Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-11-21
Staunton vindicator.
LOCAL.
Waiting IN lIOPE E!

A CONGREGATIONAL MEETING OF TILE
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DE
CLINES AT PRESENT TO JOIN DIR. NC
FARLAND IN ASKING FOR A SEPARA-
TIoN-IT PROPOSES ALL THAT LOVE
AND ANXIETY CAN THINK OF TO IN
DUCE HIM TO sTAY-DR. MCFARLAND
WILL PREACH NEXT SUNDAY AND
THEN BE ABSENT ON A TRIP OF SOME
WEEKs--IIE WILL ANSWER THEIR PROP
osITION AFTER RETURNING TO THE
CITY.
&C., &C., &C.
Last Sunday morning the First Presby-
terrain church was crowded. Besides the
congregation of the church, there were pres
ent members OF several other churches. 1t
had been made public that the resignation
rendered by the pastor, Rev. Dr.. ID. X. Nc
tarland, would be officially communicated
to the congregation at q meeting to be held
after the service was over. The mind of
the congregation which was tense with
anxiety was keenly alive to everything in
the services that appeared to weigh, one
way OF the other, on the subject uppermost
III their minds and anything bearing
on it was instantly applied In the
opening prayer when Dir. Mcfarland
asked God to bless the services of the day
and III what might be a cross was in store
for us, to enable us to bear it, it was IN
stantly interpreted as auguring i'll for the
hopes with which all hearts were animated
DR.. McFailInd took as his text that verse
from one Of Paul S letters to tie Ihessalo-
mans in which he says: ''k'inaliy, brethren
pray for us, that the word Of the Lord may
h I've free course and be gloriLel, even as il
is with YOU" lie said that the author OF
that letter KENNY felt the great weight OF
the lie ;ponsibility Of caring for the church.
In Iced i'll all Paul S list Of what he had to
bear, the climax seemed to be reached when
he spoke of 1.-THE care of all the churches. -
The speaker then went on to describe
Paul S work for the church and which the
apostle felt pressing Oh him daily. Paul
in this matter counted not himself as any
thing. 1t WAS not orhinself that he asked
|
for us that the word Of the Lord may have
free course" This was more to him than
his daily bread, than his liberty, than his
life. AS compared to the progress Of the
word of the Lord Paul regarded himself as
nothing, and lie asked their prayers not that
he might have bread, OF life OF liberty, but
that the word might have free course
Such feeling, the pastor argued, Should an
innate every Christian heart.
After the sermon and services closed an(
the general congregation had been dismiss
ed, the congregational meeting was held
A large number of citizens who had II,
connection with the church remained, il
their anxiety to know the result if an,
Ndefinite one was reached.
>,THE CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
was presided over by the venerable J. Ma
son Miller, With MIR. J. II. Bader as Clerk
Elder j. A. WaeSFsalell explained that tn,
congregation had BEEN called together t.
consider a matter important to the public
and to the people Of that church. fs>>tool
it for granted that every member of this
church had already been praying over this
matter, but he thought that meeting like
this should be opened with general prayer
and requested Prof. John Murray to lea(
them.
After the prayer by Prof. Murray, Elder
Waddell read the following
LETTER FROM DIR. M'FARLAND.
! tn he aft D.,
Church, Stanton, "a:
1t is a painful necessity which Ifeel com
pels me herewith to communicate to YOU the
nature OF my purpose, at as early date as
practicable, to tender to Lexington Presbyter1
my resignation as pastor of the First Presby-
terrain church in Staunton, and to request thai
you will unite with me in petition to said
Presbytery to dissolve the pastoral relation
now existing between u.s.
You are already advised, in part at least, OF
the reason which prompts me to make this
request. For more than a year have felt the
condition of my physical health and strength
to be such as TO unfit me for doing the work
which the true interests of the church and
congregation demanded. [ have continued to
hope, however, that / might be spared the
necessity of seeking as a remedy an absolute
release from the pastorate. But that necessi-
ty | now deem to be upon me. The experience
of the past few months has forced me more
and more to the conclusion that there is
nothing else left for me TO do, and vet the
interests of all parties concerned be
subserved.
| | need not undertake to convey to you any
| conception of the pain it has cost me to pro
pose such an action to you. The relation
which l now ask to have dissolved has existed
for little less than five years, and has been
one of such unbroken and uninterrupted
harmony, that the thought of its disturbance
can only bring the most pungent regret and
sorrow to myself. And even more keenly, ii
possible, do feel the violence that is done to
those personal ties of interest and affection
which bind me to every member of the church
and congregation. You will be assured,
therefore, that nothing short Of the strongest
conviction Of what is right and wiSest to be
done, has led me to propose that the present
connection between us shall be severed
| Believing, however, that the true interests
of the church and of Christ cause will there
| by be best subserved: at the same time that it
will insure to myself the relief l need and
desire, do now most earnestly ask that you
will unite with me in the petition to Presbv-
terry for dissolution of the present pastoral
relation.
make this request of you, at the same time
praying for you the blessing of God our
Father and of our common Lord and Savior