The Colorado statesman., 1921-04-23
PASTOR Wins
CHURCH FIGHT
]. A. Thomas-Hazell, S. T..
B., p. G. H., Exoner-
ated.

& NAN'Ais II lAlnE III slile III lht
y Peoples Presbyterian Church to-
day And the Rev. DIR. J. a.
Thomas HAZEL, 5. n. H., Z. Il. H., DID,
is vindicated.
At least such Is the verdict of the
presbytery of the Presbyterian Church
of Colorado, which met in session ex-
trnordnary at Brighton yesterday.
This austere body completely. re-
viewed the charges of bootleggng, i'm
morality, dishonesty and general mis-
conduct lodged against the pastor by
nineteen communicates of the church,
and sent him back to his flock fully ex-
onerated. Thus the row, which, the
pastor says started when he married
last June and disappointed certain
young women of the congregation, has
been ended.
The presbytery upheld the conclu-
sions reached by the session" of the
Peoples Church that sit could not CON
scientiously request the Rev. j. A.
Thomas-Hazell to tender his resigna-
ton" and cited the following reasons,
contained in letter directed to the
nineteen petitioners who requested the
good pastors retirement.
"First-All the names of the per-
cons on your petition are not members
of the Peoples Church.
"Second-Some of the supposed
signers of the petition dlsclaim having
singend their names, or authorizing
anyone to affiX their signatures.
'Third-In your alleged charges de-
scribed- First, IL is stated 'on the aft
ernoon of the - day of April, 1921,
Rev. Thomas HAZEL is charged with
making improper approaches toward
Miss Senetta GoOde in the vestry of
the church The session is absolutely
sure that Miss Senetta GOode was not
on the premises of the Peoples Church
during the time alleged, and therefore
such alleged insult could not have TAX
en- place.
"Fourtll-In your allegations named.
Second, the session is of the opinion
that the two elders who have had fl
nancial differences with the Minister
are members of this body. They have
never officially presented their griev
ances TO the court to which they be-
long. Why they should leave the ses-
sion and air their grievances to peti-
TONERS from the membership of the
church and outsiders is difficult to un-
derstand. This is un-Presbyterian.
''Fifth-Under your citation num-
bered Second, reference is made to
certain petitioners as faithful mem
bers of long standing in the church,
The seasonal record shows that five
of these persons We're once suspended
from the communion of the church.
One withdrew from the church for
nearly two years. Some of these per-
sons have been restored into commun-
ion less than n year, and others be-
tween year and eighteen months.
"SiXth-In your citation Third, as
sertion is made that large number
of the members of the church desire
the removal of the minister, believing
that the best interests of the church
will be served As a rebuke to such
assertion, Il counter petition of appar-
emily bona fide members, the ratio be-
ing more than two to one, has request
ed that the services of the Rev. Thorn
as-HaZell be continued
"Seventh-This same counter-peti-
tion draws to the attention of the ses-
sion that as late as Aug. s, 1920, both
the session and the congregation unan-
imously commended the Rev. J. A.
Thomas-HaZell for the splendid work
he has done for number of years on
the field, and wish him long years of
usefulness for the future of the parish.
Some of your petitioners were among
this number, including one of the al
legged elders who now has grievances.
"Eighth-The session is of the opin-
ion that a number of your petitioners
are of a malignant spirit toward the
accused, and are personally interested
in the conviction of the accused"
The letter, was signed by James III.
Gibbs, director of the session of the
Peoples Church.
In an interview with the eXonerated
pastor this morning, letters were pro-
duced wherein he showed that the ILL
will of certain members of his congre-
CATION had grown out of his sudden
marriage last June.
The Rev Thomas-Hazell has been
pastor of the Peoples Church for the
past thirteen years, and until last sum
mer was the center of admiring eyes
among the feminine members of his
congregation.
zone of the young ladies in particu-
lar" the pastor said, was infatuated
with me. She was prOdded on by an
ambitious aunt, and, according to her
own letters, dated as far back at April
1920, she wrote: 4 have been around
you for year and have gotten fond
of you, and, oh, how l hate to give you
up The Denver Times.