The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-14
Welded TO THs OLD PULPIT.
Many Independents Presbyter:ans

Many Independent Presbyter.ans
Want the Dutch Pulpit reproduced
The congregation Of the Independent
I Presbyterian church met in the Lutheran
church yesterday afternoon in response TO
the call of the chairman Of the building
committee TO decide upon the style
/ of the pulpit Tor the new church.
/ The contractors are ready 70 Begin tie
work. The question was whether the style
! of pulpit in the old building should bs re
( produced in the new, or whether diife ent
pulpit altogether, Of more moiern style,
| should be put in. The question Is an inter
esting one 70 the members of the IndeTend-
ent Presbyterian congregation, and has beea
much discussed since the work on the new
building was begun.
The pu lpit Of the burned church, as IS
well known, was Of the old Dutch style. one
Of the few in this country, very high from
the door, supported b. handsome pillars,
with stairways leading up TO IL from each
side The preacher was at considerable dis
tance from his hearers in this pulpit, and
only his head and shoulders, if be were
small man, could be seem by the cong ga
ton. This was considered great objection
by many of the congregation, ard some
time before the cnurcn was destroyed the
question of removing it and substituting a
more modern aud more convenlent pulpit
was agitated.
The pulpit was handsome and imposing
piece of architecture, a work of artistic
skill In fact, aud in perfect unison with
its surroundings, and the congregation had
become deeply attached to it, in common
with everything else in the church, and its
removal was strongly opposed.
The question was agitated with some
warmth, until it was settled by Miss Tel
fair making large donation to the churc
on the condition that the pulpit be allowed
to remain as 1t was. The donation was &C.
cepted on that condition.
After the conhagration of 1889, in which
the church was destroyed, it was decided TO
rebuild it on the same plan as the old one,
or as nearly as possible. with some few i'm
provements. Then the question Of the pull
pit was raised again by those advocating the
change to more modern style. 1t was held
that the destruction of the church absolved
the church from both the moral aud legal
obligations Of Miss Telfairs bequest, and
that it was at liberty TO make use OF any
style of pulpit it might see nit. The old
pulpit bad a strong hold upon the hearts Of
many Of the congregation, however, who
urged that the new edifce would not be
complete without the old style pulpit. and
that the church was still morally bound to
observe the conditions of Miss Telfair's
bequest.
The meeting yesterday afternoon dis
cussed the matter at length but no decisive
action was taken. Plenary powers were
given to the boilding committee upon this
and other questions pertaining to the build
ing several months ago, and it was held by
some that it was the committees duty to
decide upon the pulpit. A motion to in
struct the building committee to reproduce
the old pulpit was lost by a few votes, and
motion to instruct against the old style
pulpit was also lost by a large number Of
votes.
By an express motion the matter was left
entirely in the hands of the building COM
mittee as TO the style of the pulpit. 1t
depends entirely upon the views of the
building committee as to whether the new
church will have the high Dutch pulpit or
some more modern style,