Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-04-09
MErHoDIsTIo TRouBLEs.
Dover District Unpleasantness--The Re-
movaI Of Presiding Elder Ayres.

Dover District Unpleasantness--The Re-
moval of Presiding Elder Ayres.
Commenting on the troubles of the
Dover district of Wilmington NJ. j.. Con
ference the Peninsula Methodist says We
are sorry to learn of the serious opposition
that is apparent at not less than six points
on Dover district to the arrangement OF
the work by Bishop Fowler at the last ses-
sion of the Wilmington Conference, under
the advice of the presiding elder of that
district For the sake of our beloved
Methodism, and for the peace and pros
perity of the churches, we trust neither
the preachers nor the people will do any
thing rashly. By patient and kind, but
firm assertion of their respective rights
under the discipline, we are sure the most
satisfactory settlement can be reached. No
one man or set of men can lord il success
fully over either pastors or their people, if
we understand our constitutional rights
and dare maintain them. Our discipline
is not an arbitrary system of government.
The bishop and his presiding elders
have large authority in making appoint
ments and arranging charges, but the
people hold the purse, and if there is no
other way of redress the financial argu-
ment will most likely have respectful at
tention. But we hope extreme measures
will be avoided on all Sides and by frank
and brotherly conference the grievances
prevail in all our borders.
If the parties aggrieved will submit their
cases to the four presiding elders no doubt
some satisfactory way out of the trouble
may be found; especially as they may he
able to secure the counsel of Bishop Malla-
lieu, who presides over the Delaware Con-
ference at Cambridge, this week.
We would venture to suggest, in the in
terest OF the innocent pastors and congre-
cations involved, that they accept the
present arrangement under protest, while
their grievances are being heard SO that
no harm come to the cause and a pacific
settlement may be attained. Our strongest
preferences ought to yield to the claims of
the church, and temporary submission to
arbitrary power is better than violent re-
sistance that would devastate our Zion.
The following, furnished by a cores
pendent Of the paper are claimed to be
facts Methodisfn in Kent county, Della
ware, is in disturbed and unhappy con-
dition. From many of our churches in
this locality there are loud and angry pro-
tests against what they regard as the
tyranncal bossism of the presiding elder
OF Dover district. The wishes of the people
have been so completely ignored in the
arrangement Of the work that they decline
to accept the adjustment made at the late
session of the conference.
FELTON, and Harrington were made sta
tions and had their country appointments
taken from them; Masten's and Asburv of
harrington charge, Manship and Willis
OF FELTON, charge, being put together to
form. a separate charge with Brother
Frazier assigned as its pastor. This change
is so obnoxious to the people that the
several boards Of official members of these
churches have locked the doors of their
churches and officially informed Brother
Frazier that his services are not desired.
FELTON, NJ. E. Church, at its fourth quar-.
terly conference, in the presence of the
presiding elder, unanimously invited its
pastor, the Rev. Il. G. Macnichol, to return
to them for the fourth year. Brother Mac
nlchol cheerfully consented and the pre-
siding elder agreed to the arrangement;
but at conference Brother Macnichol was
removed from FELTON,, without his consent,
to the surprise and indignation of the
The official board of FELTON, refuse to
submit to either the breaking up of their
charge, or the removal of their pastor:
and have unanimously passed resolutions
demanding that the harmonious and happy
relations between their pastor and these
churches be allowed to remain, as before
Conference.
Willow Grove NJ. Z. Church was taken
from Wyoming circuit and placed with
Woodside charge, and as result the trus-
tees of Willow Grove have locked thedo
of their church, and have employed legal
counsel to assist them in maintaining their
rights. The trustees of Dover NJ. j..
Church have mortgage upon their chapel
property and have closed its doors against
the young brother who was sent by the
bishop to take charge of it.
In another article the paper says: At the
request of the official board of Salisbury
NJ. p. Church a circular letter has been
prepared and sent out by I. H. Williams,
district steward, in which grave COM
plants are made in reference to the
removal of the Rev. T. O. Ayres
from the presiding eldership Of Sails
bury district, and the appointment of
the Rev. w. II. Corkran in his stead. A
meeting of the stewards of the district is
called to he held in Salisbury, April 10th,
at which both brothers Ayars and Cochran
are invited to be present. This call is made
IN the interest of ''piety and honesty and
to investigate these complaints, so that, il
false, the public mind may be disabused,
and if true there may be expressed for
NAL condemnation.
=. Resolutions have also been formulated
certain trickstering methods
alleged to be now in vogue, deprecating
the commercial estimate of ministers and
their work and objecting to the claim
made for special credit by a presiding elder
because of successes gained on his district
by the hard labor and sacrifices of the
preachers and their people.
Evidently the ItninSniu lHGthOdist is not
the only "disturbing clement in this CON |
ference. We shall be glad, however, to do
all we can in the interest of a true and
righteous peace. We doplore these troubles. |