Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-20
LONG PAsTORATEs.
The Remarkable Record or n Penn
.vIvaufa Presbyterian Church.
Newark Oel) Letter.

Newark Oel) Letter.
Head-of- Christiana Presbyterian church'
in that part of Newcastle county, Dell
recently ceded to the State by Pennsyl-
yania. after the territory had been TOT
more than a century a debatable land, mas
iust installed its seventh regular pastor
His immediate predecessor served for for-
ty years. and the first six pastQiates COW
cred a term Of about 10 years. The con-
gregation. made up Of men and women
from the three States Of Delaware Penn
sylvania. and Maryland, is not fond OF
change. One of the present elders Is a
direct descendant OF the elder wn9in .lro
church sent to the first meeting OF 49,
castle Presbytery more than y" s ssacf
ago. The living elder pears tne eN"~'
name Of his ancestor. .,,,o
The fashion OF long pastorates ana plue .
Presbyterianism was set wnen 'he II, =
pastor took office. He served the consiSS
cation for nearly fifty years. his toIiip
stoTfe in the churchyard pears this qua''''
and plous inscription:
Sacred to the memory or
The Rev'd Mr.. George Gillespie:
Who was sound DIVINE,
An useful, practical Preacher,
Zeal for the Honor OF Christs House,
And every social virtue
A tender Husband. an indulgent Parent
A II.
Courteous. hospitable, never discontehteu'
With an income narrow and uncertain
He spent much time In Prayer d Meolta-
ton.
And longed to leave this world and be
with Christ"
Head-of- Christiana takes pride In the
belief that her first pastor was descenu Ia
from the Gillespie who furnished the deIi-
milton OF God contained In the Westmln-
ster Catechism. The men charged VIII
- II cateCnlSTn
seemed utterly unable to frame that deli
milton. and some one suggested prayer
as a way out Of the difficulty. Mr.. Giles
pie. the youngest member or tne pouy'
| was asked TO lead I'm prayer, and he open
ed his invocation with the striking WORDS
| that have ever since STOOD TO Prespyte7
| rans as embodying thelr idea OF GOO.
This congregation. mainly Of plain farm
| ers, had a fancy for learned parsons. Mt
| Gillespie delivered on the very nrst osy
| ~ his pastorate an exegesis on the SUD
| feet, IAN Christus pro omnibus et SING uhs
| ait nortuus." as the record puts II. Inc
| second pastor, graduate OF FFlnc,e ' 81
took office nearly 100 years ago, ana w
| subject of his exegesis, read before tnt
presbytery when he was about 70 %
| licensed, was, Mum perseverantia SAM,
| forum ad aeternam salutern sit certum:
| He lies buried in the churchyard oehedS q
a slab that records him as pastor, preach'
er. and man OF learning. he served tn'
| church and another four miles away Iol
more than thirty years. The fourth ahe
| fifth pastorates were short, respectively
six and five years. The fifth pastor was
! learned blind man educated at Rutgers
| COLLEGE and Auburn and Princeton Theo
! Iogical Seminarles. The sixth pastorate
longer than any save the hrst ended
few years ago by the resignation OF IN,
pastor at the age Of 81, after service Of
| forty years.
The congregation has been as steadfas
as It's pastors Four or five generation;
| OF some families lie buried In the churcn
yard, and the late pastor married SOM
couples whose grandparents he had pap
tized. The plain brick church Is knowi
for n dozen miles round, and its influence
is seen In the conduct and the Ideals o
the community. Its pastors have AWAY
| preached the bluest kind OF presbyterian
ism, and the Shorter Catechism is NOR
| familiar to the congregation than TO al
most any other in the whole country. Bot
pastors and people have remained curl
| ously imperviOus 20 the new thought ina
| is penetrating among Presbyterians else
| where. Mason and Dixon's line rum
within a few hundred feet of the church
| and the lands of some of the congregation
lie in two and even three States. SOM
Of the farms have been In the same fami
lies for nearly or quite two centuries. am
traditions OF all sorts are held with Pres
byterian pertinacity.