[p. 51]
His ministry in Medford was eminently successful, the church and congregation having been greatly increased.
Gordon Winslow.
Mr. Warner's successor was the Rev. Gordon Winslow, who was installed June 12, 1833.Aware that a few of his people were dissatisfied with his preaching, he resigned his office Sept. 21, 1834, after a pastorate of but fifteen months.
The church assembled September 23, and, ‘recognizing that there were embarrassments in the path of Mr. Winslow's usefulness, voted to grant his request,’ and at the same time ordered the following record:
‘That we respect Mr. Winslow as a man of unblemished moral, Christian, and ministerial character and cannot doubt that under other circumstances and in many parts of the Lord's vineyard he may be a useful and successful minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.’
The council which met on October 15 to dismiss Mr. Winslow prescribed as one of the conditions of his dismission that he should be paid one year's salary ‘as a just and reasonable compensation for the expenses of a settlement and of those which must result from so speedy a dismission.’
The church and society did not accept the condition, and the council was again convened November 12, and decided to dismiss him unconditionally, ‘appealing to the sense of justice in the minds of the church and people in regard to the amount of compensation.’ The Society voted that he had been duly compensated for his services and refused farther payment.
