The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-04-13
REV. N. ALFORD,D.D.
WILL QUIT PALATKA
rendered His Resignation as
Pastor of Presbyterian
Church.

Palatkans irrespective of church af-
filiation are going to feel keen regret
over the resignat ton of Rev. Dr.. c.
M. Afford, for the past two years the
popular pastor of the Presbyterian
church.
1t is stated that he was led to this
determination at meeting of the
Session on Wednesday of last week,
but that no public announcement was
made until last Sunday morning just
before proceeding with his sermon.
The congregation was taken by sur
prise; it made people who would be
joyful feel badly; it was not the kind
of news calculated to enhance the
gladness of the Easter time. DR..
Afford is splendid preacher; he is a
popular preacher not because he stu
dies to be popular, but because be is
built that way and can't help it. To
him the gospel is message of glad
tidings and he doesn't spoil the mes
sage by the constant injection Of
dogmatic theological questions which
tie your spiritual nature into intellec-
tual hard knots. His preaching has
attracted more sinful men INTO the
church than that of any pastor in a
long time. These men like DR.. AL
ford. They like him in the pulpit and
they like him on the street. He
seems to be made of the same kind
of clay. Get his hand clasp, see his
smile, hear his friendly greeting and
you feel that It's natural; that there
is none of the oil and JUNCTION of pro-
fessionalism about him. Simply a
man among men, willing, nay anxious
to do good. His sermons are mas
terpieces of gospel thought clothed in
pure English of clear, choice diction.
Some might call him an orator; he is
Others would say he is an elocution-
list; so he is; he is both. But he is
also always interesting,
The writer has heard him but
twice; others during the week have
discussed his pulpit work here and
they say practically the same thing.
But he preached the gospel here
and preached it with gladness, and he
has made friends and lots of them
and they are all sincerely sorry Pa
latka must lose such good man.
Must lose him? yes, must" is the
word, for we are told DR.. Afford can
not be prevailed upon to change his
mind. No trouble? No, there hasn't
been any trouble; Dr. Afford isn't
trouble maker, and he won't have
any one make it for him, not church
trouble.
But it has been whispered that
some one at the sessions criticised
him; said he hadn't made good. And
it is said that DR.. Afford was hurt.
He didn't say anything about this
when presenting his resignation; he
did however go over the record OF
the past 20 or more months of his
pastorate and show that under his
charge the membership had increas-
ed much beyond the record of any
late previous pastor; that the congre-
cations are larger, particularly as to
men, and that they are taking added
interest in the work Of the church;
that he had raised and paid off an Old
debt that former pastor had allow
ed to cling as a blood sucker on the
organization.
We have only heard these things,
and it is quite likely that Dr.. Al
ford's natural pride has been hurt.
If so it is too bad. He certainly
didn't deserve such criticism.
Why do we say so? Well, for one
reason because we have investigated
and the members are emphatic in so
saying.
On the other hand one Of the ell
der's of the church states that the
Presbytery had been insisting that
the church here must do something
regarding a permanent pastor; DR..
Afford was but supply, called for
but six months at time: At the
meeting of the sessions the .perma-
rent pastorate was offered him, but
he declined to accept on the ground
that he had interests in Jacksonville |
and to accept would require him to
live here all the time and give up his
work on the faculty of the Florida .
Military Academy, which he did not /
feel like doing" Certainly he would .
not so long as one of the elders had .
made the statement that che had not
made good"
DR.. Afford is a professor in the |
Florida Military Academy at Jack /
sonville. He has devoted but two
days a week to the church here;
but that was understood when he
accepted the call. His resignation
takes effect the first of July. He will |
remain here until that time:
If YOU see him on the street and .
YOU are sorry he's going, tell him so.
County School Board Meeting.
The county school board held a
on Tuesday. Among other
things the board thanked Mr.. ]. R.
Mellon for his $4,000 donation to-
,,,,,J n paIa+Lo hiuh school site. or