Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-01-24
BAPTIST cHuRcH's STATEMENT
A Card to the Public in Answer to
the Star Chamber Proceedings Of
an Ex- Parte Council Held at Abb.
lens, Jan. II, 1895.


menu OF the rlrst DaptlSt cnurcn
action and its relation to the recent
ex-parte council. Said council was
called by l.. D. Toliver and wife,
George Kirk and Mrs. J. $. Schively
for the purpose of considering the
reasons for their exclusion from the
First Baptist church.
Charges were preferred against
said members for disorderly conduct
and disregard Of all their covenant
obligations with the church and their
continued efforts for months to
blacken the character Of their pastor.
A committee composed Of nine mem
bers was chosen to receive any
charges that might be brought
against the pastor or any Of the
church members at meeting to be
held in the week following
At that meeting L. D. Toliyer was
asked II he had any charges to prefer
against the pastor to present them in
writing. He answered that chad none
to present. He then started to leave
when he was requested to remain as
matters were coming before the COM
mittee in which he was personally in
terested, he declined to stay and left
At the next meeting the above named
members were all present and the
charges and specifications were called
up and acted upon separately, and
they admitted the charges as read.
At that meeting Of the church the
committee reported and the above
named members were excluded.
The statement made in the council
that the church was notified Of the
calling Of the council by l.. D. Toll
yer is u willful falsehood.
The statement by l.. D. Toliver
that at meeting called by him and
Mr., Kirk at the house Of Mr.. Kirk
thcy choosing to invite such persons
as they thought would best answer
their purposes) that he asked for the
presence Of the pastor but was OPP
posed, is a malicious falschood. The
chairman ruled that II anything was
brought against the character Of the
pastor he had a right to be heard in
his own defense.
The records Of the church having
been furnished the council, after their
examination the Rev. r. Atkinson
with the arm extended said, "Ihey
are l-i-e" with this latter word
well drawn out. This Is the account
as given by Bro. j. H. Curry who
was present.
The statement that 1t is un-Chris-
tlan and un-Baptistic to present
charges against q brother and exclude
him at the same meeting we endorse
and we did no such thing.
Why will not the rule that applies
to an individual also apply to
church, Is it necessary to call a
secret session when members OF the
church in good standing might give
their testimony
we are acquainted with the rumors
in circulation in regard to our
pastor, and nobody was circulating
these rumors except l., d. Tolver and
wife, Geo. Kirk and Mrs. Schively
with Others that they could influence,
and we deemed them false and mali
cious; and at the meeting held at Kinks
house, on motion il was decided that |
we pay no attention to them.
The working members Of the
church, those that pay the pastor his
salary and keep up the incidental ex-
penses of the church, stand by him
and believe in his Christian character
and il there is anything in the
sentence, "By their fruits ye shall
know Them" then for the time he has
been with us, more fruit has been
gathered than during any similar
period in the history Of the church,
Now few words in regard to that
would be Pope of the Baptist church,
Rev. !. D, Newell. He has been a
persistent enemy Of this church
since the time Of our pastor Rev.
Welsher. He was the cause Of the
withdrawal Of any aid to any church
whose representative stood by DR..
Wclsher.
He was instrumental in the forming
of the Emmanuel Baptist church at
Abilene and furnished 5000 to Rev.
|Ialiplain to carry on the work here.
which organization after spasmodc
gave up the ghost. We have
no confidence in him. He Is a good
natter and is bound to carry out his
olans II possible. But there Is a
higher tribunal where he will have to
rive an account.
The above statement is made so
hat the public can form a just esti-