Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-05
Proposed Retirement of the Venera-
BILE DR.. Sunderland.
PRESBYfERY RECEIVES NOTICE TODAY
Pastor Of First Presbyterian Church
for Forty-Five Years.
THE STATEN NT MADE

The chief feature of the morning meeting
of the presbytery of Washington, the an
nua session of which began last night at
the Church of the Covenant. Connecticut
avenue, was the presentation of the re-
quest, by Rev. DIR. Byrcn Sunderland of the
First Church, to be allowed to resign.
1t was known by s5me that DR.. Sunder-
land was contempla ting such a STEP bat it
was in the nature of surprise to most of
the members of the presbytery. 1t was
not thought that he was ready just yet to
resign his charge. though he has served
there cor tinuCusiy for a period of forty
five years and has spent nearly two-thirds
of his life there. He was greatly moved as
he read the request, and it heard in
respectful silence by the other members of
the presbytery.
The sole reason for his taking the STEP
he declared was his advanced age, he be-
ing now in his seventyseventh year He
took occasion to stamp any report Of diff
ferences or jealousies existing between him
and Rev. DIR. Talmage, his co-worker, as
false in every particular. He eulogized DR..
Talmage in the highest terms.
DIR. Sundcrlnnd's Statement.
The paper containing the request which
was presented was as follows:
Moderator and brethren:
Il come today to make of you request
which is one of the most painful of my life,
on all accounts for it means the final sur
render of so much that 1 hold dear-the
closing of my active ministry in The Gospel
and the sundering of many precious ties.
For forty-tiv years have been a mem
Der of this presbytery, under one name or
another, and for forty-tive years the pastor
of the old church in AZ street. Great
changes have in this time swept over us
all, and nowhere more than over the church
of my pastcrate. Only six of the church
membership that welcomed me to that pull
pit now remain.
"Eut though many have come and gone
during this long period, and though we
have had to contend against most formid-
able odds, tn membership of that church
today is a clear hundred more than it was
On the day when / assumed the pastorate.
The people of that church and congrega-
ton have been uniformly kind to me, with
all my faults and shortcomings. and they
have done all they could to cherish and
uphold me. And, so far as l know, there
are no diSsensions among them, either on
general grounds or on my own account.
| do not suppose there is one of them that
would even now suggest to me the desir-
ableness of taking the step l am about to
take, for fear of wounding my feelings.
For all they have done for me l am truly
thankful and long memory lasts they
will nave my profoundest gratitude.
Compliments His CO-WOrIxer.
THE coming of DR.. Talmage 10 us when
and as he did in a critical period of our
history, l regard special act of the
Divine Providence. And his coming to US
has been in many ways of the highest
benefit. He has dcne for us all and more
than all he Vas pledged to do in the orig
inal agreement. My relations with HIM
have been at all times of the most pleas
ant and fraternal character l regard him
IN many ways as the foremost preacher Of
our times No cloud has ever Swallowed
our friendship and 1 trust it will be
to the end. 1t has been a special relief to
me to have him with us, and l sometimes
feel that Il may have added some years.
to my life. On several occasions we havi
been annoyed sy nnfriendly gossip IN tht
press, but We have moved steadily for
ward amid all the embarrassments, an.
We are in better condition today than W.
have been at any time in the last five
years. At every service the church Is fill
ed to it's utmost capacity and scores ar.
turned away.
las to my associations with the members
Of this presbytery they have been most
pleasant and fraternal, and l feel the keen
all my brethren. You have more than once
bestowed en- me the highest honor in go at
the reunion in SO at the centennial, and
only last year at "inona.
Il have not had the heart to talk much
with our people about the request / am to
make today, and can only say that our
session has been duly informed within the
last week of the step am here to take,
III,
Charles L. Du Bcis, whose father was for
many years a trustee and honored elder in
our church, is the representative of our
people now present, and the presbytery
may learn from him the desire of our
church.
Our form Of government seems not to
rave provided for the special case now
tefore you-the only section relating to d
pastoral resignation being chapter II. But
dear brethren, l have no grievance but
that of advancing age, for 1 am now
In my seventy-seventh year, and wish to
be relieved Of a responsibility which 1 am
no longer fit to meet. My request is that
my pastoral relation with the First Pres
byterian Church of this city be dissolved"
Expressions of Regret.
Many expressions of regret were heard
from those present during the reading Of
the paper by the venerable minister, and
sc me OF those who have known him for
many years We're visibly affected. The
Voice of the pastor himself was tremulous,
and he declared that he could not talk