Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-09-26


AND
Ezra d. Parker, George Wilson and David
Cunningham, Committee, ard I. J. Sher-
rard, Pastor of and representing the Con-
gregation Of Aitfiintown, Defendants.
To The Honorable the Judges Of the
said Court Your orator complains
and says:
l. Certain citizens adhering to the
Presby yterian faith aud form OF worship,
thea residing IN what is now the county
ct Juniata. procured q proprietary
grant, by virtue Of an order Of survey,
and "dsted the S0th Of March, 1867,
directed TO Wm. Maclay, Deputy Sur
veyor, for two hundred acres Of land for
u Presbyterian meeting house and grave
yard. They built the meeting house
formed congregation, aud Obtained a
Pastor And on the LIST of March, 1907,
Fifty five regular members, having pre-
pared aud signed an instrument Of
writing for the purpose, afterwards OBJ
tanned a charter of incorporation by the
name, style and title of '' The Presby-
terrain Congregation of Cedar Spring,
composing the Congregations of Mlfflin
and Lost Creek" for themselves and ali
others who should thereafter become
" members of he said Congregation
and VINO adhere to the religious ptiuci-
pies and christian doctrines held and
adopted by the late united synod of
New York and Philadelphia and. at this
time expressed and mentioned by the
General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Congregation in their acts and in testi-
mnDy of their christian faith and direc
tory for church discipline amongst their
adherents throughout the United States
of North AHerics." The said corpo.
ration so disposed Of the land obtained
by proprietary grant, that it now owns
certain Real Estate containing about
three acres of land, situate in the Dor
ovgh of Mlffiintown, and also a lot of
ground, being Lot No. Al, in the plan
of said borough. A new church was
erected on said Real Estate in pursu.
arce of building contract completed
on the 10Th January, 1898. And i,
also owns certain Real Estate at Lost
Creek on winch a new church was cree
ted in pursuance of building contract
completed On the 4th day of March,
1889.
2 The cbai ter provides $50 far as is
pertinent TO this coDpiaint) that there
shall be a Board of Trustees of said
congregation tcorporatiou) which shall
consist OF SIX members; two of them to
be chosen by ballot annually on the
third Tuesday of October, by electors
tnat hold pews or pay an annual sum not
less than two dollars aud are not more
than twelve months In arrear; and as
there are two churches in said congre-
cation two successive elections shall not
be hell in any one OF them. The power
Of the Board ia coufined tn the TEN.
porallties Of the church IN rating and
collecting pew rents, receiving public
collections, keeping the Real Estate in
repair, &c, and providing for and pay
ing the debts, and firing and paying
the salary Of minister, clerk and serfon,
SC. But they shall have no power to
ALLEVIATE real estate or dispose of the
money for any other use than that for
which it was originally intended, with
out the consent of two thirds of the
congregation convened agreeably to
public notice. And they shall keep a
record Of their proceedings, receipts
and expenditures. and annually on the
day of eiec'ing trustees shall lay state
ment Of their accounts before tae con
gregation.
3. Rev. John Hutchinson began
preaching to the congregations at Lost
Creek aud Mifflinrown about the lst
October, 1906; aud after their incor-
poratlcu became and continued the reg
ular Pastor, laboring at and drawing
his support from both individual con-
gregstlons until his death on the 1lth
November, 1874. Rev. Matthew ALI
sou was duly elected his su cessor at a
meeting in the church at Miffllutown on
the 10Th March, 1915, and afterwards
installed Pastor of the Presbyteria
Congregation composed of The cougre-
cations of Mrffiiutowu and Lost Creek,
and be continued such sole Pastor, la
boring at and supported by both indi-
vidual congregations until the 26th
February, 1872, when by reason of ad
vanced age be desired 10 resign, and to
prevent this call was made and signed
BY the trustees for Rev. T. j Sberrard
to become assistant Pastor. Rev. AllI-
son died on the Sth day of July, 1872,
and Rev. Sberrard became aud contin.
ued sole Pastor IN the employ of said
corporation. and preaching to both iu
dividual congregations pntil his resig-
nation on the Sth April, 1875. The
resignation was then accepted at a con
g:egational meeting in the church at
Mifllntown, called by the session for
that purpose, by virtue of resolution
then adopted by vote of 81 to 26, as
follows: Whereas, our Pastor, Rev.
=. j. Sherrard, has only offered his
resignation for the purpose of fseilits-
';ag division Of the congregation !;
therefore be it resolved that we concur
with him in asking dissolution of the
pastoral relationship only on condition
that the Presbytery can see its way
clear to effect division of the conare-
CATION" A committee was appointed
to carry up to the Presbytery the pro-
ceediDgs of said meeting and petition
Of the Miffiintowu congregation praying
for separate organization.
4. But congregational meeting bad
been held in Lost reek church on 18th
October, 1872, when the following res
olution failed by vote of 8 to 81 out
of 80 voters present, to wit: ''Resolv-
ed that 1t is expedient that the Presby.
terian Congregation OF redar Spring,