Officers of Assembly - 3

Officers of Important Committees - 3

Board of the Church, with Members and Officers - 3

Minutes of Assembly's Proceedings - 4-16

Miscellaneous Regulations - 17

Rev. J. L. Hudgins, Union City, Tenn.

Rev. T. H. Padgett, Jasper, Tenn.

Rev. A. N. Eshman, Chairman Advisory Committee, Nashville, Tenn.
Judge Joe H. Fussell, Chairman Legal Committee, Columbia, Tenn.
Hon. J. J. McClellan, Treasurer General Fund, West Point, Miss.

I. BOARD OF EDUCATION:
  Rev. Allen Foust, President, McKenzie, Tenn.
  Rev. J. D. Lewis, Claybrook, Tenn.
  J. W. Smith, Secretary, McKenzie, Tenn.
  W. W. Hamilton, McKenzie, Tenn.
  W. E. Dunaway, Jackson, Tenn.
  Rev. P. F. Johnson, Treasurer, Dyer, Tenn.

2. BOARD OF MINISTERIAL RELIEF:
  Rev. J. H. Milholland, President, Charleston, Ill.
  Rev. J. M. Wyckoff, Findlay, Ill.
  Rev. R. D. Miller, Petersburg, Ill.

3. BOARD OF PUBLICATION:
  F. A. Seagle, President, Chattanooga, Tenn.
  T. A. Havron, Jasper, Tenn.
  Rev. W. A. Erwin, Iron Hill, Tenn.
  Rev. T. M. Hendrix, Berlin, Tenn.
  Rev. M. A. Hunt, Jasper, Tenn.

4. BOARD OF SUNDAY SCHOOL AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S WORK:
  Rev. T. Ashburn, President, Evansville, Ind.
  Rev. J. T. Barbee, Owensboro, Ky.
  Wm. Riber, Decatur, Ill.
  Wm. Reister, Evansville, Ind.

5. BOARD OF HOME MISSIONS AND CHURCH ERECTION:
  Judge F. H. Prendergast, President, Marshall, Texas
  Rev. W. M. Robison, Marshall, Texas
  Wm. Clark, Jefferson, Texas
  Rev. J. L. Joyner, Cordelle, Okla.
  Frank Hall, Treasurer, Marshall, Texas

4

Decatur, Ill., May 24th, 1906, 1:30 p. m.

The Assembly having been in session since it convened on Thursday, the 17th inst., and having in that time adopted the Joint Report of the Committee on Fraternity and Union between our church and the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, the protest previously filed being disregarded and the purpose of the majority to adjourn without day and without naming the place for another meeting being persisted in, they were informed on the floor of the Assembly, before the adjournment actually took place, that the minority would treat the adjournment as illegal and ineffectual, and would continue the session of the General Assembly thereafter. And immediately upon the announcement of the adjournment by the then presiding Moderator, and before the majority had dispersed, Commissioner J. H. Fussell, one of the minority, announced in a loud and distinct voice, within the hearing of both the majority and minority Commissioners then in the Assembly hall, that the business of the General Assembly would be resumed at once in the hall of the Grand Army of the Republic near by, the church house in which the previous part of the Assembly's session was held having been refused the minority for that purpose. The minority Commissioners, about one hundred in number in attendance at this point in the proceedings, repaired to the hall indicated, and proceeded to the transaction of the business of the Assembly.

The Moderator and Stated Clerk having retired, on motion the Hon. J. J. McClellan, a ruling elder of New Hope Presbytery, was chosen temporary chairman; and D. M. McAnulty, a ruling elder from Madison Presbytery, was chosen temporary clerk.

The Rev. J. T. Barbee, of the Owensboro Presbytery, at the request of the chairman, led the Assembly in prayer.

The Assembly through its chairman proceeded to form its roll, when commissioners were found to be present as follows:

Number of Synods embraced - 11

Presbytery.	Ministers.	Ruling Elders.
Hopewell	Allen Foust	J. W. Smith
"	W. C. Newberry	J. N. Trentham
Madison	J. D. Lewis	W. E. Dunaway
"	J. G. Anderson	D. M. McAnulty
Memphis	T. H. Padgett
Obion	J. L. Hudgins	F. M. McRea
"	W. A. Boone	R. L. Harper

Number of Presbyteries represented 40
Number of Ministers seated - 51
Number of Ruling Elders seated - 47
Total number of Commissioners - 98

On motion, Rev. J. L. Hudgins, of Obion Presbytery, in the Synod of West Tennessee, was elected Moderator by acclamation.

On motion, Rev. T. H. Padgett, of the Memphis Presbytery, in the Synod of West Tennessee, was elected Stated Clerk and Treasurer by acclamation.

Judge F. H. Prendergast, of Texas, representing a committee for that purpose, presented the following, which was adopted as a preliminary minute:

The General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in session at Decatur, State of Illinois, May 24, A. D., 1906.

This General Assembly was regularly constituted on May 17, A. D. 1906, and thereafter was fully organized on May 18th with Rev. Ira Landrith as Moderator thereof, and Rev. J. M. Hubbert as Stated Clerk thereof.

And thereafter, on May 24, A. D. 1906, a majority of the commissioners to said Assembly resolved by vote to adjourn this Assembly without day or place to meet again, and by said resolution and subsequent action declared their intention and determination not to meet again as a separate organization, but to enter the communion of another church--the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America--and by said action the Moderator and Stated Clerk, going with said majority, vacated their said offices, and a minority of the commissioners to said Assembly, consisting of the following named persons, then protested against the said action of the majority as being illegal for the following reasons:

"We, the undersigned, being regularly elected commissioners to the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, which convened in the city of Decatur, Ill., on the 17th day of May, A. D. 1906, now here make this our solemn protest against the action of said Assembly in adopting the report of the Committee on Fraternity and Union and agreeing in said report to adjourn sine die. And we assign the following reasons for our protest:

"1--The Assembly is without power to declare the Cumberland Presbyterian Church as a separate organization at an end.

"2--This Assembly has no power, nor right to declare that the Confession of Faith of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, as revised in 1903, and its other Doctrinal and Ecclesiastical Standards have been adopted by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in accordance with its Constitution. And in the opinion of these Protestants such statement is not correct.

"3--Said Assembly had no power to transfer the allegiance of the Ministers, Elders, Deacons and officers of particular churches, judicatories, Boards and Committees to another denomination of Christians, and make them amenable to another church creed and constitution.

"4--Said Assembly had no power to direct the Presbyteries of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church to send commissioners to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America."

The said majority took said action by voting for and adopting the following report and carrying out its direction by making the declaration of adjournment sine die:

(This long Report on Fraternity and Union is printed in Ex-Stated Clerk Hubbert's minute of the preceding part of this same assembly, pages 61-72. To this we refer. It need not be reproduced here, as that minute is already in the same hands to which this shall come.--Stated Clerk.)

And we, the minority so protesting, considering the action of the majority as unauthorized, determined to not recognize as of binding force said action of the majority and said adjournment. Now here on May 24, A. D. 1906, being a quorum of the Assembly according to the constitution and laws of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, we continue the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church as same was constituted and organized on May 17, A. D. 1906, in Decatur, State of Illinois, and elect Rev. J. L. Hudgins as Moderator in place of Rev. Ira Landrith. And we elect Rev. T. H. Padgett in place of Rev. J. M. Hubbert. Their offices being vacated by their action above recited.

We do this in order that the Cumberland Presbyterian Church may maintain its separate church organization and that its distinctive doctrines, for the propagation and maintenance of which we and our fathers have labored for nearly a century, shall be preserved to us and our posterity unimpaired. We are convinced that these doctrines would not be best preserved by an organization which refuses to take them as their Faith, but demands their renunciation as the price of entrance to their fold. Holding these views, we declare ourselves to be the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the repository of its established Faith, the owners of its property and the director of its trusts.

Trusting in the help of Almighty God, we now set ourselves to the task of fulfilling the high expectation which our conduct has engendered, and lest we should incur the imputation of presumption, our prayer shall be that the common people may hear us gladly, for by that means our common gospel was first established.

When the majority of the Assembly voted to adjourn sine die as a separate Assembly, we hoped to have continued this meeting in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church house in Decatur, but the church authorities of said Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Decatur refused permission for our session to be continued in that house. Thereupon the loyal commissioners repaired to the hall of the Grand Army of the Republic in Decatur, where these proceedings and transactions were had.

On motion the Assembly went into the selection of the next place of meeting; whereupon the birth place of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in Dickson County, Tenn., was chosen; and W. E. Dunaway, of Jackson, Tenn.; W. B. Young, of Clarksville, Tenn.; Rev. V. B. Costello, of Springfield, Tenn.; J. F. Dowdy, of Big Sandy, Tenn.; Joe H. Fussell, of Columbia, Tenn.; J. H. Zarecor, of Nashville, Tenn.; and A. D. English, of Dickson, Tenn.; were appointed a committee to devise the ways and means for the proper execution of this determination.

The Rev. R. D. Shook, of the Robert Donnell Presbytery, introduced the following preamble and resolutions, where were adopted:

Whereas, The Cumberland Presbyterian Church was born in one of the greatest revivals since the day of Pentecost; and,

Whereas, That revival was the result of earnest and fervent prayer; and,

Whereas, The Cumberland Presbyterian Church just now is in very great need of a renewed manifestation of God's presence with us and of His power over us, therefore, Resolved, That every preacher, ruling elder and member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church be urged to pray much and in strong faith to the God of all grace for a very great outpouring of His Holy Spirit upon our church and upon the whole world.

And, resolved furthermore, That we hereby set apart the 4th day of February, 1907, as a day of fasting and prayer and to plead with God most fervently in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that our entire church be endued with power from on high as was the case in the days of the apostles and in the days of the founders of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

The members of the various Boards of the Church having vacated their offices, on motion the following were elected to fill the various places named:

Board of Education--Rev. Allen Foust, McKenzie, Tenn.; Rev. J. D. Lewis, Claybrook, Tenn.; J. W. Smith, McKenzie, Tenn.; W. W. Hamilton, McKenzie, Tenn.; W. E. Dunaway, Jackson, Tenn..

Board of Ministerial Relief--Rev. J. H. Milholland, Charleston, Ill.; Rev. J. M. Wyckoff, Findlay, Ill.; Rev. R. D. Miller, Petersburg, Ill.

Board of Publication--I. A. Seagle, Chattanooga, Tenn.; T. A. Havron, Jasper, Tenn.; Rev. W. A. Erwin, Boon Hill, Tenn.; Rev. T. M. Hendrix, Berlin, Tenn.; Rev. M. A. Hunt, Jasper, Tenn.

Board of Sunday School and Young People's Work--Rev. T. Ashburn, Evansville, Ind.; Rev. J. T. Barbee, Owensville, Ky.; Wm. Reister, Evansville, Ind.; Wm. Riber, Decatur, Ill.

Board of Home Missions and Church Erection--Judge F. H. Prendergast, Marshall, Texas; Rev. W. M. Robison, Marshall, Texas; Wm. Clark, Jefferson, Texas; Rev. J. L. Joyner, Cordelle, Okla.; Frank Hall, Marshall, Mo.

On motion the following was adopted:

Resolved, That the brethren selected to constitute the various boards of the church be authorized to take out articles of incorporation, if thought advisable, and to add such additional names as may be thought necessary, and to concert such other measures as may be for the better interests of the matters intrusted to their hands.

Judge John B. Tally, of Alabama, offered the following, which was adopted:

Whereas, The majority of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church on the 23rd day of May, 1906, did accept the report of its committee on Fraternity and Union and did adopt the Joint Report of said committee and the committee on church co-operation and union of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. on the subject of reunion and union of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church; and,

Whereas, Said majority of the General Assembly by its Moderator, in accordance with said Joint Report, did "solemnly declare and publicly announce that the basis of reunion and union is now in full force and effect, and the the Cumberland Presbyterian Church is now reunited with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America as one church;" and,

Whereas, Said Moderator did declare said General Assembly adjourned sine die; and,

Whereas, Said action and announcements, in the solemn judgment of this the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, was without legal authority and in violation of the constitution of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and is of no binding force, therefore;

Resolved, That the action and announcements aforesaid be and the same are hereby rescinded.

Ruling Elder F. A. Seagle, of the Chattanooga Presbytery, offered the following resolution, which was adopted:

That it is the desire of this Assembly that we have an Evangelistic Committee located in Missouri and a Woman's Board of Missions. And that the Advisory Committee be empowered and urged to name said committee and board.

On motion the Advisory Committee was continued, and is as follows:

Rev. A. N. Eshman, Chairman, Nashville, Tenn.
J. H. Fussell, Columbia, Tenn.
J. B. Tally, Scottsboro, Ala.
W. B. Young, Clarksville, Tenn.
W. E. Dunaway, Jackson, Tenn.
J. H. Zarecor, Nashville, Tenn.

On motion the Legal Committee was continued, and is as follows:

Judge Joe H. Fussell, Chairman, Columbia, Tenn.
  "       J. J. McClellan, West Point, Miss.
   "       C. W. Allen, Paris, Texas.
   "       William Riester, Evansville, Ind.
   "       W. L. Welker, Knoxville, Tenn.
   "       Cornelius Hardy, Tishomingo, I. T.
   "       F. H. Prendergast, Marshall, Texas.
   "       J. B. Tally, Scottsboro, Ala.
   "       W. W. Haralson, Fort Payne, Ala.
Hon. J. H. Zarecor, Nashville, Tenn.
  "     J. N. Parker, Dyersburg, Tenn.
  "     James Armitage, Greeneville, Tenn.
  "     A. P. Haggard, Dayton, Tenn.
  "     W. B. Young, Clarksville, Tenn.

The Rev. R. L. Layman, of Missouri, offered the following resolution, which was adopted:

Resolved, That the Board of Missions be, and it is hereby directed, to provide for Synodical missionaries for all of the respective Synods as soon as possible.

On motion the Rev. A. C. Biddle, of Kentucky, was requested to prepare a paper setting forth the Assembly's appreciation of the merits of the Cumberland Banner and the importance of the work it has done. The paper prepared by Mr. Biddle is as follows:

That the General Assembly most heartily commends the "Cumberland Banner," now published at Jasper, Tenn., not as the church organ--for we are a little weary of "church organs"--but as a faithful and fearless exponent of Cumberland Presbyterianism in the hour of great trial; that we cordially indorse T. A. Havron, its self-sacrificing editor; and that we urge our Presbyteries to use diligence to give our paper the largest possible circulation within their bounds.

On motion, Judge Joe H. Fussell, of Tennessee, was made chairman of the Legal Committee.

On motion the Assembly adjourned to meet at the birth place of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Dickson County, Tenn., on the third Thursday of May, 1907, at 10:30 o]clock a.m. The Assembly was led in the concluding prayer by the Rev. W. T. Gregory, of Texas.

J. L. HUDGINS, Moderator.
T. H. PADGETT, Stated Clerk.

---

MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS

---

I--The Assembly Stated Clerk

Besides discharging the duties named in the Form of Government, the Assembly's Stated Clerk is required:

1. To discharge the duties of Engrossing Clerk, appointing such Temporary Clerks at each meeting of the Assembly as may be needed for his assistance. Minutes, 1872, p. 31; 1873, p. 34.

2. To furnish proper statistical blanks to the Stated Clerks of the lower Church courts. Minutes, 1873, p. 34; 1897, pp. 24, 46.

3. To report inefficient Stated Clerk to their Presbyteries and Synods. Minutes, 1889, p. 52; 1891, p. 15; 1898, p. 51.

4. The Stated Clerk's salary is $ ______ per annum, in addition to which he is allowed $ _______ a year for clerical assistance. Minutes, 1895, p. 47; 1896, p. 30; 1899, p. 63.

5. As far as he can do so consistently with other duties, he is to visit Church courts and congregations and give encouragement and direction toward the general welfare of the Church, and shall be permitted to use also the title "General Traveling Secretary." See Minutes of 1901, p. 15.

The Stated Clerk shall also act as the Assembly's Treasurer, for the collection and handling of Contingent Tax. See Minutes of 1900, p. 47.

To meet the contingent expenses of the Assembly, each Presbytery is required to pay annually, July 1, to the Assembly's Stated Clerk an amount equal to three cents for each resident church member in the Presbytery, as reported in Assembly Minutes. On July 1 the Assembly's Stated Clerk shall send a financial statement to each Presbyterial Treasurer. Minutes, 1898, p. 63; 1903, p. 71; 1905, p. 72.

The Assembly's Stated Clerk is not authorized to remit the tax of a Presbytery. Any Presbytery regarding itself as, from any cause, entitled to relief from this tax or any portion thereof, may, by the counsel and direction of its Synod, petition the Assembly to that effect. Minutes, 1898, p. 73.

These Supplementary Minutes will be sent, free of charge, to ordained ministers, clerks of sessions, the various Boards and schools of the Church and to any probationer requesting them. Others desiring the Minutes can secure them by addressing the Rev. T. H. Padgett, Jasper, Tenn., inclosing ten cents to cover postage.