J. R. Wallace

Church Case in the Supreme Court

The long drawn out Jamestown church case of Rev. J.R. Wallace against the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian church of North America was heard in the Supreme Court at Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Rev. Mr. Wallace was installed as pastor of the United Presbyterian church at Jamestown in 1871, and he held that position until 1892, when he and the session of his church began to disagree.  The result of this was that charges were preferred against Rev. Mr. Wallace in Lake Presbytery.  He was accused of failing a proper respect to the session.  There was a division in the church, many of the members taking the side of the pastor.  The Presbytery dismissed Rev. Mr. Wallace from his congregation and he took an appeal to the Synod.  The Synod reversed the Presbytery and reinstated him, and the Presbytery took an appeal to the General Assembly.  The General Assembly reversed the Synod.  Rev. Mr. Wallace was dismissed finally from his charge by this decision.

He filed a bill in equity against the General Assembly, asking that an injunction issue restraining it from interfering with him in his pastoral duties at the Jamestown church.  The bill was dismissed by the lower court and an appeal was taken by Rev. Mr. Wallace to the Supreme Court, and was heard as above stated.  No decision has yet been rendered.

Sharon Herald, Nov 3, 1899