The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-04-13
Officials Make Statement
Regarding Transfer
Of DR.. Mead.
PROTESTS TO BISHOP
NOT Needed, IT SAYS
Usual COurtesies Absent in Com
nection with the Change Of
Pastors.
INACCURACIES CHARGED
In PREVIOUS ASSERTIONS
Congregation Accepts DR.. Me-
Crea, but Feels Hurt at Treat
ment 1t Received.

In n formal statement coneerninx the
DIR. Charles l.. Mead from the Ccrtcu-
ary VI. Il. Church TO The First M. u.
Church, Hoboken. issued today by the
official board of the Gentleman. Church.
the action of Bishop Thomas h. Nicely
In making The transfer Is characterised
ss "unlkiDd. ungcntIemanIy and not
such IN act MS n bishop of our great
Methodist church should have prac-
tiscd upon us, or indeed upon an,
church,
The transfer of DR. Mead was made
by Bishop Neely at the recent annual
session of the Newark conference held
at Centenary Church. 1t caused
storm of protest and that evening A
remarkable demonstration was made
by the congregation of Centenary in
that church
Bishops Comment.
Bishop Neely when shown that part
of the statement which stamped his act
as "unkind ana ungentlemanly," dts
tated the following answer:
had no disposition whatever to
ignore them. The simple fact is thai
was one of those things that could not
have been decided until the last mo-
ment, and / tried to do my best with
Them. | am very glad TO know that
the new pastor is being cordially re-
ceived
The opinion of the best men in the
conference is that the list of appoint
ments is unusually good and Just. The
official board of Centenary Church had
lust the same opportunity for fair treat
ment as the others had. They were not
ignored. I did not treat them uniindly
or ungentemanly as far rs can see.
l think that they viii think differently
about this after A while. I think that
my conduct as bishop was correct in
every particular.
A Plain statement.
The statement, which is typewrilten,
covers five sheets Of foolscap paper. il
declares that Bishop Neely has seen fit
to issue statements to the press which
Contained Inaccuracies calculated to
place us at a disadvantage, and other
erroneous statements have also appeared
because Of these statements emanatiny
from the bishop.
The statement continues to say that
practise has obtained in the Method
ist Church for SO long that IT has be-
come a law by usage that when a pas
tor and q people are agreed the bishop
shall not disturb their relationship. ex-
cept in a case of great emergency. and
that in such an event the congregation
shall be duly notified and taken into
consultation.
1t is then related that on Friday.
April 2, the bishop was considering
changing DR. Mead, and that this fact
is provable." The official board Of Gem
tenary Church, hearing this runloi,
went to the bishop, and learned front
him that no change at Centenary was
contemplated.
Kept iu Dark.
Centenary" continues the statement,
had no warning. not even hint"
On April the official board of tho
Plainfield church. where DIR. A. c. Nc
Crea. who succeeds DIR. Mead, was sta
toned, was notified that there was 10
be a change, but still no word was
transmitted to Centenary.
Finally, at the eleventh hour. Frank
A. Sterling, member Of the Centenary
board. was informed by the bishop that
DR., Mead was going to Hoboken. He
tried to get into communication with
The other members Of the board. but