Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-03-18
PASTORAL RELATION SEVERED.

RELATIONS WITH THE FIRST PRESBY-
TERRAIN CHURCH.
&C., &C., &C.
On Tuesday morning, a called meeting of
Lexington Presbytery was held at the First
Presbyterian church to hear the application
of ID. X. Mcfarland, D. D., for a
severance of his pastoral relation with that
church. There were present DR.. McFar-
land, Moderator, Rev. A. r. Cooke OF
Waynesboro, Rev. J. e. Booker Of Hebron,
Rev. A. H. Hamilton of Mt. Carmel, Rev.
A. F. Laird of Mt. Horeb, Rev. Frank
Brooke of Harrisonburg, and Rev. j. II.
H. Winfree OF Loeb Willow, and Elder
Chas Grattan. Rev. Dr.. Geo. w. Finley
of Thinking Spring. was also present as
was Elder HI. D. Peck, the Commissioner
from the First church. Rev. r. G. Wal
ker, the Stated Clerk of Presbytery, was
as usual at his post. Presbytery was called
to order by DR.. Mcfarland, who after a
prayer offered by MI. Cooke called him to
the chair.
DR.. Mcfarland handed to the Stated
Clerk of Presbytery the following letter:
TO LEXINGTON PREsBYTERY IN SESSION AT
sTAUNTON, VA, March 18th, 1892.
Dear Brethren-I herewith tender to the
Presbytery my resignation of the pulpit of
the First Presbyterian church of Staunton.
and request that the pastoral relation between
myself and that church be dissolved. Through
temporary impairment OF health, have been
so far incapacitated for the present perform
ance Of the full work of the church as to make
it right that l should give the church the OPP
portunity Of obtaining a pastor, who can do
its work more satisfactorily.
To that end, therefore, make of you the
above request.
Respectfully and fraternally,
d. K. MCFARLAND.
Stdatnton, March 18th.
Mr.. I'll. D. Peck, Commissioner of the
First church, read the action OF that
church on receiving the res ignation of Dr.
Mcfarland. He said that six years ago
when Dr.. Mcfarland was called to that
church, the vote was so unanimous that one
of the Elders rose and said in a trembling
voice, This is the work of God. l never
CApCCUCu w pCC CllulCll DO uulCCu do IL
is in this call.'' And now that DR.. Nc
Farland has thought it necessary for his
health to resign, there is the same unanimity
of regret pervading the congregation, and
not only the congregation but all classes of
our community.
Elder Grattan said there was nothing
that could now be said by him that could
initiate against the action of the pastor
and the church which had been read to the
Presbytery. Nothing he could say could
convey to Presbytery the feeling of sorrow
that had pervaded the congregation when
it adopted that action. It was adopted in
sadness and in silence; no man could trust
himself to speak and no man did speak.
But he would like to call the attention Of
Presbytery to both the church of which DR..
Mcfarland became PASTOR. and the pas
tor he had succeeded. The pastor was the
late Rev. J. p. Stryder, who was known to
this body and loved by it. His talent, his
humility, his faithful work had made him
beloved by the congregation. He knew our
families, he knew and was known by our
children and was beloved by all Of us.
He staid but short time with us; he was
taken away. We felt that his place could
never be filled. DR.. Mcfarland was called
to fill that place, and can say he has filled
it to overlooking. Pardon me, if say it
is no ordinary congregation, for say it in
justice to the man who has been it's pastor
and who has satisfied the intelligence as
well as the heart of the congregation to the
full. In it is congressman, an ex-con-
gresham; two men who were candidates
for congress; three men who have set upon
the bench; the treasurers Of the city and
county; four ex-members of the legislature;
an ex-speaker of the legislature; six elders
outside Of it's own official body; majority
of the practicing attorneys of the bar; a
majority of the practieing physicians of the
city; majority Of the practicing dentists
the President and Vice President of one of
our National Banks; the President of the
other bank and two out Of the three secre-
taries of the insurance companies. This in
a city which has eight churches! These
d1C UuU d Low VI bilC IIlCLubClo VI uLlC ldl Nc
congregation DR.. Mcfarland has minis
tered to and whose mind and heart he has
filled. You can see how trying thing 1T
will be to fill his place. We only have the
hope left to us, that while he will no longer
be our pastor, he will still be among us and
his presence will still be benediction upon
us. We have determined that he shall not
leave us, and that is the only silver lining
the dark cloud of his loss as pastor has to
us.
DR.. Mcfarland said he would not at
tempt to give utterance to the sense OF per-
sonal loss with which he had taken this
step. Six years ago he had received the
charge of the First Presbyterian church
in trust from the hands of Lexington Pres
bytery. To-day he was only induced to
return it to Presbytery by the conviction
that the interests of the church would
suffer by his continuance as its pastor. The
members of Plesbytery understood his po-
sition as well as he could explain it. The
people of the church, l think, understand
the feelings with which L see my pastoral
relations with them severed.
Rev. r. G. Walker moved that the re-
quest of Dr.. Mcfarland be granted. He
made this motion with sadness and only
because Of what Presbytery had heard to-
day. Sympathizing most deeply with the
feelings OF both pastor and people, he made
the motion which would separate them.
There was great pleasure to him in looking
back over the six years of Dr. Mcfarland S
pastorate, for to him, too, it had been a
benediction and to the church one Of the
greatest blessings the great Head of the
Church could have given us at the time it
was given. He trusted Dr.. Mcfarland 8
health would be restored and that God