The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-15
Groseclose Resigns as
Pastor Of Fairmount
Christian.
WITHDRAWS LANE
FROM CHURCH ROLL.
Third Christian Removes From
Membership Man Who Is Said
to Have Unearthed Evidence
Against Minister Deposed
for Kissing Parish
toner's Wife.

Two echoes resulting from the re-
moval of Rev. David Francis as pastor
OF Third Christian Church are the
resignation OF Rev Lester f.. Crosse
close as pastor at Paramount Chris
tian Church and the withdrawal Of
fellowship from II. .. Lane as a mem
Der Of the Third Christian Church
10th congregations are reported to be
IN state of great excitement. and
10 be much divided over the various
issues. notwithstanding the evidence
that he had bscn removed from for
ner charges on proof OF immortality
and That the public had been put on
notice in regard to him. it is stated
that considerable faction still sides
with Mr. Francis, and believes that he
was badly treated.
Figured In Francis Case.
!lr. Groseclosc, who has been pastor
OF the FairmOunt Christian Church for
about two years. presented his resig-
nation 10 his congregation on SUNDAY
morning. and IL was accepted. to take
effect October 10 Mr Groseclose came
into prominence in the Francis affair
having had personal encounter with
K. j.. lngc husband OF the woman Mr
Francis was accused Of having kissed
Mr Groscclose Is said TO have criti-
cized very sharply the way in which
the Francis matter was handled and
as his church in Fairmount is not far
distant from the Third ChriatIan. at
Twenty-siNth and Marshall streets. tho
factional differences and bitterness to
some extent spread TO il
y" Fellowship for Lime.
On me previous Sunday-July 6-the
official hoard Of the Third Christian
Church brought in the following reso-
luton which was Adopted
we recommend TO the congregation
that we Withdraw fellowship from H.
o. Lane. FOR the good OF the church"
No charges We're brought against Mr..
7 Lane at all. but members OF the con
I ercgation state that it was Mr.. Lane
who collected and supplied 10 mem
bcrs OF the congregation, newspa pers
and others data which revealed the
dark secrets OF the past life Of Nh
Francis.
Mr. Lane was formerly preacher
Of the Christian Church. and still holds
membership in the ministerial board
Of the church He was once pastor OF
Cowardin Avenue christian Church
South Richmond Recently he has been
I an instructor At the John Marshall
High school II Is now claimed that
Mr. Francis made no secret OF the fact
that charges had been made against
/ him in the past The official board Of
the church knew that such charges
had been made, but did not believe
/ them, and was content TO have Mr.
Francis as the minister merely on his
/
! brought matters TO a crisis.
Gathered the Evidence.
( But il is said that AIr Lane had taken
( the trouble to gather the data II
/ seems that when the kissing affair
! came up. and the character OF Nj
| Francis was called into question. he
! supplied to the Official board evidence
showing that Ny. Francis had been ex-
RELIED from a Congregational Church in
/ Trinidad, Colo, that he had been twice
/ tried for n grave ofiensa in Ironton. o.
/ and that resolutions had been adopted
/ by the Arkansas Valley Association
/ setting forth that py the most positlN c
evidence, and his own written ac-
! Acknowledgements. Mr.. Francis had been
! proved guilty OF the grossest immo-
rality, and had been expelled in dis
| grace" and that the association felt
| in duty bound to warn all churches OF
/ every denomination against him: that
1 his character was demonstrably such
! as to forbid his ever again entering any
/ Christian pulpit"
! Just why Mr.. Lane should have been
! dropped from membership for having
| furnished this evidence. the anthem
| tcitY Of which has not been questioned.
| which had before been published in
I the various cities in which Mr.. Francis,
had lived. and which the official board
! could have secured for its own infor-
! nation before il first admitted Mr..
I i laHCiS 10 tne pulpit OF the cnurch,
| does not seem clear.
Chairman of Board Resigns.
1t was stated by members OF the con-
| gresation last night that Elder John
| y. Blake. who has been an officer of
| the Third Christian Church for the pa
! twenty years, and who has recently
| been chairman OF the official board. has
icsigncd. and expects to transfer his
! membership to the Seventh street
| Christian Church.
The Third Christian Church has ap-
| pointed the following committee To look
| about and mako recommendations so
! the congregation of n suitable man to
| be extended call to the pastoratc
made vacant when Mr.. Francis was
| dcposcd:
From the official board: James +.
! Grove. chairman; Alfred L. Blake and
| Hartwell Wright.
From the congregation: Harry Good
/ lift, Van Cornell. Leon NJ. Morris and
| Charles Talley.
The committee will report within the
reXt few weeks TO n meeting OF the
! congregation