LOCKED OUT

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1913, Page 14

LOCKED OUT

A MINISTER AND HIS BEACONS. The unusual occnrrencd of a minister breaking into his own churoh, whiclf had been locked against him by his deacons, by smashing locks and doors with * ham' mer, was witnessed at Crane-street Baptist Church, Pontypool, on the Bth ult. The trouble originated cix months ago, when the pastor, th© ftev. David Hughes! was interrupted in th© course of his sermon by a member of the church, who disagreed with th© doctrine he preached. I/ast week th© members called upon Mr. Hughes to resign,, and offered him three' months salary m lieu of notice. The proposal being rejected, the deacons decided upon a lock-out. All th© doors of the church were fastened up with heavy padlocks and chains, and a notice affixed to one of th© doors announcing that there would be no services in the church. . Mr. Hughes, on arrival at the church in the morning to conduct the usual eervipe, finding the gate barred against him, climbed over the railings and tore down the deacons' notice. He then, mounted the steps at tho entrance to the church and addressed v large crowd, who were waiting for admission. He said that the dea«ona had sent him notice that owing to his unwarrantable conduct in arranging for a baptismal service without reference to the deacons, th© church would be closed throughout the day. It must not be forgotten, said the pastor, that h© was captain of th© ship. It was the deacons whose conduct was unwarrantable and illegal. The lawyer who had advised them was apparently better acquainted 4 with county .court law than ecclesiastical law. He understood the police would not interfere with him that day whatever he did, though he might be prosecuted afterwards. He had resolved h© would stand th© nonsense of these flelf-constituted tyrants no longer. The pastor then went in search of a hammer, and, returning with one, smashed the padlock and. ordinary Jock of on© of the gates to atoms. Proceeding to the Vestry, he shattered the jflass doors with a couple of blows with the hammer. From the vestry_ he went to the main entrance, and with the aid of the hammer broke open the door. The crowd then poured into the church, and a_ service was held. Instead of preaching a sermon, Mr. Hughes dealt at length with the charges that had 4 been made against him, and said that) in defiance of the deacons he would proceed with the baptismal service in the evening. At the clos© he said that in order to be on the safe side he should remain in possession of the church, and he had sufficient confidence in his congregation to believe that some of his sympathisers ,would stay, oa guard jvfth. hi®.