VICAR'S GRIEVANCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13841, 1 March 1909, Page 2

VICAR'S GRIEVANCE.

An unusual incident occurred at the Parish Church, Southbank, a suburb of Middlesburgh, on a recent Sunday morning, when the vicar, the Rev. A. Ivor Griffiths, announced that, owing to the presence in the church of a certain person, he did not intend to preach a sermon that morning. The individual referred to liad returned to the church after an absence Of several weeks, and had resumed annoying the vicar. He belongs to the Church Association, whilst the vicar is a member ot the English Church Union: •

"I bore this man no ill will," said Mr Griffiths, in an interview, " but I took the step because it was. high time that the annoyance ceased." Asked the exact nature of the alleged nuisance, the vicar replied that the man came to the church with the deliberate intention of annoying him. As soon as. the text of the sermon was given out, the man was in the habit of' turning the leaves of his Bible rapidly,-thus creating a rustling noise. He also smiled' and made in the course of' ,the sermon. He sat in the front seat immediately underneath the pulpit, and looked up at the vicar; and as the latter was an extempore preacher, the annoyance was great. If, he had been in the habit of reading his sermons Mr Griffiths stated tha.t he would have ignored the town's conduct. "He has been doing this for over two years," added Mr Griffiths, "but he left the church m October, and I thought that the matter was ended, but he retunrned on Sunday, and sat in the same seat." The vicar also said that two years ago the same man interrupted by calling out during the sermon. 3»r Griffiths then threatened legal proceedings, and the man apologised to him. "Conduct such as this man's was a source ot i annoyance, not only to him, but to , other members of the congregation, i several of whom had stayed away from the church on account of iti . I In answer to "a question .as to what 1 would be done in the future, Mr Grifi fiths said that the churchw-ardens had it in their power to place the man in I some part of the church where he could not cause annoyance.