Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1897-08-27
"That courtenay Council"

"That courtenay Council"
A report which is somewhat mis-
leading appeared in your last issue to
the effect that council made a ''thor-
ough investigation' into the matters
connected with the organization of the
Congregational church at Courtenay.
In the organization the Congrega-
tionalists were apparently willingly
misled by the specious utterances of
one or two disatfected Presbyterians
''who would rearrange the stars, who
would retint the rainbow and change
the armament to :. better blue" 1t
was told them with all the assurance
of truth that seven eighths of the Pres
byterians would go into the new or
ganization.
When, on the morning of the day OF
the organization, 3 telegram from the
highest Congregational authorities
flashed over the wires to Wimbledon
and was handed to them, MOT to
organize a Congregational church in
Courtenay," these preachers, mad on
their idol, were transported by these
fibs and found themselves too blind to
see themselves as others saw them and
too weak to do as they would be done
by In the face of public utterance
that he would withdraw as soon as the
engaged Presbyterian preacher should
arrive, the Congregational preacher
moved steadily forward to the con-
sumation of his manifestly eager de-
sire with constantly accelerating speed
and finally compassed it by organiz-
ing Congregational church with nine
members all out of the Presbyterian
church,-of course as the report of
the council states to save missionary
money! Cicero would exclaim, Oh,
tempora. oh mores! The Presbyterian
church would have been self-support,
ing today had it been unmolested. 1t
has over forty members and has just
finished and dedicated, free of debt, a
two thousand dollar editice to worship
in besides building a beautiful parson-
age this year. The Congregational
church still has the nine Presbyterian
members.
The council report is errbneous in
the matter of the place where the Pres
byterian services we're held. They
were not held in a schoolhouse two
and one-half miles from town, but in
Courtenay and had been for a year or
more before the Congregationalsts ap.
peared. These little inaccuries tend
to make things look nice and right and
reasonable and righteous if facts are
not shown. The then Cong. pastor in
jamestown was outspoken in his de-
nunciation of the course of the Coop
erstown preacher who was engineering
the machine to split asunder the
Presbyterian church of Courtenay; so
were the sec. 'ys in N. Y. So marked
and outspoken was the opposition in
the Cong. church to the organization
of this church that the council has not
found it convenient and probably safe
to meet to complete this brotherly
love act of forcibly entering the small
field of another denomination with
whom they were bound by an act of
comfy against such procedure.
Things are supposed to be cold and
safe now.
The report of the council states that
the Presbyterian missionary refused
to arbitrate. The Presbyterian mis-
sionary, who has been in charge at
Courtenay since the Congregational
lists came there, has never been APP
preached in any manner for the pur-
pose of arbitration. He was pushed
aside and ignored by these Brethren
who came in to help him save Home
Missionary money.
| G.. A. SANFORD.
| Pres. Elder.