Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-09-22
PASTORS AND PEOPLE.

| DISSOLUTION OF THE PASTORAL RELA
! TIONS OF REV. r. C. WALKER WITH TIL
UNION CHURCH-CoNTE1fPLA UNIOl
OF UNION AND LoCu WILLOW CHURCH
Es-THE REFUSAL OF LOCH wILLON
TO PAY A CLAIM OF REV. MACDUF
SIMPSON FOR PASTORAL SERVICES.
&C., SC, &C.
Lexington Presbytery assembled yestel
day morning in called meeting at the Firs
| PRESBYTERIAN church, the object being t.
act upon the request Of Rev. r. G. Walker
for nineteen years pastor Of Union churcl
in Augusta, for dissolution Of his pastor
al relations with that church. Rev. Dr.
| D. 3. Ewing presided as Moderator witt
| Rev, DR.. Junkin as Clerk. About fifteel
ministers and elders were present. MI. 1
D. Hogshead appeared as commissions
from Union church,
Mr.. Walker gave as his reasons for ask
inga dissolution, that there were tWt
churches, Union and Loci Willow, nelth
er Of which was able to support paste
and yet which, if consolidated could do sc
comfortably, and he thought one minister
entirely supported was OF more service
than two compelled to supplement insulfic'
lent salaries by other means. Union church
had been organized for 81 years and it had
never before had dissolution Of pastoral
relations except by death. The union with
Loeb Willow he thought could be made if
the way was clear and his resignation made
that way clear, it WIS 3 sacrifice he con>
fessed, but one he made cheerfully because
it was right. Weak churches unable to
support their pastors fall back on the Do,
nestle Mission Fund, and Mr.. Walker felt
that by his action in this case there would
be one weak church less and one. strong
church more feeder to, instead of drain
upon that fund, and he felt it his duty to
commit the matter into the hands Of Pres
bytery.
DR.. Junl1in moved a resolution dissolv,
ing the pastoral relations.
Rev. Mr.. Murl ay said it appeared to him
from Mr.. Walkers remarks that the only
thing that made the dissolution desirable
was that 8 union might be effected with
Loeb Willow. Was it at al certain that
such a union would follow the dissolution?
He would like Presbytery to understand
the matter fully before it acted.
Rev W. T. Richardson said he would
like to hear what Loeb Willow thought
on the subject. He had not seen the ne~
cessity Of organizing Loeb Willow congre-
cation when it was done, but he had not
opposed il because he did not believe in
the principle Of refusing q separation when
1t was asked. He had heard that there
was some
FEELING IN THIS MATTER,
that some of the Union men thought that
as Loeb Willow had gone off she had as
wellstay off. Such feelings were human but
we should not allow them to control US.
He should vote for the resolution Of DR..
Junkin if there was q prospect OF union.
COMMISSIONER HoGsHEAD,
Of Union church, said he was happy to see
Mr.. Richardson so interested about Union,
which was more than he had been some
time ago. This matter had come upon
Union very suddenly, as previous to the no
Of the congregation by the pastor,
not q soul had known anything about it.
It was a great surprise to them. AS to the
matter OF consolidation, speaking Tor the
Union people, he could say that they did
not desire dissolution of the pastoral re-
lations, but they were not able to give MI.
Walker the support he was entitled to, and
they had therefore instructed him, as their
commissioner, not to oppose his applica
tion for dissolution.
Rev. Mr.. Junkin thought that no one
could understand the matter better than
Mr.. Walker, who had been On the ground
and given it careful thought, and as he
had expressed it as his conscientious con-
viction that a dissolution was best, he, the
speaker, should vote for it.
Elder J. G. Calhoun thought, in view of
the fact that Union church said nothing
Of q consolidation with Loeb Willow, and
the latter was silent on the subject, and
MI. Walkers resignation seemed based
chiefly on the idea that consolidation
would follow, that commissioners should
be appointed to visit both churches on the
subject.
Rev. MI. Walker said he didn't think
there was, outside Of the two congregations
any difference of opinion in
Presbytery about it. He pledged himself
that his resignation should not deprive
Union Of religious services, as he would
preach for them as long as it was necessary.
Rev. Mr.. Richardson-If this resolution
was adopted, would time cure the diff
culties and bring about a union. ?
Mr.. Walker-That is my opinion. The
has changed even in my time.
and now preach to the children whose
fathers welcomed me when l first went
among them.
Rev. Mr. Wilson, of Broadway, was will
ing to take Mr.. Walkers Judgment in the
matter It was certainly economy, and
Retrenchment and Reform were the watch
words now
Mr.. Murray thought that if MI. Wal
Ker, DIS na llstu Sdiu, "%o SoliAS W Ieulalu
in the neighborhood and ministerial Union
church, it was not probable any movement
would be pushed for a consolidation. Mr..
NJ. moved to postpone the whole matter,
but afterwards withdrew his motion
Nj. Walker said in reply that he ex-
pected to be absent on Domestic Mission
work some six months, which would re-
move Mr.. Murray's objection. He re
marked, by the way, that he had been in.
vited to other States. He said that there
were
MORE VACANT CHURCHES IN LEXINGTON
PRESBYTERY NOW
than ever known in her history before, and
it WAS caused BY having SO many weak