The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-10-07
PRESBYTERY GUSTS
PASTOR MONTGOMERY
Olivet Church Pulpit viii be Vacant After
October ",
LEFT HIS CASE WITH FRIENDS
The Action Of the Presbytery Condemned
Strongly by the Church Member.
ship. Rev. Mr.. niiligan
Released.


| Is declared vacant after Oct II.
The delegates from Olivct gave notice of
I an appeal to the Synod They main aimed
| tina, should the resi- Ena,ion be accepted it
would cause the financial ruin Of the
| church, and that at a con Dgrlgational meet.
| ing the vote had been 1lS % in favor of
| retaining Mr. montgomery.
On the othcr hand it WIS decided that
harmony could not bo brought about in
| tho church SO long as MI. Montgomery re-
mHined.
when the session opened the PROPOSE
| tions + al by tho people Of Olivat Church
| giyins reasons why the pastoral relations
i Of the Rev. r. Il. Montgomery with the
| church should not be dissolved, were read.
Thpy had been read at an adjourned meet
ing, but it was decided to have them again
rcn /. Tho reasons were that the congrs-
CATION had voted lis to5 in favor of rc'ain.
| Ing Mr.. Montgomery; that tho request
for tho resignation did noe express tho
wishes Of the presbytery; that tho present.
pastura e has been successful; that under
itmUre money has been raised than under
any 9th er; that the people call and pny
the pastor and Lave the right TO secure
and retain one to suit them; that the
pastor is not responsible for ihu troubles
of the church, That while Mir. Mon goln-
cry WIS called on Il vote Of y to Z, while
the vote to retain him was hS TO. 5; chat
the church will be damaged by the disSo.
luton Of the pastorate; that to dissolve
it would mean financial ruin.
1t was assert ed that tho meeting was n
normal one OF the lis who voted to sus-
tain Mr.. Montgomery 100 were members
and eighteen were contributors : seventy
nine were members, when Mr.. M0utgon-
cry bpcnme pastor, and thirty.nine have
joined during his pnstomtc.
nr Gayley wanted to bear the report Of
the committee appointed to investigate
the affairs Of the church. 1t has never
been acted upon.
Dr. N H. Miller said he had petition
E"nrIns upon the matter signed by num-
b., If persons who are intures cd.
DR.. NicCurdy arose toa point OF order
He held that in the PRESENT status of tho
C,,sAthe petition could not be read. 1t is
made up by persons who are members OF
the church. The only matter before the
plcsbytery is the resignation of Mr. Mont.
4 .isry, and the answer of The congrcga-
tiun a5 to why hi, pastoral relations should
not be dissolved.
TLc Rav. S. p. Wylie asked: TINT the
prcsbytcry settle one question at II time. tl
J'ne petition was READ for information
The .ev"niy'sercn persons who signed tho
petition claimed to 10 members of the
church, asked ihat the pastoral relations
br GiasovuI, and that matters be harmon.
iZrd
Eg. Gayey iusistcl upon The report of
this Investigating committee be read. 1t
was withL avn for tho simple reason that
thr res ignatlou Of Mr. Montgomery had
madt it unnecessary. He pleaded for even
justice to all.
Dr. MuCurdy objected to the report of
thc c0lu.lI1tee or the petition being con.
sldurph HaIil the question Of resignation
was disposed Of
Moderator McElmoyle decided the petit
tion il urigr, rs tho prcsbytery should
have all Of he light possible.
Professor G. r. Eastman said that the
time for these seventy seven people to vote
was at the congregational meeting ofOlive5
Church
lr Regart Of the committee said that
ii hai visited the church. 1t was shown
ls Of fifty members, who had with.
diawn aud who claimed that thcy had not
h'1n properly treated. A further list OF
twenty members was given, who world
withdraw unless there was n change made
III the pas crate The committee had de-
cid.d 70 rcCUinlnend hat tho pastoral relI-
tiUns Of Mr.. Mont gOmcry be dissolved.
DR.. McCurdy asked where the meetings
were held, aud the committee said that
Lurl ul them were held at the church and
part AT the Clayton House. Opportunity
wa, given to all to 30 heard by the com.
Intttre
Dr. shaw, III chairman OF the commit
tee. said hut 1t was unanimous in its de.
clsiOn
r. :. Jackson O. Olivcu Church asked
the date of the petition, and was told sep.
tember 30 He then asked how Charles
Martin could sign tho paper when he had
not been in Wilmington for eight weeks.
David McHenry answered for the peti.
ton, having been given unanimous rer.
mission to speak on motion OF DIR. Gayley.
T. L va
all hose Of members of the church or y go.
lIn who had been, He col,i ierel himself
Il member Of Olivet Church, and he'd that
he had been unlawfullv su pended.
MIR Mclicnry and some of the Olivct
delegates we've getting into II cross.flre,
wien tho moderator called order
Mr. McHenry said that the name OF
Charles Martin had been signed to tho
put..;pn with his permission. That was
the cnly one, 50 far As hU knew
The Rev Mr Juruer asked il j. Max
Ham moul lad not received letter of
dismissal.
M" replied Hammond, "thoy fired
me-
The Rev. H. Moore a.kcl if Ito peo-
p!r IN this movement desired 20 rc.uuite
witt Dllret Church.
NJ Mal!en'y said that he believed they
coa.l beIe-Grtlod.
Dr Miller a.ked II the names of persons
susp.nb t'trtm the church had been fur.
n.,lc1 toe preshytery, a ordered A list
was haolei in.
J Ma. Hammond also spoke for the
apti Montgomery people. He claimed to
baSp brcr illegally suspended. lie had
wrs,t"n to Mr.. Montgomery about the
N alt-r aud lie returned the letter unau'
S1erp1.
TIE Rev. J. b. Turner alose to point Of
Drisr which was that Mr. Hammond was
rot speaking Cn the point under discus.
sion,
d. Gayloy held that these people had
risht to speak of their position.
he moderator held that tho minutes of
the session of Olivet Church would show
this.
Mr.. Hammond then spoke OF the names
on tho petition. The names of his wife
and daughter are not on tho petition, but
they are members of the church aud arc
notin favor of Mr.. Montgomery.
The Olivet delegates camo back. They
claimed that some Of the men named on
the petition have not been in Olivct church
for yems. Harry Samworth attends the
Baptist church and told the officers so.
Some Of the Curlctts and the BuCkmasters
Lnve already received letters Of dismissal
Miss Smedley has also received Il letter.
Mr., Hammond asked II u member of
FIRST Church did not vote at the meeting
which voted 10 retain MT. MOHtBuIHCry
1t was q question ns to whether ho did or
dil not, as some declared each way.
Mr.. Wylto said that both sides had been
heard and every one had made up his mind
how to vote.
Th, Rev. Thomas Houston, tho blind
evangelist made brief address. 1t Is for
tho presbytery to decide which is the regu.
larly organized church.
After several calls for the question the
moderator stated that the question before
the presbytery was that tho resignation of
the rev. Il. n. Montgomery be accepted
and his pastoral relations with OliTat
Church Re dissolved.
This motion was carried by yivi voco
yots Tho majority appeared to be very
largely In favor of the motion.
The Rev. N. II. Miller was appointed to
declare the pulpit cfoliyet Church vacant
on October II.
Dr. McCurdy moved that committee
,i five, three ministers and two elders, be
appointed to consider the claims OF those
chat have been suspended from the church
and reinstato them If entitled to 1t.
The session Of tho church was given the
sight to fill the pulpit until the next meet.
ing Of the presbytery. This would have
enabled them to secure Mr.. Montgomery.
This was seen and the motion was re.
considered. 1t was moved that tho mat'
cr be placed In the hands of tho Commit