Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-12-04
UNITY CHURCH,

The editor of The Enquirer was
waited on yesterday by a committee
from Unity Baptist church, the object
OF the committee being to challenge
the correction of certain statements
that were made about the church in
the recently published story Of the
murder of Mrs. Morgan by Tom Har-
ris
The committee consisted Of Messrs.
G. w. Harris. T. ]. Wright and ]. r.
Wright, all members Of Unity church,
and the part of the Morgan murder
story to which they objected more es-
pecially was as follows:
Some two or three years ago, at a
kind of a revival meeting held at Uni
ty church, about a mile from Hickory
Grove, Harris took up the Idea that he
had been converted. Unity Is weak
little church and the congregation Is
literate class from Blue Water" and
Sandy Branch" They claim to be
Baptists; but the church is not recog-
nized in the association as standing
very high. At any rate Harris began
praying and exhorting and finally got
the endorsement OF his congregation
as q preacher. Some time ago he was
convicted Of violation Of a contract
and put on the chaingang."
The statements most Objectionable
to the committee were (D THAT the
congregation Is composed mostly Of a
more or less illiterate class from Blue
Water and Sandy Branch" and (2)
that the church Is mot recognized as
standing very high in the association"
They say that the church Is as pros
porous as it has ever been in its his
tory and it's membership includes as
good people as there is in the neigh
borhood. The pastor Is Rev. w. T.
Thompson Of Gaffney. While 1t Is a
fact that at one time a number Of
members professed sanctification and
practiced foot washing, this crowd
has gone off, much to the satisfaction
Of the present membership. The COM
mittee says there are two members
from Sandy Branch; but they were
unable to locate the Blue Water"
neighborhood. Their objections to
these designations were only in so far
as the designation might be construed
as terms of reproach, which they in
sist that no one has right to put up
on any part Of the congregation. Har-
ris, they say, did have a license to
preach at Unity at one time; but he
was turned out Of the church for
wife beating and his license was TAX
en- away. They all insist, and very
properly too, that Unity church is in
no wise responsible for Harris.
The attitude of the committee in
requesting these explanations was
courteous and liberal, and we are glad
to do anything we can to place the
matter in proper light. The COM
mittee was advised that If such state
ments as we might make should not
prove satisfactory we would be pleas
ed to print any further statement that
might be sent In on behalf of the
church over the signature of the COM
mitteemen or other duly authorized
committeeman.
The committeeman seemed to be
under the impression that some of the
people from whom we got our infor-
nation were inclined to put reproach
upon the church. In this we are quite
sure that the committee Is mistaken.
All the information that was printed
was developed as the result Of ques-
tions asked by our representatives
and none of it was volunteered. The
Enquirer certainly had no intention
of putting reproach on Unity congre-
CATION, and 1t Is quite sure that no
such intention was entertained by the
people from whom 1t got its informa-
ton.