Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-18
SEEK TO FORCE
DEACON TO QUIT
LUMBAR CHURCH
Declaring He Told Secrets"
Members Demand George E.
DemOtt's Resignation.
DISRUPTION THREATENED
BY FACTIONAL STRIFE
Church Letters" in Demand at
Stormy Session Following
Prayer Meeting.

The Mt Pleasant Baptist Church.
which recently deposed the Rev. w. t.
s. Lumbar because OK alleged miscon-
duct, In today in the throes OF a fac
tional war that threatens Its dtsrup-
ton. At Il business meeting last night,
which followed the regular prayer seTv-
ices, Deacon George II. Demott. Of 2I9
Summer avenue, was asked TO resign
Tor deliberately visiting another
church and freely discussing and be-
traylng the private affairs of the Mt.
Pleasant Church" This refers to the
statement made by MIR. Demott ia East
Orange on december 8 that the allega-
Hons made against MIR. Lumbar ny
Evangelist Phillips were true. sixty
TWO members OF the congregation voted
in favor of the resignation and forty
two against 1t. Nevertheless MIR.
Demott refuses to resign and Us still
a deacon.
The meeting last night was marked
with disorder which is unparalleled In
the history of the church The lie WAS
passed several times and lifelong
frienus parted as enemies More, than
a dozen of those present asked for theiE
church letters, which means that they
will resign. Among these were Deacon
Herbert Cline and A. J. Reiker. Trus-
tee j. I. Brown left the meeting In dis
gust, 1t Is said. This meeting, however,
say the members, Is only the forerun-
ner of other stormy sessions to come.
1t Is believed that specific charges will
be made against Mr.. Demott and his
resignation insisted upon by the friends
Of the former pastor. If this 10 done
the deacons and trustees, in order to
clear Denott, win produce letters In
their possession which prove con-
clusiveIy that MIR. Lumbar was guilty
and that Demott was justified In TAX
ing the stand that he did. These let
ters. 1t IL said, are not lit for publica-
tion. II is also said that the deposed
Clergyman admitted that he had writ
ten them.
speciaI Meeting Called.
The special meeting was called on
sunday night by the deacons 10 CON
slider pastoral board matters. 1t was
at the instiSat ton of Clerk Theodore S.
Beardsley tnat the call was read. Tue
deacons had received q letter from the
clerk. IN which he stated that members
of the congregation desired Il special
meeting to be called and would ask
for the resignation OF Demott. This
was an illegal procedure, 1t Is said. as
it was not the wish of members Of the
CONGREGATION but the wish of MIR.
Beardsley. The deacons conferred with
Mr. Demott and asked him If he would
consent to a special meeting to con-
slider the charges. MIR, Demott agreed.
Last night the charges were tabled
and q motion made from the floor by
the clerk asking for the resignation.
This precipitated the disorder Every
person in the room began to talk at
once and it took several minutes be-
force temporary order was restored.
When vote was taken, which showed
that the sentiment of those present
was against the deacon, several men
left the church and others expressed
their intention to resign.
Mr Demott stood up and said that
despite the fact that he had been asked
to get out he would not do so. II Will
not resign" he said, because 1 do not
{ have to. There are three ways In
which a deacon is dropped from the
board-one is by death, one by resiS-
nation and the other when charges
made against him are proved.
Deacon Dem0ff EXpin1nA.
''I am not dead, have not resigned,
and since you have proven nothing,
am still deacon. I also wish to explain
why / said the things that I did in East
Orange / accompanied my son to the
church that night, where the Rev. Mr..
Phillips was preaching and my son
playing the cornet This was the eve
ming of the day that an article about
the charges made by Mr.. Phillips
against our pastor appeared in a news
paper The Rev. Mr Holden, pastor OF
the church, asked me If the things that
appeared in this article were true. He
explained to me that If they could not
be proven Mr.. Phillips would be looked
upon aBkance by members of his church
and that it may prove injurious to the
entire congregation. It was then that
7 spoke. telling Mr.. Holden that we had
proof that the charges which the evan
gelist made were true. At the time I
spoke I did not know that representa-
tfves of the press and some outsiders
we're present Also. remember, please,
that I was not the first to speak, and
that someone must have talked about
the scandal to the newspaper"
May Bring Legal Action.
Mr.. Denaott made Clerk Beardsley ad-
nit that it was he who prepared the
charges. 1t is rumored that the deacon
may take the matter to the courts to
clear his reputation. The fight in the
church is causing many of the members
to worry, because just at this time the
church is said to be financially embar-
rassed. and 1t is feared that the banks
will not extend credit to a divided con-
9regation.
The next step to oust the deacon
must come from the church. There are
said to be many friends of the former
pastor who will do everything in their
power to get this man out. Those on
Denotts side say that there is a con-
spiracy among some to get him out. but
that it will not succeed.
M charges against Demott are made
the trustees will have an opportunity
ccentinued on secoad Psss.)