The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-14
SPECIAL NOTICES.
CARD.

u the svtn o. January. 1875. The First Bryan
baptist Church OF this city. celebrated tie one
hundredth year OF her ex Stsnce IN this CON-
Inunlty with great rejoicing. ami commeuGa-
ton from the press and Deople near and far:
We began the second Century with prosDscts
seemingly bright and fair under God and
through the Ministerial teachings OF our be
loved and honored pastors Rev. Z. L Houston,
whose untiring zeal snd labor for q wears had
Drought US Into cur new church edIfice. com
pieted aud comfortable. at the date Of he dedfcs-
t4oa. aud ar cost OF $1,000. All seemed well
n1t evh times has fallen upon US since then
WIN Dram and heart overworked. under the
anxistes and respors blllties OF MS position our
pastor soon after had a sliyht strose o pa
raly SIS, which affected his memory and speech
FerJ perceptioly, though he sIil performed
his pastoral duties. The deacon, of ths cnur,a
therefore. persuaded him 10 accent Of an assis-
labt- IN the person Of a man named Griffin
MS man vas q stranger. coming among Us in
extreme poverty some years ago. The pasic or
ana the eau Gu gave chsrfta0lY 10
I'M ana ministeTed TO his wants; ne preached
Ior Us occasionally. This man was relacta ltly
sccep Ell Dy the pastor and CHURCH a. q caeap
assistant Tor six months; VITA no otner powers
~ the cnurcn out to preach the gospel Of Christ;
Dut Ne very soon showed himself TO b without
true religious principles by insidiously oper
aIn4 70 Gust our pastor and take mis- place. We
nave Iargs membersaip in our ch lrCh; the 10
crease from al lo65 % above 1000 81 this
tine OF prisons coming here from all parts OF
our state and country, q large prepon1e-sn
OF which Is weak AMI iiliterate and
VITA whom lou1-mcIthed appeals ID
tietr 50 erStitiOus preiu1lcss carry great
weight; but the Old citizens and the more
Intelligent part of the membership slW the de-
Signs OI the man, and though al "a time IN the
minority Persuaded our pastor 10 get rid OF
MN "hen ms six months expired; All in ct
teLhptinS 10 DO tnts the church became sadly d.
VldeI. The deacons and part VI tae churcn
on one 81 ie and the pastor with them, who Jew
and app reel tel MS love and labors on the other
SIDE Toe man Griffin was reeppointed as as
slslant TO the pastor aga for one
year against his so emn protest, and
the loudly expressed Indignation Of those
who asreed with min, AMI from that hour until
no" our cnurch has Ooe4 in a turmoil; our be-
loved pastor became sad and sorrowIul and in
tae short time OF three months went down to
nus grave IN tears. on the seq OF October Of
laSI year. takln-, II ems peace and harmony
with him. Since his burial we have oorns with
the usurpattJn Of N man Gr1fin aud his Hit
crate crowd with Suppre sed grief AID indig-
nation. hoping that the officers AMI those mem
otrS WITH them. seeing that harmony aud .ity
was impossible under this man, wouli let hi N 20
"hen his year expired for We love our church
ana desire To see peace and harmony Hitnin her
doors once more. and have been wiling to bear
much FOR our Baptist cause, and so waited pa
tlently for the end of BIS year. When it c line
seven OF the aco3s, in secret caucu planned
y continue Griffin right along uuon US but
three deacons thought better aud disagreed and
many who was for the man at first left hIn
seeing tn injury he was doing tine 9 iurch; ana
ne Ell q % his eng cement In DC oDer last, aud We
nopeu we were rid OF hlm-a very poor su Dy
Tor our pulpit; but no y it see II that we are to oe
dis appolRted by he action OF last Sunday, when
tines. aforesaid officers claimed to have recalled
Trina Irln oy minority OF the church present
Upon tae occasion an Infamous wrong that we
Wouii snow the authorities Of the city goy-
erlment, and the good citizens who ha the
p ac5 anu good or er OF the city at heart.
Our church constitution and by-lIw do not
provide for the calling of q pastor in any par
tlcular way. nor have We called Que sine Rev
houston became SO in 1851, continuing t. his
DEATH At the conference in Sep enlber last n
DTOtl1F GnhTQIftAN a NJ Init ian,
ing Tor calling pastor yearly, and whicl
naturally, would operate as an anne ndment I
y the constitution; and on putting the matter
to vote brother made the point mat under the
constitution it would require two-tnirds y.te
az Two consecutive NEE .inys OF the church -
The chairman, Deacon 6. B. Lewis, acknow
edged his ignorsnce of this fact, and, loolllg
70 the recoi ds, declared the vote upon the reso-
IuuVn lost, as only majority hal voted
Tor them. But upol the reading OF
the minutes at the next conf renee
tne record declared them carried, and so re
corded by the tyrannous dishonesty OF these
seven deacons usurpIng the powers of the
church Under these resolutions, at he confer
ence last month, vote was carried setting
apart the first Sunday in this month CAST Sab
bath as day OF tasting and prayer untll
O'Clock, when we would proceed TO cal pastor
for one year.
AT this meeting, when 9 o'clock came. the
lower pews OF the church were packed with the
memb rs, not less, think than 70). 1t was
generally expected. of course, tiat the fl st
question in order would be, VIII the church now
cal paS,orf But on Lewis taking the chair he
announced that nominations were the order a sd
immediately the man Griffin was nominated.
on OF the opposing dracons announced thai
kev. w L. P. Weston of this city called upon him
and notified him that he hear / chat ms nam.
would be used as proposed in TIE Griffin caucus.
as q mere Sham; nat other names would appear
VITA his; but orbii the use of his name. Being
nonpluse1 ny this arrangement, as il was very
apparent that tler plaus had b en- marted they
suggested two other minis tiers names, and went
70 voting with the a .noqncement from the
chair IAN who are for Griffin, rise
aud stand" At this bedlam seemed
70 have broken loose in the
meeting; women and men all talking in every
part or the house. quarreliDg and abusing each
other most shaineTully; several approaching
eacl other Ill e war like attitude One female
member had the chairman so enraged und
her severe tongue castigatiOn that he could
not attend to his duties, while two of his ep-
polntees, Deacon william Royal anu Brother
John Jackson, went through the aisleS counting
and crying out To thoss standing and quarrel
ing; III count you all for Griffin if you do not
SIT down. and as nobody sat down who was un
no more than they do in a Saturday night
market scene they were counted, and amidst ell
this loud raised confusion ROYAL announced tn 4C
there was 292 for Griffin, q no other vote was
taken in the meeting, or could be, for the con-
fusion and fierce passions among all present
Picture 10 yourselves Royal counting the votes
amidst the general cry over the body: we don't
want no pastor; we want first union and peace"
One female, Don't count me; you are full of
m or be r; look how your face Is bioated y
Another, at the top of her voice: count me;
I'm for Griffin from my head to my
feet" This is but a faint example
Of that dreadful meeting The chairman
Lewis became demordlized from his severe
lashing and was, faint. so Royal Just through
a quarrelous dispute aforesaid sang a
doxology, which could hardly be heard and
pretended to pass benedictioD, and so that
meeting ended without giving over 40 members
a chance of expression, Deacon Henry Rain
and Bro. S. G. Green in vain trying TO protest
a ,ainst this disgraceful action
And now whatf Are we to be thus
crushed, after our parents and ourselves and
our revered deceased pastor has toiled to erect
this building dedicated to God for the love we
bsar TO mis- Son who died for us, in this en-
hghtened day and in the midst of this highly
intelligent christian Community Wethink not,
and thus let our grievances be known through
tae press, believing wrong-do ng. whether out
Of wickednesS or ignorance, will be frowned
down and redreSsed
Under this stat OF things the man Griffin
may attempt TO enter upon the pastorate OF the
tins church, but he &c tainly wilt be doing it at
some FISK, for some Of us may submit, but
there certainly Is some that will not. and we
think it due 10 ourselves to put on notice so If
future troubles come ouG OF this matter the
community may know who are responsible for
them, for We desire peace; coming out of JUS
Il e ami truth, which should characterize Gods
people Very truly. the grieved hundreds Of