The meeting was held in the small Holy Communion Room of the Church premises and was called to order at 7:15 P.M.
The Brigantine Hotel
The meeting was held in the small Holy Communion Room of the Church premises
and was called to order at 7:15 P.M.
The following were present:
FATHER DIVINE - Pastor
Mrs. Sara S. Washington - President
Miss Ascension Olivette - Treasurer
Miss Patience Budd - Secretary
Miss Nina Randel - Trustee
Dr. Daniel A. Williams - Trustee
Mr. Alfred J. Larson - Trustee
Mr. Saint Peter - Trustee
Mr. Wisdom Kindness - Trustee
Miss Quiet Devotion- Secretary to FATHER DIVINE
Mr. John Lamb - Secretary to FATHER DIVINE
Mr. Louis M. Mallin - Lawyer
The meeting was for the purpose of taking appropriate action on a request received from the U. S. Coast Guard, through Commander Hitchins, Commandant of the District, that the entire building occupied by the Church be leased to the Coast Guard for the duration of the war.
FATHER DIVINE presented the request as made by the Coast Guard and stated that it had been made both to Miss Olivette and to Himself Personally and that a leasing figure of about $10,000.00 annually had been mentioned by one of the representatives of the Coast Guard as a reasonable rental. He stated that He had informed Commander Hitchins that He Personally was not in a position to negotiate for the leasing of the building and neither were the Trustees, as it was the property of a group of His Followers numbering eighty-seven and that the matter would have to be presented to them. However He said He would take it up with the Trustees who held the property in trust and see if they would be willing to waive their rights to the use of the property as granted them by the owners, and ask them to transmit the Coast Guard's request to the owners.
FATHER DIVINE said that if the Trustees would care to relinquish their rights to the use of the property as given them by the owners, and worship elsewhere, thus leaving the owners free to lease to the Government for the duration of the war, He would consider it a patriotic act and one which was endorsable.
Miss Olivette reported the difficult conditions under which the Coast Guard on Brigantine Island had been functioning owing to inadequate housing facilities, and lack of water at the Coast Guard Station. She stated that at the Coast Guard Commander's request about thirty Coast Guardsmen had been accommodated regularly in the building with baths and showers in order to help relieve this situation, and that at FATHER DIVINE'S suggestion, the Trustees had further offered to the Coast Guard the use of one or two floors in the building for sleeping accommodations, if fuel oil could be secured at the Church's expense to heat the building for the winter months. However, Commander Hitchins had responded that a part of the building would not be satisfactory as he wanted to house the Atlantic City picket also, and they would require complete use of the kitchen, elevators, and all facilities.
There was considerable discussion of the matter in which it was brought out that no matter how attractive an offer might be made, the Church was primarily concerned with the spiritual activities and was not interested in the money; and furthermore that the Trustees could not negotiate for the leasing of the building as they merely enjoyed the use of it gratis through a grant from the owners, but that they would be willing to waive their rights for the duration in favor of the Government and worship elsewhere, if the owners wished to lease.
Therefore it was moved and seconded, and carried unanimously as follows:
'It is the unanimous opinion of the Trustees that they are willing and ready to waive their rights of possession of the premises for the use of same as a Church, when and if the owners of the building decide to lease the premises to the U. S. Government, and notice of this decision shall be conveyed to the owners of the property immediately.'Miss Nina Randel was delegated to send notices to all of the owners to this effect. There being no further business to come before the meeting, it was moved and unanimously carried, that the meeting adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:45 P.M.
Thank You, FATHER. Peace! Secretary
The New Day: November 26, 1942 A.D.F.D. Pg. 19-20