Telegram-herald., 1889-04-18
THE PRESBYTERIANS
First Meeting o. Grand Rapids
Prasoytery.
TIE COMMITTEES ARE APPOINTED
11e Wo4k aostls kosltiue -tlsrSs saasA
Kequested Net te asrrs Disarced Per
soas Particulars ~ the Sessions
Closed Last Night

To the majority of people the resigna-
Lou ct Dr 0otb. pastor 81 the West.
minister Presbyterian Church. Was
very great surprise. IL was known that
ne Was an active worker, q good ser
nleni1el. and that hls people were un-
usUallY Wei pleased With hun. Both
tle Doctor Aad the members 81 tht
ylurch were very uncomnlunlcANNe.
Al the meeting oi the ehurth called
10 consider ths matter. reporters were
ulet az tbe eoof and politely hut pos
Hlyely, invited u stay away. After ine
unanimous vote asking him loTeconsiutT
las acton il MAS supposed that he
would probably withdraw hls letter and
continue az before. The matter nas
hung fire however, and is still unset
tied. This has caused considerable
gossip. and finally the correspondent Of
q Detroit paper published tne following
item.
The reason for Rev nr Colb's resiG
nation from the Westminster PrcshN
terrain Church at Grand Rapids has
leaked out The church society is
badly ia debt, and scN sInl II tie doa-
cons came 10 the conCl us On that they
could no longer Afford 10 1aY their
pastor hls regular salary Of -, 600
year, and AT a meeting recently they de
cidcd 10 cut itd0Nn 10 g 600. Al th's the
reverend gentleman kicked. lie mann
tanned that be- had contract With tho
church. and that he ought t. be paid
the salary stipulated. II the members
would come ID see h.m ana ask hlm %
contribute the amount needed he would
cheeffuliy assent, bat he objected 10
cutting has salary down Tie society
could not see IL his way, ana failing 10
come 10 terms he sent IN hs Ter gna-
ton. The several meetings held slnco
that time have not been productive of
amlcable feelings and decisive acton
has been postponed from time to time
in the hope that the pastor would re-
consider his res. .gnauon. Al the pres
ent time he has not done 80, and the
deacons are IN despair
A IELEGRAM-HERALD reporter yesier-
day showed the item 10 several Of the
members Of the church. With one
accord they SAID nothing.
Dr Griswold SAID: Il do not wish 20
say anything about IT," He did say,
however. that the church had a
debt Of about $4,000. and
l3l lltN SOME A4litA4tA ii
carrying H. "l0u NAV say" ho con-
tnued. "that the prospects are very
favorable both for the payment 81 the
debt and the retention OF Or. Cobb. -
When shown thc article last night
Or. Cobb sad that u was partly true
and partly false. There IS no lll feel
ing between the church and myself. but
] do not not think Il worth while 10
deny the truth Of the article or any
part OF il through the paper. as Il VII
only lead 10 newspaper controversy,
and ! would rather nothing would be
SAID about II. We have all thought u
best % keep the whole matter out Of
the papers
Elders B0tsford and sherman
were interviewed and made subsjsn-
italy the same statement. namely, that
br. CObl's resignation was deeply re-
gretted by the church. and that he had
been asked hy "A unanimous vote OF the
congregation 10 withdraw Il. The
Church meeting appointed comm IT,
tee, which now has the matter in
hand. and Will report at the next
church meeting.
The gentlemen said, as the Doctor
did. that the statements were partly
true and partly false, but would not
state which were true or which false.
The date Of the church meeting =
not fixed, bat Il VIII bee called when the
committee is ready 20 report.