REFERENDUM SEQUEL
CHURCH PICKETED.
Adelaide, Sunday – The
remarkable spectacle of pickets
at a church was witnessed at
Brompton, near Adelaide today,
following on the trouble which
has arisen owing to the action of
the Methodist Conference in
deciding to remove the Rev.
Albert Morris from the charge of
the local church after two years
service, and against the almost
unanimous wish of the
congregation. During the
referendum Mr. Morris took the
platform as an anti-
conscriptionist, notwithstanding
that a great majority of the
Methodist ministers ardently
supported compulsory military
service, and feeling has been
high in some quarters since then.
No reason was given for the
action by the conference, which,
of course, has full authority to
come to any determination
regarding a minister's
appointment. Mr Morris has been
allocated no church elsewhere.
Great indignation prevails in
Brompton, and at the first service
today, which was conducted by a
minister from another circuit,
only 13 worshippers attended,
and the Sunday school was
abandoned. The stewards refused
to officiate, and a strike
prevailed. Members expressed
their determination to stand by
the pastor against the
conference.
Monday 11 March 1918The Advertiser
THE BROMPTON CHURCH
TROUBLE
THE REV. A. MORRIS REJECTED BY
THE MILITARY.
The military authorities have rejected
the Rev. Albert Morris, of the Brompton
Methodist Church, whose proposed trans-
fer to Snowtown by the Conference is
strongy opposed by the trustees and con-
gregation of the Brompton church. Mr.
Morris occupied the pulpit at Brompton on
Sunday morning. There was a large cón-
greration. and when he made an announce-
ment that he had been rejected there was
considerable applause. He said he went
to enlist in the A.I.F. on Saturday, and
he set out with the utmost confidence, but
was rejected because of his poor physique.
He was informed by the military authori-
ties tnat he had no hope of going away
in any department of the service. He
thought he must have neglected his body
and spent too much time in study. He
was now, as it were, suspended in mid-
air, and just where he would fall he could
not say. Neither couId he say what would occur during the week, but they had had
enough of closed doors, and he hoped in future they have would open doors. He
would never do anything that would cause
a blush on anybody's cheek.
After the service the trustees met. They
expressed disappointment because they
had received no intimation when the com-
mission of enquiry would meet. They stated
they will be also disappointed if the en-
quiry were not held with open doors. The
Sunday-school, which was closed the pre-
vious sunday owing to the action of the
trustees in handing in the keys, was con-
ducted as usual yesterday.
The Rev. W. Shaw (President of the
Conference) stated on Sunday night that
no date had yet been fixed for the en-
quiry, and that there were no further de-
velopments to report.
THE BROMPTON CHURCH
TROUBLE
THE REV. A. MORRIS REJECTED BY
THE MILITARY.
The military authorities have rejected
the Rev. Albert Morris, of the Brompton
Methodist Church, whose proposed trans-
fer to Snowtown by the Conference is
strongy opposed by the trustees and con-
gregation of the Brompton church. Mr.
Morris occupied the pulpit at Brompton on
Sunday morning. There was a large cón-
greration. and when he made an announce-
ment that he had been rejected there was
considerable applause. He said he went
to enlist in the A.I.F. on Saturday, and
he set out with the utmost confidence, but
was rejected because of his poor physique.
He was informed by the military authori-
ties tnat he had no hope of going away
in any department of the service. He
thought he must have neglected his body
and spent too much time in study. He
was now, as it were, suspended in mid-
air, and just where he would fall he could
not say. Neither couId he say what would occur during the week, but they had had
enough of closed doors, and he hoped in future they have would open doors. He
would never do anything that would cause
a blush on anybody's cheek.
After the service the trustees met. They
expressed disappointment because they
had received no intimation when the com-
mission of enquiry would meet. They stated
they will be also disappointed if the en-
quiry were not held with open doors. The
Sunday-school, which was closed the pre-
vious sunday owing to the action of the
trustees in handing in the keys, was con-
ducted as usual yesterday.
The Rev. W. Shaw (President of the
Conference) stated on Sunday night that
no date had yet been fixed for the en-
quiry, and that there were no further de-
velopments to report.
No comments:
Post a Comment