall has put o
| the three comes to about $7250OO.
"Thc two buildings that Calvary oc
| cupies," he said, "arc worth accordin
to their assessments s225,000 and S75
900 The value OF the Second Prcsby
tcrian has been placed at S225,00O an
| of the Tenth at 100000. Two of thes
| could be sold and tho money investe
| for tho good work of tho consolidate
churches. Add to this the capitalizatio
Of the maintenance funds aud you &c
a capitalization of over two million,
This ought certainly to be put to tn
| best advantage"