Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-02-23
FEELING AROUSED
BY REV. DENPSIER
Dropping of Members Names
Results In Expressions of
Indignation
pEMPsTER EXPLAINS POSITION
Action Not Hasty One, He Says =
Pastor Has Been Sounded by Elders
on ACCESSIBILITY of Resignation, and
Has 1t Under consideration-lnter
views With Members Under Fire.

The undercurrent of feeling against
Rev. David Dempster, pastor, of the
Presbyterian church, that has been es-
listing to a greater or lesser extent
within the membership of the churcn'
has broken out afresh because OF an
action that has been taken in publish
ing. in the church manual, list of So
called "absent, retired and dropped
members" Members of the church liv-
ing in the city, whose names are IN
cluded in the list, feel that the word
dropped is pretty strong and they take
It that this word is applied to them
They criticise the action of Rev. Demp-
srer in preparing the list, and deny ms
right, or the right even of the session,
the governing body of the church, to
drop them, without hearing.
Because the affair has created so
much feeling, and is the talk of the
entire membership of the church, as
well as among the friends of the
church, the T.-R. has made an effort to
get at the facts in the case from both
sides. Members who consider that they
have been dropped claim that the ses-
sion was not aware of this action,
which they term as an. arbitrary one
on the part Of Mr.. Denpster. Whlle
as yet the session has taken no action
either as to the names or the request
that the pastor resign, members OF the
session have gone to Mr.. Dempster,
and have asked that he resign. The
pastor has taken the request under
consideration, but in speaking OF 1t ne
has said that the request for MS
resignation had nothing whatever to do
with the dropping of the members, and
should not be brought into this matter
at all.
b. T. Smith Talks.
Delano T. Smith, who is a member
of both the seasonal board and the
beard Of trustees, was seen and asked
9 lie session was responsible for the
1nting of the list containing the
James of members under the head of
dropped Mr.. Smith said: No ac-
ton has ever been taken by the session
to my knowledge, on this list OF names,
and did not know that it was printed
until one was handed me. 1t is creating
some feeling, I notice, and the matter
will be taken up at the regular session
Of the elders, which comes on the first
Tuesday in March. Some action will
be taken atnthat time. The main por-
tion of the letter that has been sent out
to members is comprehended in what
we talked of at the session meeting,
but was not aware that any had been
sent out until I was notified by some
Of our people, This is the first time 1
have seen one of the letters"
One of the women whose name is
included in the list of dropped mem
bers, called on one Of the members OF
the session this morning, to enter a
complaint as to the action as it con-
cerned her, and to demand her church
letter. The lady says that the elder
informed her that she was not going
to be dropped, and that the printing
Of the name was spite work on Mr..
pempster's part. The elder also made
other statements, which, at this time,
it is not deemed necessary to print.
Some of the trustees of the church
were seen. They did not care to be
quoted, however, as the trustees han
die only the financial part of the
church, and have no power as gov
erning body. "There is no doubt what
we would do, if we were running it"
said one, and there is no doubt in my
mind what a congregational meeting
would vote to do, if the question was
submitted to a vote. Even the session
can not dismiss a member without first
q fair trial. or without the members
consent"
Another trustee said: Things are in
bad shape with us; of that there is no
doubt / think it would be better for
the church if Mr.. Dempster would re-
Sign"
Rev. Dempster Explains.
Rev. Dempster was asked about the
matter of dropping the names of mem
bers, and said: ut is nothing more or
less than a revision of the church rolls,
and is not hasty in the least. The
manual indicates the action taken a
year ago to revise the list. We have
regular apportionment in our church
for home missions, which is levied on
each church according to it's reported
membership. This assigned per cap
tia apportionment has to be met, and
If there are number in the church
who are not supporting it, we either
have to ask the active members to pay
twice, or the church is declared de-
hnquent at the assembly.
This church has been carrying from
eighty to 100 members who have not
been in touch with the church. They
are not really reported dropped, but
retired. Some have been on the rolls
for the past six or seven years, and
some since / have been here. The
Presbyterian ruling calls for the as
sessment of the members each year.
or the placing of the non-active mem
bers on the retired or suspended list
There are some names that have
been added t&Sthis list that feel annoy
ed. We gave them a fair chance and
sent notification to each in plenty
of time. They were not heard from
My policy is and always has been, that
the church is not a spiritual institu-
ton alone, but a material institution
and must be supported. do not make
flesh out of some and fish out of 9TH
ers, and have put them all on the same
list. Some have got the idea that
they have been dropped, but that is
not so. Some say that it was a quick
movement, but they don't know the
status of affairs. Corrections are to
be made. The officers of the church
have met several times all of these
people personally, in an effort to get
than to support the church, 80 you