The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-22

The resignation Of DR.. r. G.. Nc
Niece last Sunday from the pastorate
of the First Presbyterian church, q
detailed report of which appeared in
Mondays Herald, was a leading sub
ject of comment and discussion on the
streets yesterday among church-goers
and old residents Of Salt Lake.
The doctors sudden severance of his
connection with his flock is looked upon
in a general way with deep regret, min
gled with establishment. Rev. Nc
Niece's record of twenty years as pas
tor of the church, during which time
it has been absolutely free from any
enhancement or scandal, left the pub
lie entirely unprepared for such an &C
ton.
AN INDIGNANT CONGREGATION.
Many of the old members of the flock
are indignant over the action of the
committee of ten, who arbitrarily no
titled the pastor that his labors were
unsatisfactory. Most of the church
members themselves were as much
astonished by his announcement last
Sunday as were the numerous other
friends of the pastor who do not at
tend his church.
one m6nD6F OF Tile cuuICly WIN was
interviewed yesterday, said that the
action of the committee of ten was the
work of a clique Of malcontents, and
that the main body of the church were
as firmly devoted to their pastor as
ever.
THE MALCONTENTS.
The meeting of the sixteen members
who were disconnected with the work
of Pastor McNiece occurred on Sept. 7.
These members appointed a commit
tee of ten, who drafted a communica-
ton to the pastor. stating why they
thought it expedient that he should
resign. The charges in q general way
were that his sermons were not SUI
fciently strong and effective, and that
he was not attracting strangers and
keeping them in the church. 1t was
also affirmed that he neglected his pas
torate and that his parochial visits
to members Of the flock were too in
frequent. This petition was sent to
the church session, consisting of six
elders, and they were directed to give
the matter their attention 1t is stated
that a conference was held on the sub
ject between the pastor and the six
elders, and that he asked for two
weeks in which to consider the petit
ton. The two weeks had not expired
last Sunday, when the pastor unex-
pectedly announced his intention to re-
sign.
NOT CONSID-
Erred.
One of Rev. McNiece's ardent admir-
ers, and a member of his flock, said
that the action of the committee of ten I
was an unheard-of thing and showed
the greatest disregard for the majority /
Of the members.
There are circumstance. connected
with the case" he said, which the
disgruntled members do not seem to
have given any consideration. In the +
first place, DR.. McNiece's health has
been very poor of late, and this has
no doubt resulted in his sermons being /
less powerful than formerly. I have /
known him on several occasions to 90 [
up to the pulpit when he ought in re-
atty to have been under the care Of a
physician. He was taken in February
with severe case OF the grip, and
he has been suffering almost uniuter-
from it ever since.
Besides his poor health, DR.. Nc
Niece has had to bear the weight Of
the Salt Lake academy, to which he
has devoted the most untiring efforts.
This necessarily prevented him from
giving the usual amount Of attention /
% individual members The alleged
committee took none of this into con-
'ideration, and the whole proceeding
vas unjust and unfair
MAY REMAIN UNTIL JUNE.
Several of the other members ex-
press themselves similarly to this. and
t is expected that there will be some