The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1923-12-14
BAPTIST PASTOR RESIGNS
in FACE OF MUCH GOSSIP
Rev. VIM. J. Banks Quits Salem and Riverside
Churches After Talk With Husband of
One of His Leading Members.
by w. o. SAUNDERS

Rev VIM. ]. Banks. pastor
of Salem and Riverside Bap-
tist churches in this county
since last January, has resign
ed the pastorate of both
churches as a result of neigh
borhood gossip and may decide
to take up some work other
than the ministry for a season.
Mr.. Banks resigned at Salem
Church the first Sunday in Decem-
Der. His resignation at Riverside
was rendered Saturday, Dec. 8. He
says he has no plans for the future.
The resignation of the preacher has
created sensation i'm two neigh
bOrhOOdS and lot of talk leaks
into Elizabeth City. Officers Of ihe
two churches do not openly dis
cuSs the case, but there are pos
tive whispers that the preacher
was too intimate with the young
wife Of Il prominent member o.
Salem Church and that on one oc-
caSiOn he put his arm around the
wife Of the y0ilng E!an and beg.
gcd her to leave her home for him.
"Thcrc is not 4 word Of truth in
it," says Mr.. Banks: and he tells
Il straight forward story that car
rics conviction. / never saw the
man in my life until | intrrl icwcd
him i'm his little home on Euclid
Heights Sunday morning. j had
never seen him before and about
all / had ever heard of him WAS
that he didn't like my newspaper
and had advised members of his
churches not To read il. ] have al
ways been suspicious of these birds
who cuss TIE INDEPENDENT
without cause, and il gave me Il
certain amount of satisfaction TO
confront him i'm his home and ask
him what he had TO say for HIM
self in the face of the rumors. The
man completely disarmed me be-
fore | was thru with him and |
am going TO he fair enough TO say
that / sincerely believe he is large
" the victim Of misunderstanding
Women have way of making dam
phools of themselves over preach
crs and Il lot of preachers have a
way of being altogether too darn
familiar with women.
II came about that ParsOn Banks
and certain very highly esteemed
young matrOn saw n little too much
of each other and pleasantries pass
ed between them that may not have
meant anything in the world, or may
have had Il deuce of Il lot of mean
ing. Folks got 10 talking about
the preacher being seen several
times in IN automobile with The
woman, tho every one of these auto
mobile trips might have been easily
explained. Whispers began TO get
| 10 the husband, the husband had a
scene with his wife. and then the
| husband went to see the preacher.
"IIe told me-" said Mr.. Banks,
! THAT he could not continue 10
identify himself with Salem Church
so long as ] was pastor OF II. L
told him that If that was the way
he felt about il ] would leave Salem
Church and il should never I've said
that | stood between any man and
his church or any man and his
wife. | sent my resignation 10
the Board of Dcacons and thought
that would he the last of it,"
But il wasn't the last of il. 30
charge had been preferred against
him and the dcacons wanted 10
know why he had resigned. They
began to make inquiries. His re-
sigraton was TO bc effective the last
Sunday in December. But when
the deacons found ont why their
pastor had resigned. they told him
not to preach i'm their church any
more. And so there are no services
at Salem this month
ireacher Banks is vigorous. up
standing fellow Of 81 EeIr; who
4 =.
Ills wife is Il fat, gray, motbcrly,
trusting, devoted woman. They
have one child, a grown daughter
who is in Il school in Indiana. Mr..
Banks came to the PaSquotank
churches from Kentucky, but is Il
native of Carteret County, \. e.
He is Il frank, genial. determined
looking sort, plain and democratic i'm
his mannerS: showing no allectatiOn
except in way he has of wearing
his hair p0mpadOur fashion after
1.-THE yyllcge styles of 20 or % years
lagO. lie has made numerous and
warm friends thruOut the county.
Mr.. Banks declines TO make any
statement for publication, declaring
that any statement he could make
might embarraSs an innocent woman
and do his own cause no good. He
is sure on one point however: that
no matter where he goes in the
future he'll keep all worlen ut arms
length.
The b. safety device ", ;. n is q