The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1866-05-09
[FoR THE CENTRAL PnrsBrrnnIAS.l ]
Winchester Presbytery.

Winchester Presbytery.
The Presbytery of Winchester met ii
Charlestown, Jefferson county, Apri
18th, at II o'clock, A. NJ, and wa
opened with asermon by the Moderator
Rev. S. Billings, from Phil. i: is.
There were present fourteen minister!
and seven ruling elders.
Rev. G.. White was elected Moderator
and Rev. Messrs. Woodwork and Craw
ford, temporary Clerks.
Rev. n. G. North, of the Presbytery
of New Orleans, and Rev. Mr.. SQuier
of the Presbytery of Baltimore, were in
yited to sit as corresponding members
Rev. A. c. Hopkins was dismissed tc
West Hanover Presbytery.
Rev. w. B. Dutton, D. D., in view Of
protracted feeble health, requested the
dissolution Of his pastoral relation with
the Charlestown church. relation which
has existed for quarter of century.
The request was granted. The Rev. R.
L. McMuran also requested and obtained
the dissolution of his pastoral relation to
the church of Shepherdstown.
Rev. E. W. Bedinger was received
from West Hanover Presbytery, and Rev.
]. G. Hammer, D. D., Rev. j. Z. Hughes,
from the Presbytery of Baltimore.
A call from the Martinsburg church
was placed in the hands of Rev. j. e.
Hughes and Saturday, the I'd day of
June next, was appointed for his install
lation.
A suitable memorial of Rev. A. II. Il.
Boyd, D. D., late a member of the Pres
bytery, was presented and ordered to be
spread upon the records.
In response to the address of the AS
sembly's Committee on Publication, it was
Re8olred, "That fully occupied as the
Presbytery sees its churches to be just
now, with providing, some of them, the
means for the repairing of their places
of worship, and all of them for the susten-
teton Of their pastors vet deferria:y 70
the judgment of the General Assembly,
which authorized the Inauguration of the
Publication enterprise; and appreciating
the Importance of keeping before the peo-
pie an enterprise which promises reli-
gious literature of their choice, this
Presbytery would recommend that oppOr-
tunity be given on the day named (the
Sd Sabbath of May to contribute to this
cause; and that the attention Of breth-
ren in isolated places is hereby especially
solicited to this opportunity of co-opera-
ting in movement in which the waste
places of the land are particularly inter
ested."
Presbytery spent much time in consid-
ering, and providing for, the wants Of
our vacant and feeble churches. In ad-
dition to certain arrangements made with
pastors of adjoining churches, Rev. E. W.
Bedinger was appointed evangelist of
the Presbytery, with special reference to
the churches of Harpers Ferry, Back
Creek, North River and Concord
During its sessions Presbytery institu-
ted full and free inquiry as to the ar
n nqges due from the congregations to
their respective ministers-the steps
taken to liquidate these arrearages-thc
means furnished by the congregations fol
the present support of their pastors-thc
measures taken to provide for their sup
port in future---the extent to which om
own resources, fully developed, are ade
quate to the sustentation of our minis.
ters,--and the sources abroad to which
we may look for aid to meet any defcien.
cy that may exist at home. This inquiry
which was instituted in view of the de
vastation produced within our bounds by
the late war--reyealed most deplorablt
destitution, and demonstrated the INSULT.
cheney of our own resources for the proper
sustentation of our churches for some
time to come.
The Rev. Messrs. Berry, Hammer, anC
Bedinger, were appointed a committee II
prepare a Pastoral letter on Ministerial
Support, to be read in all the churches
And the Treasurers of the respective
churches were directed to submit to Pres
bytery, at its next meeting, an abstrac
of their accounts with their pastors.
The churches of Presbytery were di
rected to remit, hereafter, all contribu
tions, made for other than congregations
purposes, directly to the Treasurer 0
Presbytery, to be appropriated under it
direction.
The free conversation on the State o
Religion, developed the very gratifying
fact, that our churches, though much en-
feebled by the war, are beginning to re
cover from its desolations. Encouraging
reports were received from all tn
churches-while from some eight or ten
the pleasing information was communi
Gated, that they had been visited wit
the special presence of the Holy Spirit
during the past winter, resulting in al
aggregate addition to their membershi1
Of nearly three hundred souls. "W
have been troubled on every side, ye
not distressed; perplexed, but not il
despair; persecuted, but not forSaken