FATHER DIVINE Serving Holy Communion
at The Rockland Palace
The meeting was opened when it was ascertained that a majority representatives of the Brigantine Hotel owners was present. When it was learned that no copy of the letter to all the owners, in which the situation was briefly outlined, was available, FATHER DIVINE requested that one of the trustees sum up its contents from memory, which she did as follows:
Miss Randel: I made out a letter to each one of the owners of the Brigantine Hotel, which I will try to quote as near as I can remember it. As one of the trustees of the Palace Mission, Inc., of Brigantine Hotel, I was delegated to send to the owners of the Brigantine Hotel a letter letting them know that the United States Coast Guards wish to lease the Brigantine Hotel. The trustees of the church held a meeting, with FATHER in attendance, and decided to the effect to turn back to the owners the hotel, so that if the owners wished to they might lease the building to the government, if the owners felt that they could do more for humanity by leasing to the government than by having the church have the building. They were freed by the trustees of the church to do as the wished--to lease to the government or to let the church continue to have it.
FATHER: That is just about the gist of the letter that was sent to the owners. The United States Coast Guards desired to lease the building and I told them that the church could not lease it to them because the church did not own the property; it was merely a grant to us, the church, that we might use it gratis. The owners had granted us the privilege to organize, dedicate and incorporate the Palace Mission Church here, which we did, and said it could be used as I saw fit; and, of course, it was to that extent that the church was organized, dedicated and incorporated at the Brigantine Hotel as a branch church of this church, the Palace Mission, but as it was in another state we felt it advisable to incorporate it in the State of New Jersey under the New Jersey State Law, even as we did here in this state. It is the same church, the Palace Mission Church branch in New Jersey, and it was organized, dedicated and consecrated to the work of the church.
It was not in our power to lease it to the government or anyone else from a legal point of view. We could not do it, as the church was only granted the privilege to have the use of the property; it was not legally given to Me or the church where we could sell it or lease it or anything of that sort. Therefore, I told them we could not do it as a church.
When the trustees held their meeting--I think it was Saturday before last--it
was decided to waive our grant of the usage of the
property for the duration,
if the owners desired to lease it or let it to the government, as the government
said they were in desperate need of it, and we agreed as a church, to notify
all of the owners if they desired to they could rent it to the government.
So that was the proposition.
Now it comes to the point that we feel as the Bible says: Loan to them that ask of thee, and he that would borrow of thee turn not away. Loan not expecting any pay. Hence, as you, the owners, granted the church the privilege to use the property gratis, without compensation, the majority of the others whom I have contacted said they would also be willing to grant the government the privilege to use the property without cost for the duration, and the government would have the care of the property and keep it in shape for the duration. If you and the others I contacted Personally agree to it, it would be agreeable with Me as far as I AM Personally concerned.
Personally, I haven't anything to do with it: but as you say you want Me to endorse anything you do, of course I could and would agree to it if you agree to it. If you do not agree to it, why, of course there is no law to force you to let them have it for nothing.
So that is what I wanted to bring before you. I thought I would put that before everyone who is here and let you decide what you want to do. When the government asked, would we grant them the privilege to lease the property, I told them I could not Personally because it did not belong to Me, neither did it belong to the church but the property belongs to a group of persons, followers who are the Actual owners who invested their money to purchase the property, and they would be the ones to lease. They said they did not want to buy but they would like to lease it, but I suggested to let them have it, as I quoted the Scripture a while ago, the Gospel where it says loan to them, not desiring any pay. So I considered if you all decided to do that, it might be all right.
Of course, it is to be understood this is an emergency and it would be in keeping, in a way of speaking, with our patriotic service to the government. We are not fighting, but these are the Coast Guards that guard the coast. They said there were so many of them brought to Atlantic City and they have actually taken over nearly all of the other hotels.
The first thing I did when they came to Me was to get the trustees of the church together, and I gave up My right that you all have given Me; we all as the church gave up our rights and we gave it up without any consideration of remuneration as far as we are concerned. This also might give you a slight sketch of a reflection of what you might do, since we gave up our right to the use of the property for the duration. Some think that Hitler may be licked before next Christmas and some think it may be longer, but anyway, you may decide what you want to do. (After a brief discussion by the owners a motion was made and seconded, and FATHER proceeded:)
FATHER: It has been moved and seconded that you would lease the property to the United States Coast Guards for the duration--now on what terms would you say?
Miss Randal: Without remuneration.
FATHER: Without remuneration. All in favor of it, as American citizens to co-operate with the government, who desire to lease it to the government without remuneration, let it be known by the usual sign. (The motion was carried and FATHER continued His remarks as follows:)
FATHER: Without remuneration means gratis, which amounts to ten or twelve thousand dollars a year for the duration, and that would be your contribution to the government as a donation, and of course you would not be doing it for gains because as far as that is concerned if you were seeking to try to do it for gains you could rent it to the government and get maybe ten or twelve thousand dollars a year and put it into bonds, but as followers of Mine, the majority of you are not actually seeking dollars and cents.
You see, it still remains a church, though we may waive the right to the usage of it as a church for the duration, and it may be that you would not want to rent the church and get pay for it, because you may want it to stay consecrated the same as the Palace Mission Church here is for hospitalization; this church is for defense to help the government in case they have any casualties, anyone is injured or anything like that; no doubt we will accommodate about two hundred or two hundred and fifty here. So it being a church, maybe you would not want to rent it out as you would just an ordinary property, because it has been dedicated and consecrated and incorporated and organized as a church, and hence the very property itself has been dedicated to and for a good cause, and as we do not take any collections and receive any remuneration, it would be your policy no doubt to follow the pursuit you granted us. So if that is agreeable and you all have consented to it, why, it would be so agreed upon and would be carried out. (And with a few more remarks the meeting was concluded.)
The New Day: November 26, 1942 A.D.F.D. - Pg. 21-22
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