George H. Yarnall 1892-1894 

On May 30, 1882 a call was extended to the Rev’d George H. Yarnall of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at $1500 per annum and this call was accepted.  Through hard work he quickly eliminated the debt of the parish and began planning for the construction of a new church building since the former was no longer adequate for the needs of the parish.  During his rectorate the vestry was increased to 12 members (two wardens and 10 vestrymen).  Also a weekly celebration of the Holy Communion became the rule of the parish on the First Sunday after Trinity, 1892.

His letter of resignation is as follows: 

St. John’s Rectory
Passaic, N.J.

To the Wardens & Vestrymen of St. John’s Parish

Gentlemen—

I herewith tender my resignation as Rector of St. John’s Parish to take effect at once.  My health has broken completely & my Doctor says I must have a long rest.  It is a great grief to me to give up a work that I loved so dearly.  No man ever had a more faithful & devoted Vestry.  May GOD’s fullest blessing rest upon your work, which I know He will bring to perfection.  Brethren pray for me that I may fully recover.

Faithfully yours,

Geo. H. Yarnall

Dec. 8^th, 1893

The Rector’s resignation letter was reprinted in the Passaic Daily News of December 9, 1893 along with an explanation of his illness.  The article said in part:  “Mr. Yarnall’s resignation was, with much regret, accepted bythe Vestry.  Bishop Starkey has arranged for the Rev. Mr. Melvin Honeyman of Newark, to conduct the services in St. John’s Church to-morrow.  The 8 o’clock morning service will be omitted.  The other services will be held as usual.  Mr. Yarnall’s breakdown will be a sudden blow to the members of his parish.  Very few of them knew that his health had been affected at all and it was a complete surprise to all but two of the vestrymen when the resignation was read last night.  Dr. Edwin DeBaun says that his patient has collapsed completely and it is utterly impossible for him to continue in the parish.  He thinks it one of the severest cases of nervous prostration he has ever met with and thinks that it will take a year’s rest to restore Mr. Yarnall to health.  Under these circumstances there was nothing for him to do but to resign.  He has been slaving ever since he came to the parish, and to leave just as the new church is being built is a great disappointment, but he felt that unless he made way for a new rector, everything would be at a standstill till he was able to get back to work.”  It appears that for a time he was allowed to remain at the rectory and the parish had supply clergy to perform the services.