Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-14
Church MERGER
MADE OFFICIAL
Presbytery Approves Joining
of Church of Covenant and
First Presbyterian Body.

The merger of the Church of the
Covenant Presbyterian, Eighteenth and
N streets, and the First Presbyterian
Church, on John Marshall place, which
was enthusiastically effected June last,
was made official today by the unani-
nous approval by the Presbytery of
Washington, meeting in the Berwyn
Presbyterian Church, Berwyn, Md.
The merged church is to be known
from now on as the Church of the
Covenant and FIRST Presbyterian Church
and will use the Church Of the Gov
enant building. The churches have
been functioning unofiicially as a mer-
Red church since last June, but the
action Of the Presbytery Of washington
was necessary, under the rules OF the
Presbyterian Church, to make the mer-
ger official.
Under the terms Of the merger, Rev.
DR.. Albert Joseph Mccartney, the pas
tor of the Church Of the Covenant, Is
pastor of the merged church and Rev.
DR.. Newton T. Patterson, who was pas
tor Of the First Presbyterian Church,
becomes the associate pastor.
Under plans made, the Church OF the
NOtGIlhllb IuCEkC0 Aoot OhAiC WASAA sAA~
National Presbyterian Church, an in
corporation. Plans for forming the in
corporation, the National Presbyterian
Church, were authorized by the General
Assembly Of the Presbyterian Church Of
the United States.
Under the plans for merger with the
National Presbyterian Church group,
National Presbyterian Church is to be
established in the National Capital in
Ave years time, under the condition that
the national group raises the sum OF
81 ,000, 900 by the end of that time.
This sum, it Is pointed out, would be
raised through subscriptions throughout
the Nation, and the National PreSby-
terrain Church, which would be estab-
lished, would be representative Of
Presbyterianism throughout the country.
Rev. DIR. John c. Palmer. pastor Of
the Washington Heights Presbyterian
Church, Is president of the board of
trustees Of the National Presbyterian
group.
with the naturalization Of the Ma
tional Presbyterian Chruch here, the
Church of the Covenant and First
Presbyterian Church would contribute
with the National Presbyterian Chruch
group toward the erection Of q National
Presbyterian Church.
Funds Placed in Trust.
Under the plans for the merger OF
the Church of the Covenant and the
First Presbyterian Church approved to-
day, the First Presbyterian Church put
their funds in trust, to await the ma
retaliation of the National Presby-
terrain Church plans. The funds Of the
First Presbyterian Church include Sc
curities of $1,000 received from the
sale Of its property on John Marshall
place to the Government, and SIS, 600,
representing the equity in a lot on Mas
sachuSetts avenue and GARFIELD street,
upon which was erected chapel by the
First Presbyterian Church.
The property of the Church OF the
Covenant. amounting somewhere in the
neighborhood of $3.50, 900, would also
60 toward the National Presbyterian
Church.
with the merger Of the First Presby-
terrain Church and the Church Of the
Covenant, the First Presbyterian
Church selected three of its members
to serve as elders of the merged church,
three as trustees and two as deacons.
They are; Elders, Theodore F. Sargent,
ST., Otis b. johnson and j. r. Van
Fossen; trustees, John F. williams, Will
liam M. Hannay and w. H. Fellows, and
deacons, Emmett Midkin and Guy F.
Gloffbrenner. The merged church has
a total of IA elders, IL trustees and Is
deacons. j. r. Van Fossen was chair
man OF the First Presbyterian Church
Committee for the church merger and
H. G. Davis was chairman OF the
Church of the Covenant Committee for
the merger.