The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-03-09

tnen supplleu the cnurcn Tor time, and In 1877,
the present pastor Rev. Angus Macdonald, was
installed. His labors have been blessed by the
addition of seventy two names to the roll, max
ing total of admissions in the fifty one years
of four hundred and ffty-two But deaths and
removals have taken wo-th,rds of these away
the present membership is about one hundred
and fifty. Christian Observer.
Rev. Neander M woods.-Compli
mentaIy Resolutions, etc.-Pursuant to a
call of Session, the members of the Second Pres
byterian church in this city assembled N their
lecture room at o'clock yesterday afternoon,
to unite with Rev. Neander M. Woods in a
petition to East Hanover Presbytery, asking a.
dissolution of his pastoral relations with that
church.
Rev. George D. Armstrong, D. D., pastor, of
the First Presbyterian church, was requested to
act as Moderator, and opened the meeting with
prayer.
The Moderator explained the object of The
meeting, and read the following paper
To the Members of the Second Presbyterian
Church Of Norfolk, Va.
Beloved Brethren.-Eight years ago, while |
was yet student at the Union Theological Semi
nary, you called me to be your pastor, and your
call having been accepted by me. with the consent
of the Presbytery, began my labors among you,
In June, 1873. You had but recently been or
ganised a church. and l had Just received
license so that we began our lives, in one sense.
together. l need not tell you that this fact
alone constitutes tie between US of more than
ordinary tenderness, one which through all
coming years will cause me to give to you as a
people very large place in my thoughts and
affections no matter what may be the changes
of my life hereafter. 1 deem it proper to say
here, not as mere form, but out of the sincere
convictions of my heart, that your treatment OF
me in all these years has been not merely kind
but exceedingly generous, and immeasurably
beyond all my deserving. God has graciously
blessed both you and myself in many ways, and
to Him belong all the honor and thanks ahd
praise; and it is a matter of special Joy to me
that the request that l make of you to-day
finds you a thoroughly harmonious church
with a larger membership, smaller debt and
more cheerful prospects as a church than you
have ever had since l first came among YOU
Another fact of great comfort 10 me is that you
have established such reputation for excellent
qualities and habits as church as will render
1t an easy matter for you to secure speedily a
pastor who will serve you and lead you on to a
yet larger prosperity.
You all aware of the call have received
from another church in distant State and you
also know the reasons which constrain me TO
desire a change / have acted, as | trust, from
right motives, and l sincerely believe that my
transfer at this time, painful as it is to me, will
prove in the end for the real good of all con-
cerned | sincerely hope therefore, that to all
your other kindnesses to me you add this one of
joining with me without objection in asking the
Presbytery to accept my resignation.
With sincere affection, your servant in the
Lord, NEANDER M. WooDs
The following resolutions were then offered,
and adopted:
ResoIued, l. That we, the members of the Sec
ond Presbyterian Church and congregation con-
sent with heartfelt regret to unite with our
pastor, Rev. N. M. Woods, in asking the Pres
bytery of East Hanover to dissolve the pastoral
relations now existing; to which action we only
great Head of the Church has called us to make
this sacrifice, and made plain His will that Sc
verance Of this tie is best for His Zion and the
building up of His Kingdom
2. We bear cheerful testimony to the fidelity
and earnestness with which Brother Woods has
performed his duties to us and ours in the years
that he has spent with u.s. and commend him
most affectlonately to the people Of God to whom
he may be called to minister with the assurance
that we shall ever remember him and his fam
lily as dear to us, in our prayers
8. That we appoint Elder Luther Sheldon our
delegate to represent us in the meeting of Fart
Hanover Presbytery, to convene in Petersburg.
Va, March 4th, 1881, and carry the request here,
in embodied
4. That copy of these resolutions be furnish
ed Rev. N. M. Woods.
The meeting was then closed with prayer and
the benediction by the Moderator.
GEO. ID. ARMSTRONG, D. D., Moderator
WILLIAM III. BRoUGHToN Clerk
Other Churches
Large Benefactions.-Mr George ]. Seney
has placed at the disposal Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church of Brooklyn $4,000 in
money and real estate, TO be employed in The
establishment in Brooklyn Of Methodist
General Hospital, open to Jew and Gentle,
Protestant and Roman Catholic, heather and
inhdel, on the same terms. In making this
large gift he expressed the belief that the time
had come when the Methodist Church should
do its share in hospital work. This is not the
beginning Of Mr.. Seney's liberality. He re-
Gently gave $4,000 to the Long Island Hospital
Society and $4,000 to the Butler street Home
for Destitute Children.
Metho TO the Year Book
for 1881, the Methodists throughout the world
number 81 ,731 ministers S5 400 local preache ers,
and 4,69S890 members. The Church has 2i1
American missionaries in foreign fields, 1896
local preachers, and 35,432 members. 1t hs.
2,034 domestic missionaries. The total con-
trlbutions of the denoroin ation for Tho r,a.t