Article July 4, 1925 Issue

The Christian Science church has no desire for controversy...

Albert E. Lombard, Committee on Publication for Southern California,—Los Angeles, California

Express

The Christian Science church has no desire for controversy with the organization of which Mrs. Annie C. Bill and John V. Dittemore are the leaders. When, however, implications and misrepresentations appear in the press concerning the former connection of Mr. Dittemore with the Christian Science church, or with Mrs. Eddy, the Christian Science Committee on Publication for Southern California asks the opportunity to lay the facts before your readers.

I am informed that the files and records of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, do not show that Mrs. Eddy asked Mr. Dittemore to leave his business, and do not show that she called him to any position. In fact, these files and records indicate the contrary. Mr. Dittemore was appointed Committee on Publication in 1908, by the Readers of a New York church on the recommendation of the then Manager of Committees on Publication in Boston. The entire correspondence with Mr. Dittemore, preceding this appointment, was from this manager or his assistant. Furthermore, these files and records show that when Mr. Dittemore became a Director of Mrs. Eddy's church, in 1909, she did not nominate him for this position. It was the Directors then serving who submitted his name to her, and she did not approve of his election until after she had asked them for more information about him. Moreover, Mr. Dittemore had but very little personal contact with Mrs. Eddy at any time. He never had more than one or two brief conversations with her. She never even began to maintain the close personal relation with him which she maintained with most of the present Directors of her church.

The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, after extended litigation, in which Mr. Dittemore was represented by able counsel, confirmed the action of The Christian Science Board of Directors in removing Mr. Dittemore from the Board; and in a former court action, in which the Christian Science church was opposed by equally able counsel, this highest court in Massachusetts handed down a decision sustaining the By-laws written by Mrs. Eddy, as given in the Manual of The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts.

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