When the Shore Road was ‘ebuilt, a sharp angle in the road was removed and replaced with a gradual mm: which has taken the road about twenty feet from its previous location, The Bible Christian Church was built about twenty

feet from the original position of tie old road.

In the meanwhile, the Methodists and the Bible Christians were holding con- ferences on a national level seeking agreements that would lead to reunification of the two denominations. These efforts have already been explained in Part IV,

Sections 8, 9 and 10. The Methodists finally agreed to accept the Bible Christian principle of equal clergy and lay representation and the Bible Christians in 1884

decided to reunite with the Methodist on all levels.

This decision was met with disbelief and protest by the Bible Christians in Mininegash who refused to rejoin the Methodist Church or to turn their church over to the Methodists who now, legally, owned it.

As a solution to this dilemma, on February 3, 1885, twelve Bible Christian families in Miminegash brought a petition to the Rev. Arthur Frederick Carr of the Alberton Presbyterian Church asking to be received into the Presbyterian Church as members and for aid to purchase their church from the Methodists for the sum of $230.00 of which $44.00 had been raised by the petitioners. The value of their church was $800.00. The petition was favorably received, the Presbyterians aided in paying the remaining debt to the Methodists and the Bible Christian Church became the Miminegash Presbyterian Church. The petition was acted upon duringan Interim Session in Alberton under the authority of the Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Arthur Frederick Carr and Elders Benjamin Rogers, David Gordon, and William Thomson.

The Presbyterian Witness commented on the situation in Miminegash as follows:

“Miminegash has a very neat little church capable of seating about 150. This church was built by the Bible Christians who, together with our Methodist brethern occupied the field until the union of those two bodies a few years ago. They then found themselves with two churches on their hands here, and a dispute arose as to which they would occupy and which they would dispose of. Unable to settle matters amicably, the Presbyterians were invited to come to their relief. They did so. This church was purchased, a small debt resting upon it has since been paid off, and the people are now in a fairer way or receiving regular supply than ever before. The attendance at public service here is not so good as at the other two stations (West Point and Campbellton), nor is the spiritual interest so deep. This is largely owing to the way the people have been situated, and we believe that with a settled pastor who is much needed in this congregation, Miminegash will become an interesting field of labour.

In regard to the people throughout this entire district, it is only due to add that kinder cannot be found in any congregation, and no worker in the Master’s vineyard need ever want for anything that is within their power reasonably to give. Much is due the Rev. Arthur Frederick Carr of Alberton, for the very deep

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