Evening journal., 1919-01-18
ECHO OF DEBATE
over PASTOR OF
ELKTON CHURCH
CONTINUED from page one.)

insulting a great body Of fellow
Presbyterians. But some Of us feel ina
thew were simply showing a shamefu
want Of appreciation Of the duty, dig
nitv and spiritual function OF a genu
inely RELIGIOUS body We want TO con
erstulate the Rev. Joel s. Gilnllan OF
having manifested the spirit Of Chris
tian minister and on having urged upoi
presbytery plan Of procedure IN con
sonance with their high calling. FOL
the sake OF the good name OF th'
Church of God we wish the Presbyterl
had have had the sense and spiritual
mindedness to heed DR.. Gil1llan's plea
But they didn't-whether because they
had been thoroughly poisoned by a pro-
longed campaign OF indisious misrepre-
sentstlon. or whether because they
were lust naturally Indifferent TO the
things that make for Righteousness.
IF this were a personal fight with
us, we would continue our silence be-
cause we wouldn't swap a chew OF
tobacco for, any deliverance Of the
New Castle Presbytery. But we
sneak now, simply because they have
wantonly insulted hosts Of our friends
and nelghbors, have hampered the use
fulness Of a thriving church, and flled
a whole community full Of the bitter
est dissensions.
1--WE say, plainly and advisedly, to the
New Castle Presbytery, that II they had
never sent any special committee here.
had have kept their hands entirely off
the whole affair, the trouble would
have dissolved into thin air In a very
little while.
''We make this assertion because we
know the two or three men who have
been making this fight and we know
Just how much water they draw in
this community"
In a news item the Cecn Whig
says:
..At a meeting OF the New Castle
Presbytery held In Mlddletown, Del, on
Tuesday, a report was made by the
special committee Of Presbytery, which
some weeks ago held prolonged hear
ings In the Elkton Presbyterian
Church TO inquire and report to Pres
bytery concerning a petition present.
ed TO the Presbytery by H. NJ. McCul-
Tough, VIM. Sterling Evans and w. T.
Morrison, as TO the condition or the
church and as to differences with the
pastor. The chairman Of the commit
tee, Rev. Joel S. Gilnllan, dissented
from the report Of the majority and
warned Presbytery that to adopt the
committees report would result In the
loss 10 the Presbytery Of the Elkton
Presbyterian Church. The committee
report was, however, accepted and
adopted by the Presbytery, some Of
the committee (notably Rev. MIR. Boyle,
OF Salisbury asserting that the Elkton
church would be better Off with only
the fifteen OF twenty opponents Of the
pastor, even II the one hundred OF
more OF his supporters left the church.
because the minority, while small, oon-
stituted the cream" Of the town and
church, while the majority sustaining
the pastor Is not important enough TO
be considered.
"The Whig is going TO assume, and
hopes 1t Is not amiss In assuming) !
that the committee was perfectly cap
able Of assigning Elkton folks to /
their appropriate places-either with
the cream or the 'rabble.'
Anyhow Presbytery accepted the
validity Of the committees distinc-
lions and promptly informed the ma
iority's representatives that they had
no place Of standing before the Pres
bytery.
"Ndessrs. Warren ]. Haines, Robert B.
Frazer. Rufus d. Bowland, Delaney
SCOTT, Emerson r. Crothers, James Mo
Intire. Harry Mclntire and Joshua Wit
worth appeared at the meeting OF Pres
bytery with a statement from the con-
gregation, setting forth the viewpoint
Of a very large majority thereof; but
the Presbytery declined TO receive the
paper OF 10 hear the committee. The
paper, thus refused a hearing. set forth
the fact that the congregation Of the
Elkton Presbyterian Church, by a vote
Of 98 TO Is, had sustained the pastor;
that the aforesaid fifteen opponents
were comprised In virtually two or
three families mote by the Whig-
cream" seems TO be scarce In Elkton) |
that the total financial support OF the
church by the said fifteen amounts 10
only about $500 per year (note by the
Whlg-the cream" seems 10 be some
what wanting In richness or else a
little slow IN rising 10 the occasion
which Is not surprising to those Of us
who are familiar with conditions in
Elkton); that the majority Of the con-
gregation sustaining the pastor Is per-
fsctly capable Of caring for the finances
and other interests Of the church, ETC.,
etc.
But the Presbylery declined TO hear
this statement, when offered by the
Rev. Or. Rowan, of Newark, and pro-
,eeded TO adopt the recommendations"
II the committee which were as fol-
ows: ~. That the best interests Of
he church call for dissolution Of the
resent pastoral relation. (2l. That the
congregation put IN operation the
very Member canvass and elect a
nancial secretary. (This action had
een already taken by the congrega-
ion). (3). That the pastor observe GER
ain Instructions OF Presbytery with !
eference to what parties he may or ;
nay not marry. !
!, lnus ended the first lesson. What d
me second lesson will be only the fu- b
sure wi. can determine; but the large num- II
~ - ~ substantial men and women who a.
az sleu,e the financial strength and "
$500, aug force OF the church. ma v
,I-sy a. aily 90 not seem inclined N he h
AsoAeu around by an inconsidsrohIe :
minority. minority. Dr. Gilnllan, who. os co,,-se
KNOWS The situation better tbsn a,,'
one else In Presbytery. was do,,b.Sn.s als
nlttlng the mark when he $3.50. Ds.ess
presDytery that II they ners,s,ed ''Vu
thelr course, they would sirnlv ,osa
tne Ekton Presbyterian ChurchS 3 iose
The petition which a deleeat,o,
members Of Elkton church snueh. -
present TO Presbytery, but which ths3
body declined to receive, reads as fol-
lows: - '0'