The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-08-06
STATEMENT THROWS LIGHT
ON Church SITUATION

The following communication regard
Sarding the split IN ~he Christian
church has been received at this office
and explains itself.
Angus 5th. 1921
P. A. Parry, Editor
Lake County Times.
Hammond. IndEna.
Dear Sir:
In THE TINES OF August End appear
ed an article regarding the d~eploltoie
situation in the Christian church or
Hammond in which II was stated that
the congregation had taken certain
action IN discharging the arbitration
board that had been selected TO try
<. NJ. smithson on charges that Ia
been preferred and on which charges the
arbitration board has found C. NJ.
Smithson guilty. It Is also stated that
the congregation" has extended to c.
NJ. Smithson since discharging thu ar
bitration board q call for two years.
These statements are confusing in
that people generally understand from
these statements that regardless OF the
reputation Of this man as proven by
the evidence presented to the board Of
arbitration. ALL the members Of the
Christian church OF Hammond have vo-
ted 10 discharge the srbitration board
prior to their rendering a decision, ana
u retain this man as minister.
We. the undersigned ADULT members
% the Hammond Christian church. res
pectfully request the publication Of the
following statement:
We, the undersigned members or
- rA-4z.4-- >L..-,A - La-,~,oVA hare
BY declare that we did not vote to
discharge the board of arbitration that
had bee1 agreed upon and who We're
Under contract to hear the evid4&ce
and render a decision therein. This
board worked under a signed agree
nent to try Mr.. Smithson on the evil
Ience presented on charges that hao
been preferred against him.
The congregation had agreed by un-
animcus vote to abide by the decision
Of this arbitration board. c. NJ. Smith
son had agreed to abide by the decision
Of this arbitration board. The people
prosecuting the case have stood ready
al all times 10 abide by the decision
Of this board but when It was seen by
the people supporting the defense that
the board would be forced to decide
ILL Xix N&S @N2NC - 49,
port of arbitration board) they repu-
dated their agreement and attempted
to break the signed agreement and
lake the case from the hands of the
board of arbitration in the hope that
by so doing the board would not finish
its work.
After illegally eliminating regularly
elected church officers and substituting
fr-aD,Ya~Y~ ~Aocer nfffCarS tho efpnnrf-
ers Of c. NJ. Smithson extended to him
a call for two years.
We are not in sympathy with, aro
did not vote for such action.
As the Chrrcian church has no board
TO which to appeal other than its local
church board. we take this means OF
getting before the public the fact that
we have no part IN further Supporting
this m&l IN the ministry here or else
where.
esigned)-A- Dickinson. Chairman of
General Board an d Trustee; H. c. Pet
RE. E. Peterson. J. A Graves. Minnie
Dickinson. w. J.. Lasch. Mrs. J. A.
Graves. Raymond w. Peterson, J. z.
Boswell. Mrs. WI. Lasch. Chairman Of
Deaconess Board. Mrs. Raymond W.
Peterson, Mrs. Elmer Peterson. Mrs.
c. E. Kitchen. Mrs. J. z. Boswell. Mrs.
r c. Pierce. Mrs. Min Prinmer, Mar
garet J. Hepner. Mrs. w. J.. Petit. J..
R. Graves. Mrs. Sarah Jones, Mrs. Lii
liam II. Graves. Mrs. Jennie Kingman.
Mrs. II. c.. Petrie, Allen Kingman, Mrs.
]. ?. Sheffield. Mrs. Sam Walker, Mrs.
Harry Kahl J. P. Sheffield. Grace NJ.
Fisher. Harry c. KahI. Mrs. Gertrude
Fisher. A. c. Ehret. Herbert D. Fisher,
Mrs. A. C. Ehret. W. P. Stambaugh,
Elizabeth Boutwell,. Mrs. W. P. STAN
baugh. Arthur B.. Hunt. Mrs. Myrtle
Hunt. VIII ]. Melser. Sam Walker. j..
Z. Robertson. Irene Petrie. c. E. Kitch-
en-. Chairman Deacons' Board and Trus-
tee; Mrs. John Grace. Harold Walker.
Mildred Walker, Mrs. ". J. Melser. jas.
2. Melser. r. c. Pierce. Jesse Beehe.
Chairman Elders Board; r. 0. Prevo,
Mrs. Clara Prevo. Bernard a. Petrie.
Ralph B. Hunt. Mrs. NJ. z. Shortridge.
Bonnie K Robertson. Mrs. Elizabeth
Nelson, Mrs. Agnes Nelson. Mrs. Mary
Hudson, Morris Hudson. Mrs William