Richmond planet., 1901-07-20
TROUBLOUS TIMES IN A BAPTIST
CHURCH.
THE POLITY AND THE
LAW.
THE RlGHTTO PUBLISE
STILL TRYING TO MUZzLE TIL
PRESS.
win Fix Him At The Next Meeting

The meeting at First Baptist Church
last Monday night was one of the livelies
of the season. The motion of Mr.. Mel
son Williams, Jr. 10 exclude John Mitch
ell, Jr., for publishing the church pro.
ceedings was overwhelmingly defeated
only about s5 persons voting for it and
about 2i5 persons voting against il.
Thus failed the attempt to muzzle the
press although Brother Williams stated
to Mr.. H. f. Jonathan that Wen get
him next time"
The conservative members of the First
Baptist Church are at last getting their
eyes opened TO the dangerous situation
which confronts the church.
In this connection il may be we'll TO
cite from the Richmond, Va. NEWS of
Monday, 18th inst. 1t said:
THE NEWS REPORT OF THE TROUBLE.
The Grand Fountain, United Order of
True Reformers, which has been the 70
Gus of more than one sensation within the
past few years, is once again divided into
1oNNAOhS ONOA StdltInGUIS ana
charges made in an ANONYMOUS circular.
that has been distributed far and wide
throughout the subordinate Fountains
in the United States
IN the main Office of the order on
Second street, there are suggestions of
treachery, met with fat denials, and
charges and counter-charges, are as
thick as bees in June.
THE CAUSE OF THE CONTROVERSY.
The controversy is said to be a new
! development of the dispute in the First
Baptist (colored) church, which arose
| over the election of pastor TO succeed
Rev. James II. Holmes, several weeks
ago, and which eliminated in the choice
| OF Rev. w. L. johnson, by vote of 36a
out Of a membership of z, 500. The con
Meeting link is said to exist in the fact
johnson is True Reformer, and was
the candidate of a certain element that is
| opposed 20 the reelection of President
Taylor as Grand Worthy Master of the
order of True Reformers.
| The foundation for the secret circular
| is declared TO exist in the ambition Of
President Taylor TO induce the ANIMAL
| session of the order, which meets on the
| First Tuesday in September, TO give him
4 Ah0 U04AUi0 On 1iiS OllCe ne HOW nOldS.
THE DEAcoNs CONSIDER.
| The deacons met Friday night, July
| 18th In the First Baptist Church. Dea-
con Richard Briggs presiding, Deacon
John S. Powell, secretary.
The charge that certain names on the
paper requesting a church meeting was
discussed. Deacon George W. Lewis
and Deacon Harrison Smith discussed
the paper and it was finally decided to
appoint Deacon John r. Allen to wait
on Brother Daniel Holman; Deacon Har-
rison Smith to see Brother Giles Hav.
1 den, and Deacon John Powell To see
Brother j. E. Jones and ask them ia
be present at the First Baptist Church
before services Sunday morning when a
| meeting of the deacons would be held
Brother Nelson Williams, Jr., who
| presented the application containing the
| forged names was also cited to appear.
THE BRETHREN VISITED.
| The deacons visited the brethren and
ascertained from them that their names
had been forged to the application for
the church-meeting.
On Sunday morning the attendance
was slim and during communion, it was
| even more so.
| No notice of the church meeting was
given in the morning, but in the after
noon, Deacon r. T. Hill, who is cashier
of the True Reformers' Bank and treas
urer of the church gave notice that a
| church-meeting to consider certain pub
ications would be held Monday night.
THE SCHEME DEVELOPS.
Despite the repeated denials of those
engineering the meeting, it was evident