The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-04-21
CHURCH MEETING
IN VERNON SPLITS
Majority Displeased with
Chairman's Tactics
and Withdraw
HOLD OWN MEETING
AND CALL PASTOR
Uniyersalists Remain by Themselves
and Vote Not to Unite in Community
Church Movement Attorney and
Minister Remain i'm China Closet.


Minister Remain i'm China Closet.
Ignoring the purpose for which the
meeting was called, DIR. \. Z. Wood,
president of the Vernon Union Church
association, took matters into his own
hands at the church meeting last night
to such an extent that 65 Of the 70 per-
sons present withdrew from the meeting
and held meeting by themselves, tran
sacted the business specified in the call
and adjourned. The little handful who
did not withdraw, about 10 in number,
transacted their business and adjourned.
The meeting was called for the purpose
of acting on the matter of securing a set
tied pastor, and the split was a result of
the attitude of the Universalist element
in the parish against uniting with the
other denominations in the movement for
settled pastor (who does not happen to
be a Universalist), although all the de-
nominations have united for years in SER
vices conducted by a Cniyersalist minis
ter.
On April 12 Mrs. Ellen NJ. Reed. secre-
tary Of the Union Church association,
issued the following call for meeting
last evening:
"A special meeting of Vernon Union
of the parish interested in calling a settled
pastor for Vernon Union church will be
held in the veStTy room of the church on
Wednesday evening. April 20, 1921. at
T.:}0 o'clock. TO act on the matter of Secur-
ing settled pastor
Then came the pronouncement of Rev.
George +. FOrticr. state superintendent
Of the JniversaliSts of Vermont. in the
JniverSaliSt Leader of April Is in which
he said the other denominations were
frrrfrt 70 oil nrnF ipFf IA
barrel. which was a surprise to the peo-
pie of the Union church parish in general,
as his attitude had been supposed to be
favorable 10 the idea of a settled pastor
without regard to UNCONVENTIONAL prefer
cnces.
The meeting was held in the vestry
last evening. Rev. Mr.. FoTtier was
there. hut had nothing To say, at least
until the split came. Attorney y. ID.
| ClawsOn of Brattleboro, according to
members of the parish, took a position in
the china closet next to the veStry audi
Cnce room where he could hear what was
said. being there. it is claimed, in the in
tcrcSts of the IniverSalistS. Rev. Mr..
9 Fortier also was i'm the china closet.
DIR. Wood whose home is in Northfed.
Mass, presided and Mrs. Reed read the
call for the meeting. Everett Stockwell
I moved that the association decline to join
in the community church movement and
/ that stock vote be taken. The secretary
called attention to the fact that the call
for the meeting did not provide for such
action. and several others protested but
: the chairman asserted that such a vote
/ would be taken and that only those who
were members prior TO 1906. when the
; church building was paid for, We're en-
titled to vote. This caused other protests,
| especially ON the part of those who had
united with the association since 1905 and
who had participated in the various meet
ingS.
/ When il appeared that the meeting was
1 to be run according to certain cut and
dried plans and a large number of stock
proxies were seen to be in possession Of
Dr Wood several persons started to leave
the building. Whereupou Arthur l.. Miller.
chairman of the pulpit committee, asked
all those who wished to take action with
respect to calling pastor adjourn to the
main church room upstairs. Sixty-fve
persons followed the suggestion and the
meeting upstairs was presided over by
Mr.. Miller. Devotional exercises were
held. after which it was voted unani-
\ Jones of NOrthfcld. Mass. who is cen
nected with Northtield seminary and who
4 for IL years was in missionary work In
China under Baptist auspices.
\ Meanwhile the eight to ten Universal
lists who remained in the vestry went
!, ahead with their meeting to which Mrs.
: Reed remained feeling under obligations to
do 80 because of the fact that she was Sec
Iretary. The motion against joining in the
community church movement was re-
lnewed and was carried by stock vote
The motion was as follows: II move that
the Vernon Union Church association. as
a corporate body, do not join with the So
called community church movement in
cIccting pastor for the Vernon Union
church as stated in the call. On this
question | call fer vote by shares OF
: stock
: Rev. Mr.. Jones notified members of the
parish. today that he would accept the
call.
The bylaws of the association provide
that no denomination shall be prevented
from holding services in the Union churcl
provided they do not interfere with sched
luled services of some other denomination
F 1t would seem. therefore. that if the Uni
, yersalistS wish to have services on theil
own account in the Union church they car
do 80, but it is the plan of the rest of the
parish to continue the usual morning ser
vices at 10.45 with Rev. Mr.. Jones a,
pastor.