Evening star., 1937-06-17
Wido,u of Ch1rch's Founder
Sees Progress Ouer II Years
Mt. Vernon Place Con.
gregati0n to Honor Mrs.
Tudor at Anniversary.


splendor Of the present edifce, who's
fifteenth anniversary Is being cele'
brated this week. She'll be looking
across the years, very likely, to thu
little frame chapel on M street, only
few blocks away, in which her hus.
band, Rev. DR.. William v. Tudor
organized the flock in 1866.
At least she was thinking of thost
early days when visited at her home
921 M street. next door to the resi-.
dence which replaced the frame
chapel.
The chapel antedated their mar.
riage. which occurred In 1871, after
DR.. Tudor built the new church or
Mount Vernon place, the site Of the
present City Bank structure.
Married in House.
But they were married in the very
house where Mrs. Marsell Minnesota
Tudor still lives. and thus in her latter
years she remains anchored to the
past, physically as we'll as through the
alertness of her memory. After wide
spread travel in the ministry, the
couple returned to the old home after
DR.. Tudor retired.
The city pastor of the Cos and 70s,
she was saying, was just as busy as
his successor of today, but his life
was different, brimful of work, but
less rushed, less hectic.
After talking to Mrs. Tudor while
about her early years as a minister s
wife in New Orleans, st. Louis and
other places, you might form this as
picture of the typical Monday of a
pastor so or 70 years ago:
Arising early, say $50 or Z am,
after the task of preaching twice OF
perhaps four times Sunday, he Is
breakfasting and reading the paper
when a boy pulls the o1d-fashioned
door bell. He has trotted nearly a
mile. His father is worse. His mother
wants the preacher
The buggy is hitched up hurriedly
and the pastor urges the horse along
Meets With Ministers.
Returning home. he reads his mail
BY then it's time to go to the meeting
of the Ministers Association Eyes, they
had them every Monday morning in
those days.. He remains at the meet
ing couple of hours, exchanging
views with his colleagues in the
ministry.
He gets back in the buggy and
makes three more sick calls. He drops
by the church, next door to his home
to see whether the new stove has been
installed. It has been. He tells the
sexton to heat it up and see how 1t
does. His flock nearly froze yesterday.
There's no office in the church. He
returns home and begins answering
his correspondence. He has no secre-
tary and there's no typewriter. Each
letter must be written in his own
hand.
In the afternoon he addresses a
meeting of the Ladies' Missionary
Society. Afterward he calls on two
families newly affiliated with the
church. Then he has to omciate at
a funeral.
Drop in for Advice.
That night, after the minister has
settled down to read while and
perhaps work a little on his next
sermon, there are three successive
callers, with spiritual or secular prob
lens or both.
Toward II o'clock, when he is start
ing wearily to bed, q mother OF the
pulls the bell frantically
Won't he get her son out OF the
lookup? Nothing serious, just
prank. Yes, yes, and he must talk to
that boy, get him interested In the
church. :.
Now visit the present pastor of the
Mount Vernon Place Church, the
dynamic and youthful DR.. John W.
Rustin, and you'll form something like
this as composite week day in the
career of modern city pastor:
7:30 am-Breakfast, newspapers
personal mail, phone calls.
9 a.m.-Arrives at the church office,
reads official correspondence, dictates
replies to the secretary. In the outer
office are an adding machine, perhaps
a more elaborate calculator. three or
four telephones, all the accoutrements
OF a business office, for the city
church OF today is an institution, as
well as place of worship.
Busy With Committees.
10 am.-Meets with the Church
Budget Committee.
1890 a.m.-The Building Commit
tee calls to discuss that addition.
10:45 ANA couple arrives to be
married.
IL a.m.-l2 ma succession of visi-
tors with church or personal prob
lens. and the human element in 4
pastors life has not changed.
1915 p.m.-Rushes downtown to
speak before civic club.
1:20 p.m.-Attends meeting of the
Community Chest Campaign Commit
tees.
2 pm.-A funeral.
ESQ p.m.-Another wedding.
3:l5 p.m.-Sick calls ut hospitals.
Meeting of the Council of Social
Agencies.
4:30 p.m.-Back at the office, con-
fers with the church manager on
finances, with the church visitor con-
corning the sick list, with the as
sistant pastor on various matters,
with the Sunday school superin-
tendent.
4:30-5:30 p.m.-More visitors, per-
haps Is, seeking advice on almost
every conceivable difficulty, some Of
them asking prayers and spiritual
guidance.
Evening Brings Other Duties.
7 p.m.-Addresses 4 meeting of his
college alumni society.
$50 p.m.-Home, telephone con-
ferenceS over Young people'S dinners.