The Pastor Who Refused to Be Shamed
When an anonymous article smeared a local minister, his Seattle congregation stood by their leader with a bold, public defense of his character.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
At a special meeting of the Second Baptist Church of Seattle, held May 2nd, with Pastor C. L. Mitchell acting as chairman and J. B. Piles as church clerk, the following resolutions were considered separately and passed unanimously: That having read in the 'Seattle Star' a false and malicious article regarding our pastor, we, the members of the church, cannot keep silent. In the interest of our common Christianity, we regard said article as false as it is malicious. We view with contempt the attempt to cast a shadow upon our pastor’s character. We request Brother Ludlow to furnish us with a copy of his sermon in full, to be published in pamphlet form, that the truth may be spread abroad. That a copy of these resolutions be handed to the Ministers’ Association and that they be published in the Post-Intelligencer on Sunday morning.
“We regard said article as false as it is malicious. We view with contempt the attempt to cast a shadow upon our pastor’s character.”
This 1885 stand against a 'malicious' media smear highlights the enduring struggle between institutional reputations and public discourse. Even in the 1880s, Seattle churches were grappling with the power of the press to define community standing, a precursor to today’s battles over misinformation and digital reputations.
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