The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1891-10-10

| told that these two petitions Great ed
quite feeling between those who were
contending for change and those who
were contending for the return. Elder
Knight we saw again, and we told of the
feeling of E. number of the members in
reference to the change. The Bishop
saw 1T to return our present pastor again
stating as reason for doing 80 that the
people were the proper ones to call the
pastor, and that the officers had nothing
to do with the matter. We returned
home and found the news of the appoint-
ment had reached here before US, and
the people who were favorable to
change were very much discouraged,
and dismayed. They stated that they
would not do any thing this year for the
support OF the church. Again we we're
put to our wits end to know what to do
in the matter. We addressed aletter to
our Presiding Elder at Duluth, settiug
forth the condition of things here, and
The members felt that some injustice had
been done them. We awaited his re-
turn to this city, and called upon him,
and discussed The question anew. He
stated to us that he would write to the
Bishop. We asked him what rights we
had as members under the law, and he
stated that when the members of
chnrch found that their pastor could not
keep up the interest in the church in
order to enable the officers to meet their
moral and legal obligations the officers
of the church should meet and if two
thirds of them agreed upon change of
the pastor they should draw up petit
tisn to that effect and call a meeting of
tie membership of the church to take a
vote upon it. If the majority voted for
change then they must sign the petit
ton and send it to the Bishop. We dis
liked to pursue this course, but it
seemed to be the only solution of the
whole case; hence the meeting of Tues
day night of last week and from that
comes this meeting to. night, for we
were not allowed to vote. 1t may be
we'll to read here the letter sent to Rev.
Knight, at Duluth before the Tuesday
meeting referred to.
st. Paul, MIMI, Sept. II, 1891.
Rev. R: Knight, Presiding Elder;
Dear Sir:
We, the undersigned, stewards and
trustees of St. James A. NJ. E church,
St. Paul, feel confident that you have
been misled by some adverse circum-
stance as to the actual sentiment existing
in our church as to the change of pastors.
We will not review the effort made at
the time of the Conference in Chicago
to bring about this change. The facts
are known to you and nothing is to be
gained by bringing them forward at this
time.
We wish for peace but shall not sacri-
fee ourselves and the church for the
mere sake of maintaining it. We have
asked for justice, but it has not been &C.
corded to US. Believing that you will
not make stand against us now that
you have had time since the Conference
to give the matter more careful consid.
GRAFTON, we have been constrained to ap-
peal to you once more. You may be
certain that we do not make this appeal
in any spirit of anger, yet it is proper
and just that we should state here our al
tentative, that is, unless the change is
made within four weeks, we shall each
and all resign and withdraw from the
church, in which movement at least two
thirds of the church are prepared to
take part. $3.50 ..-: ..-~ 80
Hoping for immediate and favorable
action, We are, a..A.- -
Very respectfully,
U.s.. Stewards and Trustees.
duplicate of letter addressed to Pre-
siding Elder by the secretary of the
trustee board of St. James A. M Z.
church, after the first meeting held by
them on the return of the pastor D. P.
Brown from conference) #.6
Rev. R Knight, Duluth, Mimi.
After consultation with and by the
request of some Of the brethren ad-
dress this letter to you to inform you OF
the present conditions, after our first
meeting. ! find that 1 was the only
member of the board. almost without
Exception, to welcome our pastor back
That dissatisfaction prevails is TO put it
mildly indeed; they are almost in Gao.
tic state. We have a membership OF
around $50, of thu Sc we could only rely
upon about IS or 80 as paying. If these
could be relied upon, the tax on each
would amount to somewhere about 81 %
each per month, but under the present
condition this number is divided. Some.
thing should be done to harmonic as
our bonded debt of $4,000 must be met
Oct. l, go. Pray for US, also can you not
! recommend some Way whereby these