The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-22
MONTGOMERY RESIGNS.
Presbytery Committee Reports Against
Him and the Action Follows. Rev. W.
r. Lewis indicated,


Prosbytery who had informed the pastor
that 1t would be good course to resign,
and 1t followed the report Of the com.
mittee to investigate the Olivet Church
trouble
Before the report was made, however,
Mr.. Montgomery asked that he be allowed
to speak as dislnterested party and being
given permission at once launched into
the trouble, having heard previously that
the committee intended to report against
him. The committee he said. had VIC.
lated certain rules, whereupon William
Swan of Snow Hin arose to q point OF
order but had no effect, N cannot have
justice" declared Montgomery, and
another point Of order was called, but Mr.
Montgomery continued,
| 1t was not until one excited member In
sisted on the point being taken that Mr.
Montgomery halted. Then he announced
that he would resign and upon his return
to this city ask his congregation to release
him. Then with tears in his eyes Mr..
| Montgomery called for the report. Rev.
s. W. Rlgart Of Salisbury read it. 1t
repeated the trouble, of the committees
| visit and concluded thus:
"As result, the committee recon-
mends; That the pastor be enjoined to
seek another field OF labor previous to the
fall meeting of the Presbytery; and that
the persons who were suspended be en-.
| Joined to cease holding unauthorized
meetngs in the vicinity Of Olivet Church.
The word enjoined was afterward
changed to resign.
Before the recommendations In the rs.
pot were complied with Rev l.. A. Oates
of Delaware City asked Ii the dlsturbers
were Inside or outside the church. He
was told that they were on the outside,
wheroupon be wanted to know what right
the Presoytery has to enjoin people not In
Th rph
Piled that the congregation was still under
the church.
Mr.. Montgomery having been granted
the floor again said be thought the first
recommendation should not be passed, as
IL was unnecessary. He stated that he
bad no division In Oivet church He re-
ferred to the visit Of the committee and
said Il accused be should have been allow.
ed to face his accusers. II the church was
accused he would like the elders to be
present. He said the church work had in.
creased with the disturbers out
X asked the accused to 10 brought face
to face with the aocusers," he declared,
but twas not done" Continuing Mr..
Montgomery, With dramatic gesture and
head uplifted exclaimed: ut was the as.
tronomer, the star gazer, the sly man, who
figured this out" He futher stated that
he was bound to resign, as he could not
obtain Justice He proposed to submit
his resignation to tho congregation, and IL
they accepted 1t, he said he hoped there
would be no further trouble
He said they had people in Olivet Church
who had not the power Of building up
they have diseased minds The debt had
been Increased $1,000 before he went to
Olivet, and by cutting down tho income,
these people joyfully exclaimed, Well get
him! "But they wouldn't If the com.
mittee had kept out" continued Mr.,
Montgomery. 1--WE trusted them, and 1t
has Leon our misfortune" added the
speaker,
Mr.. McElmayle wanted to amend the
first recommendation in the report, he be.
lieving 1t to be Illegal and after making
suggestion which Mr.. Montgomery did
not favor the motion was Withdrawn.
Rev, S. B. Wylo of New Castle wanted
to know what would follow should the
church refuse to receive the resignation.
No one but Mr. Montgomery answered
and all he said was that he believed his
action would be for the best
Moderator Miller said in his opinion the
resignation should be rendered to the
Presbytery, but Mr.. Montgom cry thought
differently. Mr. Miller then said: "Let
US come back to the main question, the
amendment Of Mr.. Fitz Simon, that the
first Recommendation be laid on the
table"
Mr.. Montgomery here lnterposed and
asked the Presbytery to dissolve the pasto
raj relations between him and Olvet
Church, you can appoint the time" he
said.
Dr. McCurdy hero came to the rescue
having the only plan for the winding up
of the trouble. He asked that the recon-.
mendation be laid on the table temper
arily which was DONE and then asked Mr..
Montgomery to tender his written resig.
nation,
He handed in the following: ~ hereby
ask tho Prcsbytery to dissolve the pastoral
relations existing between me and Olivet
Church"
Dr. MoCurdy then moved that the
recommendation be laid on the table and
that the committee be privileged to with
draw the recommendations, which were
done, After stating that Mr.. Montgomery
should have the sympathy Of the Presby.
tory he moved that all pertaining to the
case be stricken from the rec ords, which
was done. The matter ended with reso.
to meet on Tuesday, June ID, to allow the
congregation Of Olivet to show cause why
the resignation should not be accepted
PASTOR LEWIS INDICATED.
Shortly after the opening OF the mora.
ing session, Rov, w Il. Lewis of Rodney |
Church ask ed that he DO given the floor. As |
no charges had been preferred against the
popular young minister there wat natur.
ally stir as to what he wa about to say.
Owing to false and nefairous rumors
concerning my orthodoxy" aid he Il |
fee! called upon to conscientiously state
III letouso Of cruel persecution, that in |
tho first place believe in tho atonement |
of Christ; in the second place, | believe in
the personal work of the Holy Spirit Of |
God, in the third place, I am In harmony
with the doctrine and form Of government
Of the Presbyterian Church.
"1'hls brief statement Mr.. Moderator, I
owo, frsS, to myself as q minister of the
church, second to tho Presbytery, by the
LAYING On Of whose hands | received ordi
nation; third, to.my church, over whom,
in Gods providence am called upon to
be minister.
Without comment Mr. McCurdy moved
that as the remarks were satisfactory they
DO adopted Mr.. Montgomery was the
only man who opposed the acceptance as
the charges were neither false nor mali.
c!ous and he did 50 with motion to ap.
point committee to rect the language
of the molten. that it might not reflect
upon any ono. His motion was not sec
oned, however, and that Of DR.. MGCurdy
prevailed. Later in the day the matter
was again referred to why DR. No
Curdy who mo .ed for recommendation
of tho first statement SO that he could in.
tr Jducc something that would not give
rise TO anything personal.
His motion was carried and tho original
statement read, Ho then read tho follow.
ing amendment, which he stated removed
ali possibility Of personal construction;
"Anent certain rum0rs affecting my
standing as an orthodox minister OF the
Presbyterian Church ] desire to make tho
following conscientious statement. viz"
Tho amendment was unanimously carried
Then followed tho regular order Of bust.
ncss. Rev. John MoElmayle's narrative
of thu years work showed largo atten-
dances and collections in all departments
and closed with strong resolutions against
the rnra tracks in Cecil County. The re.
port Of the sunday School committee
was;
sabbath schools reporting, Go, Officers
and teachers, 1905; scholars, 6,9s6; Homo
Department, % sohools) 9l2; total enroll
mint s2O3. Fifty schools held l2 months
3 schools II months, 2 1chOols 0 months,
school 8 months, schools months,
schools months.
Average attendance, 1858 Scholars IL