Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-05-05
For The Register.
The Methodist Episcopal Church at
ShepherdstOWn, Va.

of the position occupied and maintained
by the Methodist congregation IN Shep'
herdslown, will you please publish The
, following =?
Ii is well known 10 every one connec'
ted with The congregation that the pres
en-. sile was purchased aud the church
built with The svowed purpose and dis
| tine, understanding tina, il should be un'
, der The control and for the use OF This CON
congregation. and was so conveyed by
deed 10 certain trustees for their special
use and the better 10 secure II TO this con-
gregalion, the form Of conveyance laid
down in The Book of Discipline was pur.
posely departed from. No one ever
questioned The right of this congregation
to have and to hold this property accord
ing to The wishes OF the majority thereof
until recently. when an agent Of "Con-
ference" with which they have no eccle.
sias,ical connection, euLsavored TO take il
from Them by fierce, III ct ermis. simply
because il had once had ecclesiaslIcs
government over it.
From The time of the building of the
church and parsonage up 10 the PresenI
time every thing was done in accordance
with the wishes Of the congregation.
The worship in The church was no; H.
lerrapled by the late war. The pulpit
was regularly supplied, in accordance
with the wishes of The congregation. by
that Conference with which they were
connected and which retained, and still
retains, the name of "Batlmofe Confer.
ence," though, al Stsunlon. Va. in 1861.
i, by an almost unanimous vote, refused
TO sanction the aggressions Of the Gen
eral Conference on the CT urch Dlscip-
line and preferred TO remain independent
rather than hold connection with the
Genera Conference Nurth, as long IS II
mslntalned It's aggressive policy. BY the
way, among those voting with the major
iIy and l"u.ie.I 10 their opposition TO the
ohnoxious measures Of The General Con
ference, are the NAMES Of Revt. ).
Ieech ard - GLENN, the p. E. that
has been sen. 10y the .'BaInmore Confer.
encs North" 10 seIzo lhe CHURCHES IL
his district.
Tins independent position taken by the
Baltimore Conference was maintained
for four years. nor did they cast their loi
viii another General Conference until
they were saushed that all hope OF re.
Union with he General Conference North
vas gore and that honor and due regard
to the christian interests Of their churches
and congregations alike led them 10 unite
with the Methodist Episcopal Church
South. though they knew they would br
losers III material point OF Wv.
The spril shown by the church N"rIh
lei even in less eiiIg nlsned counties.
Wherever il could be done, Trey seIzfd
by military force I'll the church property
,ksy could Sc! tbe!I n-ats 80 a"a d'or,
Bishops openly proclaimed hat Hey hs,e
and would gain by lie war several hund-
red churches and parsonsges. Thus
feeling and rpiIil were ersender.d sea'ns;
their brethren in The ministry. which
sometimes reached violsncs and bitter
ness that Ill became those who preached
Chlisl and followed Hin.
No efYnr, " as made By the NiaorHJ
belumors Conference 10 ScCupr HE brio
claimed by The B~lnsore Cont. renee On
I'll long stler lie close of The war, when
we could hear Of ffoIs made in variou1
places 10 SEIZE hy military fore. 'ht
ehurekes.
liwas hoped. that So this congresa'
ton and Tie churches throughout the
Valley Of VHeinia, was unanimously inE
favour OF joining the Church South. and
indeed had been for many years opposed
to the aggressive acts Of the Conference
North aud could III bear the Ieproaches
of some Of The ministers sen, among lb.n
by The Baltimore Conference North, that
no effort would be made 10 dlspossess
them Of their churches and parsonages,
bot in this they were mistaken, for some
lime during las, Fail, Mr. Lsnshan +
III ade his appearance in This district and
fell as frebrand amidst rlpening bar
vest. Until he came there was not a
solitary dissatisfied member 10 this
church. The congregation were well
satisfied with their present minister. Rev
E. l.. Kreglo. who has been serving then
faithfully aud satisfactorily for ,wo years
or more snd al was peace and harmony.
In February last, The Rev. J. NJ. Green
wss sen. as the station preacher by the
L. al
Rev. - Clemm as the p. "a for The
district.
These, without ever consulting the
wishes of The congregation, for they were
aware Of the unanimi.y and harmony that
prevailed. endesvored TO &c! possession
of The church and parsonage by military
force and aroWed that they would have