The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-22
CHURCH ROW ON.
WEST BROAD STREET AFRICAN
BAPTISTs ARE IN A STEW.

Number of the Church Members
Arc After the Pastors ScaIp-Say
t4e Has PersistentIy Violated the
constitution and bylaws by Call
tnc Illegal Conferences and Allow
tpc women to Vote-NO WOman's
s,erage Wanted-The Expulsion of
several Members Starts the Bali
RoIIinE.
The little split up in the West Broad
rtra-t First African Baptist Church the
other night has resulted in an injunction
sui, fled yesterday in the Superior Court,
IN which p. A Glenn and others seek to
have their grievances against ]. D. Gordon,
,,,s-or and others, righted by rules of law
The plaintiffs are p. A. Glenn, R. G. Car
,er r. Heard S. B. Cooper, David Bryan
3 Butler and A. II. Grant. They as
s.rt that they and their associates for a
large portion of the congregation of the
West Broad Street First African Baptist
church. and that they control the major
NV vote in the church, the constitution and
bylaws prohibiting any but male members
from voting upon all questions of discipline
and church government. They assert also
that they have vested rights in the prop
ertv owned by the congregation and that
they have sought to maintain religious
worship according TO their peculiar faith
and doctrines.
J. g. Gordon, the pastor of the church,
they nut forth as the disturbing element in
their peaceful midst. He was elected pas
tor eleven months ago. but is not mem
Der of the church and has no voice in its
conduct except 10 preside at its meetings.
They had implicit trust in Gordon, they
state. but he and his associates, w. C.
Ford. Frank Davis, David Blake, Ben
Cashin and A. NJ. Williams, has. as they
assert. Illegally and wrongfully conspired
against them.
1t is charged that the pastor has violat-
cd the constitution and bylaws of the
church by calling irregular and illegal
church conferences: that he has been TO
menting strife by permitting females to
vote in the church meetings and take part
in the proceedings in violation of the con-
slitution; that he has utterly disregarded
the rules of deliDera tive bodies; that he
has insugated and abetted false charges
against the petitioners before the church
and congregation, and that he has made
threats and sought 10 deprive them of
their rights under the cons titution and by
laws OF The church.
In further support of all of these
charges it is alleged that Pastor Gordon
took him Salf nv ALLOWING "a fa
male members of the congregation TO vote
to expel from the church on May Is, 1898.
A. H. Grant, David Bryan, j. B. Butler
and Toby Lloyd all of which was illegal
and unwarranted
By ignoring the constitution and by
laws it is said he incites the church TO
riot and disturbs public worship, ana
stirs up strife and bad feeling. Moreover.
he caused the city police TO arrest A. H.
Grant without cause, and for no reason,
except that the aforesaid Grant insisted
on the execution of the rules and bylaws
OF the church. Then, after Grant had
been arrested and was out of the way, he
allowed the expulsion of the aforesaid
members of the church by permitting the
women 10 vote
IN other words, 1t appears from the petit
ton presented to Judge Falligant that
there was a terrible state of affairs in ex-
istence in the church that grew out of a
cissension which split up Pastor Loves
famous congregation some years ago. The
pIalntlH 5, therefore, asked for a restrain
ing order to prevent Gordon and others
from holding any church conferences I'M
III their side of the case could be heard
oy the court. They also asked for an
order requiring Gordon and his associates
10 snow cause why they should not abide
py the bylaws and constitution of the
cnurch and prohibit females from voting.
Inc petition was filed for the plaintiffs
py Messrs. McLaws & Cain. Accompany
ing 1t were also affidavits from A. H
Grant and David Bryan, which stated in
erect that Parson Gordon conducted the
church affairs IN a high-handed and illa-
Sdl manner, that he was personally vic
i5Hl ana there was the quiet intimation
'nat ne ought to be suppressed.
Judge Faliigant granted an order reouir-
,ns lhe defendants to show cause before
INN on May 80 why all these alleged mn,
sahces complained of on the part of the
Pastor Pastor and his associates should not be