Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-06-27
GUNT0N REQUESTED.
TO QUIT AS PASTOR;
MOTION IS BLOCKED
Mass-Meeting Held to Thresh
Out Controversy Over
Dance.
MEMBERS SAY MINISTER
WOULDN'T PUT QUESTION
Big Majority in w lila n d
Heights Church Reported to
Favor Miss Priddy.

Rev. w. y. Gunton. pastor of Tho
Woodland Heights Bap,ist-rhurch ;s
IN possession of his position today he
cause he. acting as moderator OF the
mass-mceting of his congregation las,
night. refused to entertain a motion
winch called for his resignation. ac-
cordihs to information which was
given out after the meeting The
ma laSs-mccting followed the regular
Sunday night services.
W. y. Jacobs. former senior deacon
OF the church. who WAS interviewed
after the meeting this morning. said:
III was not possible to take any
definite action because Mr. Gunton
was in the chair and he refused to
put the question calling for his rcsiE-
nation It would have gone through
overwhelmingly IL he had had nerve
enough to put 1t. It would have gone
through just as it went through when
Ec was pastor of a Baltimore congre-
Ga ton. He broke up congregation
there. YOU know
Mr. Gunton did not refuse TO put
the motion calling for the resigna-
tion OF Mr.. j. p. Sadlcr as deacon,
out the congregation voted it down
by about 200 10 - and that gives
YOU a pretty good idea as To how NC
all stood as between the deacons and
Mr. Gunton.
For years" MIR. Jacobs continued.
we have been trying to build up a
congregation out here in Woodland
Ipi IN -
justified in thinking-that we wete
going TO succeed. | am afraid now.
however, that ii is almost impossible.
MIR. Gunton refuses to resign and |
don't know OF any way To get rid OF
him just now. lie has split the CON
Grcga tion. Let mo say that we never
had the slightest trouble until Mr..
Gunton came among us
Mr.. Sadler. who is credited with
having led the fight against Mr.. Gun
ton. announced after the meeting this
morning that he had no statement to
make
When the regular services were
over. little before 10 o'clock. MIR.
Gunton notified those who were not
members in good standing that they
Gshcrs saw to it that the REQUEST
was carried out. The congregation
then went into executive session.
with MIR. Gunton acting as modcra-
tor.
In opening the meeting Mr.. Cum
ton is said TO have delivered Il speech
in which he defended himself from
the attacks made against him recent
~ because of his attitude i'm ac-
uuiescinS in the order Of church
music committeeman, in asking Miss
Julia Priddy, member of the choir. to
abstain from church activities bc
cause she danced at reception
which the Governor rendered the
graduating class of the John Mar
shall High school
Matters came to a head last night
ut the mass-mceting. After Mir Gun-
ton had concluded his speech. i'm
which he had defended himself. ono
OF The members Of the congregation.
captain Smith. an engineer on the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, offered
II motion calling for the pastors res
ignation.
Another motion which was made
was mat calling for the resignation
OF }. Il. Sad!cr AS head of the board
OF deacons. The pastor put that qucs-
tioh TO vote OF the congregation
but IT was voted down by big ma
Jority, only fifteen OF the nearly 200
present favorins it. Mr. Sadlcr has
Iccn one of Mr.. Gunton's most severe
critics.
the meeting lasted about three
hours. breaking up about O'Clock
this morning.