PELTON PARISH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 21 October 1930, Page 6

PELTON PARISH.

THE EXCOMMUNICATIONS. STATEMENT IN CHURCH. LONDON, Sunday. Special seats Aveer reserved for the three “excommunicated parishioners of the Pelton Parish ’ ’ at the morning service to-day, in readiness for the retracting of the sentence in accordance Avith the Bishop of Durham’s orders. The vicar, Mr MerryAveather, was not present, and the church ornaments which the objecting parishioners secured an order to remove did not appear. The altar bore a plain cross, tAvo candles, vases and floAvers. The rural dean, ascending the pulpit, read out Mr MerryAveather’s statement, declared that “in obedience to the Bishop’s direction I give notice that the excommunication is null and. void. No steps will be taken to exclude the three parishioners from public Avorship. ’ ’ .A huge congregation, including many Avho motored long distances, heard the statement silently, but friends clustered round, Avarmly congratulating the reinstated parishioners in the churchyard after the service.

Later it Avas stated that Mr MerryAveather had resigned the living of Pelton as a result of the case.

(FollOAving an avrard of the Consistory Court at Durham, ordering the remoAial of certain articles from a church in Avhich 600 parishioners complained on the ground that they Avere Romanists, the Rev. E, A. Merryweather, from the pulpit of Pelton Church, announced the excommunication of tAvo men and one Avoman who gave evidence at the Consistory Court. Mr MerryAveather said: “We cannot go on being disturbed by these godless people. I shall expel them from the congregation for three years, and ask all Christian people to treat them as heathens and publicans. They are denied all rights and privileges of the sacraments of the Church. ”)