Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-21
FIGHT ON RECTOR
MAY GO TO COURT
Charges Of vestrymen Of st.
Jude and Nativity Get
Denial
MAY WRECK CONGREGATION

Instead Of resigning from their posi- =
tions as vestrymen Of the Church of St.
Jude and the Nativity, Eleventh and
Mount Vernon streets, as requested by
majority vote of the congregation, the
six vcstrymen who yesterday started
open warfare against the Rev. James G.
Crosson, rector, may start legal proceed
ings to remove the minister.
This was intimated today by +. J..
Smith. secretary Of the church. when
asked to make public the charges the
| vestrymcn were holding against Mr..
Crosson, in the absence of c. William
Speiss, accounting warden of the con
gregation and leader in the fight against
the rector.
'1nasmuch as this institution Is a
corporation under the laws of the State
Of Pennsylvania" Mr.. Smith said,
'whatevcr charges we have to prefer
against Mr.. Crosson will be made in
the usual manner"
Mr.. Crosson said he was not seri-
Ously concerned about the plans Of the
vestry.
THE church is the corporation" he
said. 'and the vestry is supposed to
represent the church. not misrepre-
sent it, The corporation. which is the
church. has gone on record in this
question by supporting me in this con.
troversy. AS for resigning, | don't in
tcnd to take such step now or in
the near future. l have received many
the congregation in the last twenty
four hours
The other vcstrymcn are d. A.
Knight a. B. Melville, G. Erskine and
L. l.. Maize.
The original trouble. it is charged by
the, vestrymen. started when the Rev.
CrOssOn. who came to the local church
from Trinity Church, Collingsdale, last
October. brought about the designations
Of X. Norman Stokes, organist, and
Miss NJ ". Slaugh. parish worker,
shortly after his arrival.
The controversy was brought to a
head June 2S. when congregational
meeting was called and, at the request
OF the pastor. n vote of confidence"
was taken. The vote in favor of the
rector's policies was 1877 to 3. with
thirty eight members not voting.
Opposed by Spiess
The Rev. Crosson today denied that
he was responsible for the designations
of the organlst and the parish worker,
and further charged that he came to
the church against the personal wishes
Of Mr.. Speiss. who had several other
ministers in mind at the time.
But l was, warned by the Bishop
before coming here that would have
n fight on my hands. That is the
reason the Rev. Mr.. Galley left here
two years ago. He saw the handwrit. |
Ing on the wall.
1t was not long after l came here |
TINT ] discovered that Spiess and Others
had formed clique of their own by |
which they sought to run the church |
to suit themselves. Because I would
not do everything they dictated to me |
they decided they would make 1t so
not that ! would want to leave. But
I'm not quitting. When the storm
broke some time ago, the Bishop told
me that l had better get out, and
promised me other woek elsewhere.
But / decided to stick and see the
hing out.
Passes the Lie
"SpIess' assertion that forced Miss
Slaugh to resign is a falsehood. When
came here l made summary of
conditions as | found them and pre-
'eHteu tneln 10 the VeStrymen at
meeting. 1t was from one of those
'cports that some of the vestrymen
hOught it advisable to ask Miss Siaugh
% resign, but I told them that We
should not be hasty, and that l was
n favor of keeping her for a while,
anyway. Spiess evidently carried that
o Miss Slaugh, and rcarranged it to
mean that Mis- Slaugh was to be asked
o resign. At any rate, she did re-
ign.
1.-The organist quit because no one
howed enough interest in rchearsals to
Ittend. ! have % letter from Mr.. Stokes {
n which he makes his resignation and
ives the reason. There was nothing
ut friendly spirit between us.
Won't BE "Onice Boy" !
1T is unfortunate that affairs are
S they are, but I could not become .
econciled to being Spiess' office boy. i
II have the best of assurances that :
With my resignation more than one :
alf of the congregation will leave the :
hurch. which will mean it's breaking II
p entirely"