The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-29
ST. JOINS new VICAR
Sketch of the Rev. Elmer 5.
Forbes Why He Declined
Trinity's Rectorship.

The action of the vestry of st. Johns
Episcopal Church in making the assistant
rector. Elmer S. Forbes, vicar of st.
Johns, with the right Of succession to the
rectorship, is most unusual. Thu vicar OF
a parish generally has charge OF a chapei
Of the parish and in such cases there is
no right of succession. Trinity -Church'
New York, has several such Wears over
chapels and also one in the church proper.
1t is a rare occurrence when thesvlcar OF
the church be given the right OF success
sion to the rectorship. Mr.. Forbes might
well feel honored at the confidence IN MN
shown by the yestry, wardens ana rector
of st. Johns in making him TINS oHer,
binding them as 1t does for an lnueiiaite
number of years. An assistant munster
can be removed at any time IT either the
rector or vestry becomes dissatisnea. "A
vicar and rector cannot abe, removed.
st. Johns Church Is the most importanf
Episcopal parish in the State n one %
the twenty-five largest in America. MT;
Forbes when asked why he had refused
the rectorship of Trinity, Hoboken, salo
it had not been offered him. one OF one
slider the call should the vestry make II.
He said he would give 1t due con~siderallon
though he would not promise 70 accspr
it. The vestry soon after held a meeting
at which only routine business was trans
acted. Before it met again the vestry o.
ST. Johns offered Mr.. Forbes the wear
Ship with the right of succession to the
rectorship. In st. Johns Mr.. Forbes has
unusual opportunities for the extension
of his work. The field is large. AS vicar
his work will be greater than peIors. ne
new position will naturally bring WIN II
constantly increasing responStplIIy. NJ.
Forbes said he considered the oner OF ~.
Johns vestry a greater honor rnan shaa
of Trinity. because the vacant rectorshlp
of Trinity had to be filled and there was
no need to create a yicarship in st. JOINS
when there was already a rector;
Mr.. Forbes was born in Westborougn
Mass. where his family. had lived TOT
generations. September 10, 1866. He at
tended the High School there and then
went to Gollege' waere a ~ his
zion he was in business. He then
decided to take orders and ne STUDIED TIn;
privately; stt In lsss he Sn n New N 4o aas them them
called the Neighborhood Guild, Sstudylng
this work there. He decided to be Or
dained in Jersey City. as his friends were
canonical requirements demanding a
years residence, he. came to Jersey CITY
in 1889.
Church Van Worst, of which the Rev.
George s.. Bennitt is rector, as a ray
reader. In 1890 he was ordained deacon
in Grace Church and one year l fsoo he ne
take take thu the rectorship Of ST. Clements
Church, Brooklyn: or to become munster
In charge of st. Mary's, Haledon, a
suburb of Paterson. He accepted the ealI
to ST. Mary's and went there the nrst
Sunday in October, 1890. One year later.
Of ST Mary's. He remained there ex.
actly. three years. leaving after the last
Sunday in septemper, 1859, when he came
Mr. Forbes is bound to this city by other
ties thar those of st. Johns. In June.
1890. he was married to Miss Sally Flem-
ming, of this city. daughter OF Mr.. James
Flemming. They have a little daughter,
six wears old.