THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Presbytery of Tyrone supports sustentation fund

The Presbytery of Tyrone met in First Cookstown this week in 1874, reported the News Letter.

The Rev William Shepherd, the Moderator, constituted the meeting with devotional exercises. Besides the ministers, elders and members of the committee from almost all the congregations belonging to the Presbytery of Tyrone there was also “a considerable number of ladies present”.

Mr Mathew Patterson, of the Mission Office, appeared as the deputy appointed by the sustentation fund committee.

It was agreed that he should be the first to be heard.

Accordingly Mr Patterson “at considerable length” urged the claims of the sustentation fund, “making many happy allusions to the working of a similar fund in the Free Church of Scotland”.

After the delivery Mr William James Devlin proposed that the lay members should be permitted to consider the whole matter apart from the ministers of the Presbytery and should be allowed to submit the result of their deliberations.

This was at once agreed to and the ministers retired to another room. After some time a series of resolutions were drafted in support of the sustentation fund and paying thanks to Mr Patterson for his representation.

It was decided that “sessions and committees are recommended to take immediate action to canvas anew all adherents belonging to the Church for the purpose of inducing them to become subscribers to the sustentation fund according the ability which God giveth”.