The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-30
SUNDAY SCHOOL HEAD
FIRED; CHURCH SPLIT
Former Senator Travis Oustcd
as Nostrand Avenue NJ. 4.
Official.
ANANIAS CLUB ON THE JOB
Pastor Says lie VIII Prove
Charges. but Superintcnd-
cnt Gets Help.
ANANIAS CLUB ON THE JOB

Former state Senator Eugene NJ
Travis. who Is vicc-presidcnt of the lay
mems Society OF the Methodist Episcopal
church Can international organization)
and who Is u trustee OF the Nostrand Ave-
;ue NJ, Y. Church. at Nostrand avenue and
quincy street. Brooklyn. has been re-
moved from tho superlntcndency of the
Nostrand avenue church's Sunday school
at tho demand OF the Rev. Or a. +.
Campbell. the pastor OF the church.
"A result Of Mr.. Travis's removal
end OF the bitterness which preceded II n
tchism has developed which threatens to
disrupt the congregation Four members
of the church who contribute total of
$1,000 annually TO Its support have with
drawn rs an expression of sympathy for
NJ. Travis. \ half dozen teachers in the
sunday school have resigned and members
~ the congregation who have lined up
other with the Rev. Dr. Campbell or with
Nj. Travis are call,cg each other liars.
The pastor bases his attacks upon Mr..
Travis upon charges preferreo to the
'hurch's quarterly conference that Mr..
Travis was inefficient as Sunday school
tIperlntondent. that he insultcd the pastor
and that he circulated slanderous state
mcuts about the pastor and the pastors
friends. Dr. Campbell charges that the
former Senator attempted 10 humilate
end insult him on three anniversary days,
that Mr.. Travis tried 10 make ID appear
that the pastor wanted dancing held in
tic Sunday school and that the Sunday
school was loosely conducted under Mr..
Traviss headshlp.
The evicted superintendent who is sup
rorted by majority OF the church mem
n RI, replies that pr. Campbrll's charges
~, absurd and that the whole attack
unon him Is the result Of church politics.
l. hn iYt 'ppf Of tb.s
Methodist Episcopal Church in Mnne-
apoljs two years ago Mr. Travis was
largely instrumental In bringing about the
election OF the Rev. br. Theodore :.
Henderson as Bishop Of the church and
opposed the candidacy of the Rev. David
g. Dowuey. Mr.. Trav,s's friends assert
that the Rev. pr Campbell and other
partlsaus Of Mr. Downey have been trying
TO get even ever since Mr.. Downcys
defcdt, and that they finally succeeded in
Iailroadlng him out OF the sunday school
Euperntcndeucy.
Tho whole proceeding In the quarterly
conference was unfair" said Mr. Travis
yesterday. ''rhe conference was made up
OF nine trustees elected by the church
members and o. twenty stewards APP
pointed by the pastor. when Or. Camp
holl presented his false accusations he was
able to get them approved because h
controlled the conference through his per-
sonally selected stewards. There has
never been anything more tyrannical and
unfair even In the worst of machine
politics.
'Thcre .s not n word Of truth In the
charges against me. Last April the Off
cial hoard OF the church voted to replace
the carpet OF the Sunday school room
with a hardwood floor. Some OF the
Younger members OF the church and sun
day school were IN favor OF having dances.
! oppos ii it because the discipline ~ the
church opposes II.
Although the official board approved
the hardwood floor sixty-four teachers Of
the sunday school signed protest against
IL. and 1855 of the adult members OF the
church Joined in the protest ! don't know
why ~. Campbell wanted the hardwood
Moor. but II s false that | ever accused
him Of favorlng dancing.
80 far as the alleged insults are CON
Cerned. have only TO say that Or. Camp
bell was aggrieved because he did not get
an opportunity to make speech on An
niversary Day. I don't know what he
means when he says | have been an in
efficient head of the Sunday school The
great majority OF the teachers know that
IS false and so do the great ma iority OF
the church members. | have been super
sntondent for eight years. and until DIR.
Campbell got In. control was always APP
proved by the quarterly conference.
IT don't intend to get out OF the church.
the building yesterday. but I told him
was trustee and dared him to have me
put out He said he would do so, but he
didn't make good his threat.
II could sue DR.. Campbell in the civil
courts for Islander. but ! don't want to
Ito that. I understand that some of my
1rlends will bring DIR. Campbelrs charges
10 the attention of tho Presiding Elder
and under the rules OF the church that
will mean that DR.. Campbell will have 70
prove his charges or get out himself"
Thomas ~. Nyrick of SO Downing
street. who was n liberal supporter of the
church for twenty-one years. has severed
1ls connection with II because of the at
tack upon Mr.. Travis, Charles ".
rutherford of 23I Jefferson avenue. presl-
dent of the board OF trustees. has re-
signed Albert T. Bobo. assistant super
intendent OF the Sunday school, has TO.
signed Six of the Sunday school classes
have cut all connection with the church.
The Rev. Dr. Campbell told a reporter
for THE Sun last night at his home. as
Nostrand avenue, that he was prepared TO
prove all of his charges against Mr..
Travis. but that he didn't think he would
be asked TO prove them.
The incident Is closed" said the pas.
tor, "Mr Travis was inefficient. fIe did
try to Islander me and others. The quar-
terly conference removed him and that Is
all there In to II. OF course Mr.. Tavls has
following in the church. but the con
ProFstion will not he disrupted by any
means. This church has been going alonG
for a good many years and guess 1t will
continue to go along"
The Nostrand avenue church has q
membership now of between 500 and 500
In the last few years attendance at ser,
vices has fallen Off Last Sunday there
were l2i at the morning service,