Daily Republican., 1881-01-14
DEL. AVE. CuURCH TROUBLE.
A Letter from Harry Emmons'
ESQ To what lhe Dimeuisy ID

OwI0K. ..-.-.,
MEssRs. EpIroRs:-Certain statements
made in tho papers Of this city Oh
Tuesday, in which my sctions In reia
ton to the present nSboleaome statt
OF affairs az Delaware Avenue bsptis
Church. are entirely nisrspreiente1
10 nder it proper Tor me 10 make q PUB
| lie abatement IN order that my tru'
position 10 this matter may bs under
stood by my friends ia this community
The attempt which has been mads
under the guise OF an official state
u.nt 10 fssten the responsibility foi
all this trouble upon the four persons
" bose names are stated. Is not the
act Of gentlemen assuming them to be
men OF sense.
To ask this community 10 believe In
'fusl refutation' whicn intimatss that
four individuals could make all this
clash and confusion in q church OF loOO
members Is simply to act upon the as
sum p,ion that our people don't know a
certain animal when 1t appears unto
them with all its characteristics Of
voice and listening apparatus fully
developed.
One OF the supposed signsrs Of this
formidable document has already de-
MED all knowledge OF 1t until seeing 1t
| in print, and over the other signsrs |
arn willing 10 spread the covering Of a
charitable belief, that they did not see
the ridiculous position In which they
were placing themselves.
Tue present difficulty at Delaware
| Avenue church, In my judgment, Is
owing altogether to the LACK Of wisdom
shown by the pastor In noticing news
( paper statements which the dignity Of
bis position and respect for himself
should have lead him ~ have wholly
disIessrded.
The statement which seems TO have
ig,ysu hiu most trouble appeared In a
report Of the resent anniversary OF the
sunday school. 1t charged the pastor
with having practically ignored the
school, aud, in doing 30, stated what
was simply the truth. Having been a
|, scler in The school for nearly year
| | snow that during this time the pastor
has never shown his presence at any OF
our sessions; and when specially and
Repeatedly invited to be present at our
Anniversary he did what believe nc
lother pastor in Wilmington would have
done, he neither came nor sent an ex'
cuse for remaining away; and during a
constant attendance upon the services
of this church for more than four years
psst, have never heard the pastor
mention the Bible school in prayer, nor,
except by way of making pulpit an
nou l. osmenIs, can call but one allu
sion made by the pastor to the school.
The fact Ia, thatthe pastor Of Delaware
Avenue Baptist church has neither
shown an earnest interest in Delaware
avenue school in particular, nor is he
lin sympathy with the methods OF tie
great sunday school work of the land,
which to-day commands the active sup
port ard un Wavering confidence ofevsry
Evangelical body in this country. The
only kind Of Sunday school that be is
interested in Is an ideal creation Of his
own vivid inag inatiop:
In attempting to explain away the
statement referred to, the pastor was
very unhappy in some of his allusiona
to the Rev. George w. Polwell, his pre-
deOessor, in tho pastorate Of the church
and the report Of this explanation,
which appeared in the REPUBLICAN,,
marked another step in the progress Of
these troubles. With regard 10 this
report l have only to say that while
in some statements 1t Is inaccurate, yet
there Ia nothing In 1t to which Mr..
Haldeman did not give a pretty good
color OF truth by his remarks.
1t Is true that some of the teachers
of the Bible School we're indignant at
some things which the pastor said, and
this indignation was shared by the
Superintendent, who called a meeting
OF the TeaoherS' Association expressly
for the purpose, as he has stated to me
of resigning his position in the school.
Oar Teachers Association is an inde-
pendent body, it has express powers
given it by the church which makes II
sbsoluts in all matters pertaining tc
the conduct and working OF the Bible
School Its officers are subject how.
ever to the approval of the church and
this is the sole right which the church
has reserved for itself in the matter. The
pastor of the church has no more right
than q stranger to control its action.
Last Thursday evening the Teachers
Association met in accordance with the
call of the superintendent.
The pastor for the first time in the
history of the Association favored US
with his presence he having in the
meantime given public notice Of his
desire to meet the teachers at this time.
As he was about to take charge of tbs
10 Getting. | politely objected on the
ground that our chairman who was the
Superintendent Of the school was the
lproper person to preside. He assented
TO this and the superintendent took the
chair. | then stated to the teachers
that | vas perfectly willing to listen in
all courtesy and respect to any state
ment the pastor might desire to make
but that was unwilling that he should
raise any issues before us whereby our
harmony and peace as an organization
might be destroyed. took the posi-.
lt,on as VIZ we're in no way responsible
for any newspaper statements which
might have been made concerning the
pastor 1t would not be proper for us tc
Iallow matters Of disoord to be brought
Into our midst with which We were in
no way concerned. AS an act OF oour'
tesy was willing that We shonld say
that we were in no way responsible
for what was said in the newspapers,
But the pastor requested US to pass a
resolution declaring that all the stale
mspts made in the newspapers concern
Ing himself we're false, and especially
that he had not ignored the Bible
school. l could not vote for what
believed a bare untrtth and said 80 at
the tiule. No action was taken except
L.. &n lrafk