Church of Our Father – Meeting Minutes, Dec 12,1898 (Annual Meeting)

Atlanta, Ga. Dec 20th 1898

The regular annual meeting of the Church of our Father which was adjourned from November was held this day in the church parlor.

Present: Madames St. Amand, Lederle, Owen, Chillingworth, Vail and Miss Martin and Messrs. Vail, St. Amand, Crafts, Chillingworth, Frank Able and Lederle.

Mr. Crafts elected Chairman and Mr. Lederle, Secretary of the meeting.  The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.  The following annual reports were then read and ordered filed.  Pastor’s report by Mr. Vail; report on Sunday School by the Supt. Mrs. Chillingworth; report on Women’s Alliance by Mrs. Abel.  Report on Library by Otto Abel; Treasurer’s report by Mr. St. Amand.  Upon motion the following officers were elected for the coming year.

Mr. J. S. St. Amand, Treasurer, Mr. E. U. Davidson, Clerk and Mrs. M. E. Owen as Trustee for a five year term.  Mrs. Zahner, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Chillingworth and Mr. Lederle were elected as the Advisory Committee.  Upon motion of Mr. Chillingworth, a vote of thanks was extended to Mr. Vail for the work he had done in the past year.

Upon motion of Mr. St. Amand, Mr. Vail was nominated to serve as pastor for the coming year at a salary of $1,500 per annum.  In reply, Mr. Vail stated that he did not feel that he was exactly the man for the place nor that it was the place where he could best succeed as a minister.

The times were in such condition that the next few months would probably see great changes and better prospects for the church.  He had received offers from other churches in the last two months, at a better salary, but had declined these offers.  He believed that if the members would give him more support and sympathy he could do better work.  He would agree to stay if the financial arrangements could be made satisfactory.

The meeting then adjourned.

<signed Frank Lederle>

Clerk, pro tem

Physical Archive: UUCA Box: 25    Folder: 03   Book: 01   Pages: 203
Citation: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta Records, RG 026, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University, Atlanta GA