Gleanings From
In Christian Fellowship
By Shirley Lindahl
Edited by Jerry Rutherford
Withdrawal of the Methodists
By 1930 the need for an addition to the church building was deemed important enough to apply for a loan from the Congregational Church Building Society. The loan application signed by trustees Gates, Burr and Sherwood asked for a $300 grant and a $300 loan to be repaid in annual installments of $30. This would be matched by $1200 from the local church to provide a 400 square foot two story addition on the west side of the building.
The depression was being felt by some families who paid their pledges with a ton of coal or a cord of wood. When H. P. Everest was chairman of the board, one of the first actions was to order a neon cross for the church.
For the first time four women were elected to act as stewardesses to assist the pastor in calling. Serving were Mrs. R. R. Miller, Mrs. Harry Kean, Mrs. S. S. Palmer and Miss Ella Spangler. A $5000 budget was adopted for 1930 with $800 for the Methodist and Congregational World Service Missions. The fund drive received the $5000 in pledges but later in the year the payments fell far short.
Charles Wilcox was janitor in 1930 when he wrote the board that he deserved more than $18 per month for his labor. In great detail he spelled out his duties which included building 3 fires each Sunday, carrying the wood 165 feet, sweeping 6732 sq. ft of floor and dusting 530 linear feet of benches and moving 178 chairs. (a bit underpaid!! !!)
To temporarily solve some of the Sunday School space problem it was decided to ask the School Board for use of a portable building they were not using. David Burr, on the School Board, reported that they were willing. Clayton Shinstrom offered to pay the additional $20 needed to erect it. Burke and Farrar granted the church use of the lot to the east of the church for the portable. Stove polish, coal pails and shovels were purchased by janitor Wilcox who was also superintendent ofthe Sunday School.
The Community Church was closely associated with the school district for many of the teachers were members. Also serving on the School Board were Harry Kean, A. B. Newell and David Burr. Rev. Newberry taught at the high school for several years and annually took the census for the School District #71.
In the spring of 1931 Rev. Bennett "explained at length the handicap of the present 'joint-church' plan. He proposed that the board petition the Methodist Church withdraw from Kirkland and leave the field for the present to the Congregational Church...The church still be conducted as a community church, but to only be associated with the Congregational Church so that a minister could be placed in charge with the prospect of remaining in the field until he had carried out his program, or so long as the membership wished him to stay." A special meeting was called to discuss his proposal and it met with a favorable vote.
A letter from the Seattle District of the Methodist Episcopal Church stated: "The Methodist Episcopal Church is to withdraw all responsibility or relationship with your church as of July 1, 1931 with the understanding you are to assume full denominational relationship with the Congregational Church through Rev. L. O. Baird of Seattle... reserving the right to re-enter Kirkland when or if the Congregational Church does not appear to meeting the community needs or when or if the City of Kirkland grows to sufficient size to maintain such an additional church."
The Methodists did re-enter the area nearly 30 years later with the establishment of the Lake Washington United Methodist Church on Rose Hill. (This church is one of our covenant churches in the Ecumenical Parish.)
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