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noted, transferred to the Gulfport church on December 6, 1976.
The next year was started with a budget of $27,087, and Lucimarian Roberts became the new organist for the church. She played beautifully, as she did everything she undertook. Still does. On July 17,	1977, moreover, Ray and Kay Coleman
were received into the fellowship of the church by profession of faith. So were the Hitchcock and Minegar families. All were welcomed.
On November 13th, Mack McCarty, Mark Minegar and Jack Wilbanks were elected Elders in the church. Ray Coleman and Tom Hitchcock were elected to the Board of Deacons, too.
At a congregational meeting on December 10,
1977,	Mrs. June Johnston moved, as seconded by Mrs. Marge Hitchcock, that special thanks be voted to Mr. and Mrs. John Hill and to Mrs. John McPhail for their "hard, but much needed work, which benefits us all." Approval thereof was unanimous and heartfelt.
1977	had not been without its problems, on the other hand. In a letter dated October 22, 1977, 13 complaints or grievances were made to the Presbytery's Commission on the Minister concerning the Reverend Terry Crimm. After three and a half years as pastor, he was categorized as "arbitrary, dictatorial, aggressive and extremely judgmental." Some had obviously been wounded deeply. (Shades of the prior charges made against the Session.)
After much discussion, prayer and consultation, a Special Meeting of the Session was held at which the Reverend Robert Wilson, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery, served as Moderator. John Hill was spokesman for the seventeen who had brought these charges. They were Mr. and Mrs. John Middleton, Mrs. Francis Voight, Mrs. Hilda Sallinger, Mr. Max Dossett, Mrs. M.C. Irving, Gen. and Mrs. Howard Haines, Mr. and Mrs. John Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Camille Schaefer, Mrs. Una Harris, Mr. and Mrs. Warren Sick, Sr., Mrs. Leona Hughes and Mrs. Marian W. Spillman.
Much discussion ensued, the Session declining to make any decision at this time. The Session, instead, played the roll of peacemaker, admitting to and finding a lack of communication, but noting


First Presbyterian Church History-of-the-First-Presbyterian-Church-53
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