Milford chronicle., 1936-10-09
FOUR CLERCYMEN
FORMALLY OUSTED
BY PRESBYTERY
win Meet In Adjourned Session At
Milford October 80

last Tuesday and pledged itself, as
its first duty" to support loyal mem,
bers of congregations whose pastors
left the Presbytery.
The excluded clergymen were
charged with association with the
Independent Mission Board and with
action and statements derOgatory to
agencies of the Presbyterian Church
in the U. S. A.
Darling Reads Judgments
The Rev. ]. Herrick Darling OF
Wilmington, moderator, read judg-
ment against them after the Rev.
Thomas A. Williams of Salisbury
reported that a special commission
meeting at Wilmington found them
guilty of insubordination DR.. Dar-
ling pronounced in each case censure
laid down by church procedure. 1t
was
Whereas, you have, after due
process of trial, been convicted by
this judiciary of the sin of disobe-
dience to the government and dis
cipline of the Presbyterian Church
in the United States of America, the
judgment of the judiciary is that
you are deserving of the penalty of
deposition. Now, therefore, for the
good of your own soul and the purity
and peace of the church of Jesus
Christ, you are required to receive
the prOnOuncement of this penalty.
Whereas, you have been convicted
by sufficient proof, and by your sin
and unfaithfulness have brought re-
proach on the cause of your Master,
we therefore, acting under the au-
thority of Jesus Christ, do hereby
depose and exclude you from the
office of Minister of the Gospel and
do prohibit you from exercising
henceforth any of the powers and
duties of that office.
Honor Held Committed
The Presbyterians' pledge of COM
plete support to members of con-
gregatiOns declining to follow their
ministers from the church was taken
in unanimous adoption of a motion
OF the Rev. John w. Christie of Will
mingtOn.
Our honor is committed to sup
port these loyal people, whatever the
cost" DR.. Christie said. 1T is the
first duty of the committee on ma
tional missions"
The motion drew spirited approval,
and DR.. Williams said:
1T is our duty to preserve these
churches, not merely to maintain
title to the church properties"
ModernizatiOn of the Presbyterys
20-year-Old rules better to fit present
day conditions came in the adoption
of a committee report presented by
DR.. H. f. Hallman of Newark.
Several Changes Made
The important changes were:
meetings of the Presbytery; one-day
sessions on the second Mondays of
January and June and the first
Monday of October, and a two-day
meeting the third Monday in April
instead lOf two tW0zday meetings as
in the past; rearrangement of com
mittees, increasing the membership |
OF some with a view to better bal |
ance of functions; reelection of all
committee chairmen annually by |
the Presbytery at it's April meeting
instead of at various intervals; a
provision that three ministers and
three elders elected in classes at
large by the Presbytery for three
year terms as members of the coun-
Gil can be reelected only after a
lapse of a year.
The new rules necessitated the
immediate election of committee
members. The Presbytery accepted
an invitation of Dr. Darling to hold
its next April meeting at the Han
over Church, Wilmington.
Will Convene at Milford
1t will meet in adjourned session
at Milford, October 30th to act on
a request of the Rev. j. Richard
Billingsley of Ocean City for a re-
lease to accept a Congressional
Church call to Middletown, N. Y,
and to act on other matters.
The following reports were made
to the Presbytery:
National missions, DR.. Williams; s
united promotion, the Rev. Donald |
C. Macleod, Wilmington; Christian
education, the Rev. S. ]. Venable,
Pocomoke City; treasury, the Rev.
William Leishman, Lewes, stated
clerk; foreign missions, the Rev. e
Paul Trout, Princess Anne; Audit
ing, J. Clifton Mock, Snow Hill. {
MOderatOrs Elected !
Court action to decide ownership ;,
of church property came one step =
closer to actuality when the Pres !
bytery elected moderators for seven 9
affected" churches, four in Della 7
ware and two in Maryland. q
Six of these churches are now Oc- :,
cupied by ministers who have been
These churches are: Eastlake,
Forest, MiddletOWn; {
Pencader, Glasgow; Head of Chris Il
Liana, near Newark; Rock and Zion q
Churches, near North East, Md. b
The seventh affected" church not II
involved in property dispute is the 2
First and Central Presbyterian 2
Church, Wilmington. N
Presbytery instructed moderatOFs
o move into the churches. When Il
of these moderators is a.
Questioned by the congregations, the
lext step is seen as action in civil
.ourts.
DIR. Darling at Eastlake
The Rev. Harley B. Kline of H
ireenhill Presbyterian Church, j
was reelected modera- q,
or of the church where Mr.. Laird r
ad been minister
The Rev. DR.. Darling was re- g
aimed as moderator of Eastlake y
'hurch. Wilmington, where Mr. n