Whitewash' Preachers to End Bad Scandals

1909

Methodist Conference Lets Several Chicago Pastors Off Easy to Get Rid of Them

ROCKFORD, Ill., Oct. 6. — The moral reformers of the Rock River conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church sat dumb under the lash of authority while the suppressionists of the inner council forced through their "whitewashing" program in the cases of alleged ministerial immorality.

But after all is done, the moral reformers have revolted against the Episcopal bludgeon and are denouncing the acts that were sanctioned by the silence on the floor of the conference. The cabineteers have been driven to cover and are shifting responsibility from one to another.

The series of conference acts which have roused the reformers to rebellion culminated in the vote by which John D. Leek, former pastor of the Western Avenue Church in Chicago, whose name was associated with that of Mrs. Mary A. Lavender, was permitted to withdraw from the ministry and from the membership of the church. In addition to that, Perley W. Powers, former pastor of the Olivet Church, Chicago, who was involved with Mrs. V. Book-Fenner, who committed suicide shortly after her arrest on the preacher's complaint, was permitted to withdraw honorably from the conference, to retain his ministry and membership and to have a "location" in the Jason Lee Memorial Church of Blackfoot, Idaho, where the preacher is now engaged in the real estate business.

The John E. Farmer case, which was the first immorality case to be disposed of, is also one of the series, and one that is causing loudest complaint. And on top of these came the programmed disposition of Mrs. Lavender's charges of maladministration against Doctor Crawford. Rev. D. M. Tompkins, pastor of the Rogers Park Church of Chicago and counsel for the Woodlawn Park Church, failed to present Mrs. Lavender's charges, and Doctor Crawford's name was called and passed without comment.