The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-08-08
SPLIT OVER MINISTER

C0ngregatlOH odiu
Jutheral BECAUSE Rev. j. Il Lau
I ,seeptsd War ser'ioe4 ,,
tho pastor OF a church en-
sho ~ secular employment? 90 tb,s
p gg1d u divergent views ~ hiring
VICE. are threatening - - 80
question divided congregation in the
sbOut q a,o ai Lutheran Church OF the
gFangelicr winchester and Poplar
tOnenleanrse with the Rev: J. i.
Grove 81 minister, the cause OF the
con ntOr at Manchester Lutheran
church y. Toast. is one phase Of a
That, a. a;onaI difference which has
eOngres I'm its course. Friends II
Dot W. .;star maintain that his &C
he .a nee Of a position aside from nls
tep .arsl duties, during the war
pastOsl1iv was not the real cause OF the
ps1Ou' hostility to him on the part OF
scnve u,embers of the church. One
certain oacrihes himself as a. charter
FSo ue .S of the Church of the Atone
nanpe ahsrqes clique" with trying
menu Nv things its own way and de-
Q ~ TO get rid of the Rev. M.
81 L hecause he has blocked It's e.
forts" ,ouo,onmer+ in the mat
~ aid TO be a merger proposition
~ MI q Paul's Evangelical Lutheran
shurcH Druid Hill avenue and Nc
y TscSen street, of which the Rev. Z.
We'll us;lman is the minister.
M idea" says the charter menu
..n ~iE to install DIR. Heilman as
Nl' ,oetor of the combined congrega-
~ !'.a and leave Mr., Lau out in the
~. uJ AT a meeting held recently this
Nv. o.cgraru was adopted by the ring
Is'Iers of the opposition. That meet
i 60 however, was entirely irregular
!neI the laws Of the church. There
az not a quorum present and some
y tao votes cast were proxies. Fur
ts4rmOre, Mn. Lau is an ordained
Minister OF the Evangelical Lutheran
church and holds his pulpit by the
,nthority of the Maryland Synod
10 can only he removed by the same
authority.
,,onement. as described by this mem.
5ar Of the congregation, was brought
into the open during the later part O
tho war when Mr.. Lau took a posi-
i'm as Waterman at one Of the loca,
warehouses; of the War Department
The position was offered by a mem
ber of Mr.. Lau's flock, an army Off
ear who was in charge Of the ware
houses in question. Several million.
Of dollars worth of Government
Droparty was stored there and, it j!
said this officer was anxious to fine
a Waterman in whom he could place
the utmost confidence.
The Church of the AtOnement is {
mission church and the salary of thu
minister is said to be small 1t |!
lust three years old, but has grown
encouragingly under Mr.. Lau's minis
try the membership now numbering
$40. In view of the fact that tn,
position of Waterman. would not in
terfere with his ministerial duties
was one of responsibility and mean
.0f serving the Government, i'm addi
ton to providing an increase in in
come, Mr.. Lau, it is said, accepted II
That" says the charter member,
gave the group which was trying t
control the church by methods entire
ly opposed to the laws Of Lutheran
ism. something TO talk about. The.
raised a disturbance about Mr.. La
holding outside employment and de
manded that he resign from ION
position or the other"
But Mr. Lau did not resign,
would seem. either from his .pulpi
or the Government position until hi
usefulness in the latter Terminated
That was several weeks ago. In til
meanwhile, he has been a niniSte
only, which has put quietus upO
this particular phase of the situation
Then, it is said, the merger Rraposi
ton b0bbed up and was hit upon a
a lever to pry loose Mr. Lau from hi
past0rate. 1t is understood that tn
St Paul's congregation is about t
sell its present church property t
negroes and has been looking abou
Tor new location.
This gave Mr.. Lan's opponents a
opportunity to. start new tactics,
says the minister's friend, the @tcha1
ter member" and they proceeded t
make Overtures to St. Pauls church
Ihey have worked it up to the poin
OF adopting, by illegal procedure,
resolution inviting and approving tn
merger. 1t remains to be see
whether or not the St. Paul congre
CATION will fall in line"
will the friends OF Mr.. Lau max
night to prevent his being force
OUT was asked
When the time comes they Will
was the answer Just now we ar
~altlng for the next move. The Mary
land Synod is the only body that ca
remove Mr.. Lau, so that any actbO,
mat THIS clique may take cannot b
lpheld under the laws of the church
AS 1 have said, their resolution ha
10 force, having been adopted by :
minority that was even short of
egdl Quorum with nrOyEnC fiUuriYY.