Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1901-09-13
ooNeREaAr1oNA1 MEETING.
Rev. Thos. Nichols Asks for Dissolu.
tion Of Pastoral Relations-Re
grets at Parting With
Him Expressed

Brets AT Eargtng With
Him Expressed.
At ia meeting of the Presbyterian
congregation held Tuesday evening
presided over by Rev. Geo. Gillespie
of Port Jervis to elect delegates to
Presbytery which convenes at Liberty
next week, George Mitchell and John
Q. Wallace were appointed.
At the request of Rev. Thomas
Nichols they will ask that body to
dissolve the pastoral relations exist
ing between him and the church here.
This step he deemed expedient be-
because Of his continued ill
health which prevents an immediate
resumption of his labors. Mr..
Nichols during his pastorate here of
several years has greatly endeared
himself to his people and it is with
deep sympathy and profound regret
that they assent to this Termination of
his active work in this church. 1t is
fervently hoped that with release
from the cares of a pastorate his
health may improve and that he
may be spared many years to be a
laborer in the great work of saving
souls.
At the meeting n letter was read
by the moderator from the pastor
stating at length his reasons for
preferring the request that the pas
toral relations be dissolved. In it
he spoke kindly of his pleasant in
tercourse with the people, his love
for this church and his extreme re-
luctance to separate from it, but
felt it incumbent because of his
feeble condition to ask that his res
ignation be accepted. Elder Eben-
ezer Warner spoke warmly of his
affection for the pastor whose labor
had extended for a longer period
than that of any other during his
tifty-two years connection with the
church. He was followed by Elder
George Mitchell who gave some
very interesting and significant
facts relative to the temporal and
spiritual prosperity of the church
since the incumbency of Mr..
Nichols, whose pastorate has ex-
tended over eleven years. During
the year prior to the beginning of
his work here there were 20 names
on the church roll of members and
this year shows 122 names, very
large increase. The donations for
church benevolences for the year
preceding his coming amounted to
only $50, and for the last year, $3.50,
showing a marked advance. Elder
William Mitchell also expressed the
deep sorrow he felt over the circum-
stances which impelled the present
action, his love and respect for the
pastor who has been so faithful in
his labors and whose work has been
crowned with such gratifying sue
cess. The moderator, Rev. G.. E.
Gillespie, spoke feelingly of the
high esteem and respect he had for
Mr.. Nichols, that it was like the
love for a father, and that it was so
deep he had selected HIM to perform
the solemn function of baptizing his
child. He also paid high tribute
to the scholarship, good Judgment
and wise counsels of Mr.. Nichols
and said there was no one among the
members of this presbytery whose
advice was more earnestly sought,
whose judgment was more mature
or who reasoned more clearly and
delivered his thouA is with more
snccinctnoss than did 'r. Nichols.
All the younger member had i'm
plicit faith in the soundness of his
views and in the cogenoy of his rea-
.soning and looked up to him with
respect and admiration both as a
scholar and an exemplar of the re-
ligion he professed.
A committee, consisting Of John
C. Wallace, j. H. Van Etten and
George Mitchell, was then appoint
cd to draft suitable resolutions to be
presented on behalf Of the church to
the presbytery and after prayer and
the benediction by the moderator
the meeting adjourned.