Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1915-11-23
THE RECTOR RESIGNS
ST. ANNE'S PARISH
Vestry Refuses to Accept the
Resignation of DR.. McComas.
POSTPONED ACTION LAST NIGHT.
Serious Matter Concerning Episcopal
Church Not to be Considered Be-
fore Easter.

fore Easter.
AT meeting of the vestry of st.
Anne's Episcopal Church of this city,
last evening. the resignation submitted
by DR.. Joseph p. McComas. the rector,
was considered, and it was decided to
postpone action until after Easter. The
matter Will then be taken up by the
Vestry which will be elected at that
time.
The resignation of DR.. McComas was
rendered after certain differences of
opinion on matters of church policy
and procedure had become manifest.
In the forefront of these was the fact
that DR.. McComas tends strongly to-
ward a ritualistic form of service that
is in general use in the diocese, and is
not supported in this view by many of
his Pensioners. In fact it is said, DR..
McComas is a leader of the more rit-
ualistic branch of the church in the
diocese. 1t is understood that recently
certain remarks of persons connected
with the diocese, but not with the local
congregation, brought to DR.. McComas'
attention the fact that the difference
of his own views and those of many
members of his vestry and congrega-
tion was matter of comment.
The Baltimore Sun this morning has
the following:
Serious discord has developed in
St.Anne's Protestant Episcopal Church
here, with the rector, the Rev. DR..
Joseph p. McComas, as one factor, and
the Vestrymen. as well as the large
congregation, divided.
The underlying cause of it all. it is
said, is the effort of the Rev. DR. Nc
Comas to continue to broaden the sys-
tenn of worship along the lice of the
high English ecclesiastics. The trou-
BILE has been brewing for about two
years. 1t reached a semi-climax sew
eral weeks ago, when Dr.McComas ten
dered his resignation because of ap-
parent opposition of the vestry, asking
that it be accepted to take effect by
May of next year. a-
THE minister had threatened sim
liar action on a former occasion. It
was brought to a head by the Vestry
a meeting of which was called for to-
night to consider all phases of the sit
uation. The fact that Dr. McComas
had handed in his resignation leaked
out in the meantime. and this served
to make the stir even greater. Mean
while there has been widespread Cos
! sip among the Vestry, congregation
/ and others.
''The meeting tonight lasted two
hours, during which times it is said
| there were some warm discussions.
Three votes were taken in course of
the meeting. One of these was on the
| question of accepting the restor's res
ignation. This was lost. The vote, it
is said, stood to 8. Then there was
vote on the proposition of inducing
DR.. McComas to recede from his ac-
ton. This, too was lost. Finally,
as a compromise, the question of de-
| ferring action until the annual meet
ing of the Vestry on April %. was
carried
The vestry is composed of DR.. Thos.
Fell president of St Johns College;
Rear Admiral John Schouler, of the
navy (retired); DIR. w. n. Berkeley.
L. Dorsey Gassaway, William L. Marcy
Frank A. Munroe, Rudolph Kaiser and
Daniel r. Randall hewitt Steele and
w. Meade Holiday, senior and junior
wardens, respectively, attended the
meeting, but are not entitled to vote
How the board members voted is not
known, information along that line
being held secret.
All sorts of stories are in circula-
tion about the situation. Many mem
bers of the congregation have been
discussing it,while others are reticent
Some are open in their assertions that
the way things are going now will
eventually result in a serious blow te
the church. while others stand firmly
behind Dr. McComas and his methods
Personally, all seem to like the minis.
ter.
The Rev. DIR. McComas is a native
of Hagerstown, Md. He became rector
of the parish more than a dozen years
ago. Since he came to Annapolis he
has made several trips abroad and his
opponents in the parish assert thai
after each trip he introduced additional
features of the high English ritual in
the congregational worship. These in.
novations caused protests among the
churchgoers and number told hin
personally of the objections.
1t is recalled that year or so ago q
strong effort was made to have a parish
house built in the yard about the his.
toric church and the failure to con.
summate the plans irritated DR. Nc.
Comas, it is said