The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-03-07
CHURCH TROUBLES.
Trustee Applegate Resigns
From Bergen Baptist
Church.

The members. of the Bergen Baptist
/ Church held an. exciting business meet
ing last night after the regular We'd
nesday evening prayer meeting. The
congregation was notified that important
business would be transacted, and the
| attendance was large. 1t was generally
understood that the important business
was the consideration of the resignation
of one of the trustees. They did not ex-
pect, however, that they would have to
act on any other. designations, and were
therefore surprised when Mr.. A. Schultz
handed them his resignation from the.
Pulpit Committee.
1t seems that harmony does not exist
among the officers and members of the
Bergen Baptist Church. For some months
past there have been vague rumors afloat
concerning internal discussions. From
time to time they have been partially
confirmed. Scarcely al important bust
ness meeting has been held in the past
year that has not ended in a lively sort
of way.
1t was openly limited at the time the
Rev. D. ]. Ellison severed his connec-
ton with the church that his main rea-
son for doing SO was that with all his
tact he found it utterly impossible to
keep peace in his congregation. The
church people were divided into factions
and were continually warning among
Ellison and openly showed their dislike.
He saw that he could not cuell the fac
tional feelings and so considered an adj
v~antageous offer from the West. Since
his resignation the church has had no
regular pastor. and things have been
worse t he pT they rye, syer y Were, r,rNr
The Pulpit Committee, appointed for the
purpose of recommending a suitable sue
cessor to the late pastor, has held a
would they all agree on any one of the
three or four candidates in the field.
The choice seemed to be between the
the Rev. Joseph Sullivan of Rochester.
The congregation. growing impatient at
not hearing from the Pulpit Committee,
a congregational business meeting was
held. The church members in general
could no more agree than could the Pulpit
Committee. The vote was about evenly
divided, and so the matter was again
referred to the committee.
Mr. Schultz in resigning as a member
of the cofnmittee, last night, said that
he thought it best that he should go, as
calling anew pastor as long as the pres
ent committee was in existence. He
remained on the committee as a whole
they could never agree On anything. In
his Judgment a new committee should
be appointed. His letter was laid over
gs Pq a STRGsTE Il RE REs IGN meeting
The strustee who resigned was j. B.
APPLICABLE. He stated no reasons for
so doing in his letter, and was not pres
ent to explain his motives. His letter
was brief and decisive. leaving but enc
course for the eongregation to pursue.
ITO the Members of the Bergen Bap-
fist Church,
Il herewith tender my resignation as
a trustee of our church, and beg for it's
J. fsD APpLEGATE."
His request hat it be accepted with
the members who have all along been
opposed to him in all that he has done
seized the occasion to say a number Of
him. hey were severely criticised by
others who thought it lacked the spirit
Of Christ and was unscharitable. The
resignation was accepted.
After the meeting the remainder of
the trustees and deacons met and signed
at his home on Madison avenue by a
News, reporter after the meeting.
" Mhs Mhis e. h hfs res af ahs nnK Was t manner
he Appeared hurt. but made no Comment
on it othYr than that he was sorry that
they could not have accepted it with
ou An sHoNsoRASBLE COURSE.
IT have no feelings" he said, against
the board or church members as a body
or against any individual officer or mem
WIN you still continue your duties
as Superintendent of the Sunday School?"
asked tine reporter.
Certainly" was the reply; II shall
continue an active worker. in the church.
as 7 h sonne alwayg w, been Rs since I first be-
Would you object to making a state
m ne Ct y gu! reasons for resigning TO
He hesitated for some time, and finally
said
"No; as long as the matter has come
to the knowledge of the papers, although
why it should ! don't see. / viii, state
my reasons that ! may not be misjudged
in the matter, as / have been on previous
occasions. AS an officer of the church
I am not in sympathy with Its business
policy. / am out of harmony evidently
with some of my brother officers, and,
believing it to be better for the church,
/ rendered my resignation. Mind you, !
church, but I am not in sympathy with
it,"
Mr.. Applegate has been severely criti-
cised several times for having abruptly
left business meetings with no apparent
reason for so doing. In explanation of
his conduct, he said that at those meet
ings other than church members were
strangers have no right in the private
business meetings of a church, he woulo
not take part in any meeting to which
they were admitted. Other members of
the Board of Trustees do not hold his
Views, so ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS excepted
IRE frequently admitted to the meetings.
The Bergen Baptist Church is not pros
ance of the Rev d. J. Ellison.
f-ETE2ENss ----