Evening journal., 1909-01-25
PASTOR AND
TRUSTEES AT WAR
Mr.. Mason Says Resignation
Was Due to Opposition to
His European Trip

FROM statement made to the con-
Sregation of First Presbyterian Church
AZ yesterday mornings service by the
pastor, the Rev. G. +. Mason, it has
developed that Mr.. Nason's reason for
announcing his resignation recently
was the protest by some members of
the church against his recent trip to
Europe.
In the statement Mr. Mason declared
that the protest clearly had been made
on Misunderstanding. When he was
engaged as pastor of First Church, he
said, it was agreed that his trip to
Europe each summer was TO be ap-
proved.
It appears, nevertheless, that after
arrangements had been made for the
trip last year the board Of trustees. of
some OF them. protested.
Mr.. Mason disregarded the protest.
and upon his return. William Lawton
president Of the board OF trustees de.
manded the resignation Of the pastor
Later after a conference with the COM
mittee OF the congregation, Mr.. Mason
decided TO resign and read his resigna-
tion on January T.
Mr.. Nasons statement in part is as
follows:
When came TO this church for the
first visit met the representatives OF
your church and talked with them
frankly and fully and stated the facr
that | spent each summer in Europe. /
stated that if this arrangement was
not satisfactory my name could not be
considered for the pastorate. I also
stated that with one months vacation
/ would supply the church with salts
factory substitute during my absence
from the field.
These facts we're repeated on my
second visit and many men and wo-
men in the church clearly understood
these facts. That all did not under =.
stand them could not i'm any sense of
the word be laid at my door. No word
came To me of any dissatisfaction the
first summer that I left the church.
He also stated that the board was
not willing TO accept any assistance in
securing a successor in the pastorate.
'Inasmuch as my offer of co-opera-
tion was purely that of assisting the
church TO obtain the man of it's choice
and not in any ways 10 select the sue
cessor. the animus Of this statement
may be readily seen. MY only purpose
was to save the church from the dis.
aster of vacancy so injurious to the
church.
AT my installation the men who
We're speakers-Dr McCurdy and Dr.
Countermine-mad some harsh AMI
hard statements regarding the church
and its relation TO its previous pastors,
and the fact that the church had seen
a rapid change and a series of short
pastorates and an utterly failure of the
church to properly support the various
mon who had held the pastorate.
~ do not now believe, as I did not
then believe, that those statements ap.
piled 10 the church at large. There are
multitude of good mon and women
IN this church. There is also a small
number of men who have crippled the
success Of the various pastors and who
are responsible for the short pastoratos
and who are responsible for the reputa-
tion which the church holds i'm tie
community and in the Presbytery.
"My only interest in the matter is
the protection of my standing in this
community from the secret statements
and runlors circulated by some of the
Individual members of the Board OF
Trustees. and further to aid this church
to obtain that success in Gods cause
in this city which it rightly deserves
and which it will never enjoy under
the present management.
my attitude and my prayer for and
my desire for the success Of the church
and the entire absence of any spirit Of
antagonism TO a single individual is
/ also a recognized fact.