Telegram-herald., 1890-03-06
THE PASTOR RESI- sNs.
Rev. Dr. Tupper Lays Down . charge
witch He Has A bly, berns.

According 10 arrangements, Key. Kerr
B. Tupper presented h's formal resig-
nation Of the pAstorate OF the foun-
tain-street Baptist Church .ast evening,
D.. J. c. Buchanan the chair. By the
action Of Or. Tupper himself, the
church had no choice beyond the inn
mediate acceptance Of the resignation,
which was made. Dr. Tupper expects
70 enter upon MS Denver work either
18th or 20th of April. He viii leave
Grand Rapids the 24th inst, and wih
make short business trip 70 Florida.
The following is the full text OF the
resignation:
To the Members Of Fountain street Baptist
Church. OIand Rapids. Nich.
My DEAR BRErHREN-l hereby tender
my resignation as your pastor, 10 ac-
cept a similar position IA connection
with the First baptist Church, Denver,
Col.
The fact is known 70 you al that IN
1855 the Denver church extended 10
me an urgent call 10 serve them a pas
tor. This call /, almost without hesi-
tauon, declined for a two-tOld reason;
First, the then existing bonded indebt-
edness of our church here, which
wished TO see removed during my pas
torate with you; and, second, the for
/ native condition of our city mission
work, for whose more successful prose-
cuuon and growth felt God might use
me, were 10 remain with you. In the
accomplishment of each of these i'm
portant objects we have been permitted, 4,
| through the goodness of our common
| Lord, to rejoice, the bonded indebted
ness having been entirely cancelled,
| the Charles-street Mission and the
Calvary Nilsson, each. developed
INTO regularly organized and
recognized churches, and the
Emmanuel and Berean Nj issiOns, pro-
vided respectively with a lot and a
| chapel. Now, another invitation has
come TO me from this Western Church
! an invitation entirely unsolicited and
i unexpected. with the same heartness
! aud unanimity that characterized the
former call, and with the provision That
| shall have an assistant pastor to aid
me in pastoral and mssiOn-work-and
/ have decided that it Is my duty 10 ac-
cept this invitation, and TO sever the
| hallowed ties which, for nearly five
years, have bound me TO you.
Aud be assured, beloved brethren,
that this important step Is taken by
me, not without much prayer, solicl-
tude and pain. My relations with you
during the years of our ecclesiastical
union have been of the pleasantestchar-
acter. The inspiring congratulations that
have uniformly attended on Lord 5
Day services and weekly prayer-meet-
lngs, the large accessions to our number
since 1885 (by letter, experience and
baptism about 300, the readiness and
generosity with which you have re-
sponded TO my appeals for enlarged
city mission work and the cordial greet
ings always given my family and my
self IN your homes-all these
things, and others unmen-
toned here, have been source
of constant and inspiring delight TO my
heart. Every mark of respect which a
pastor should expect of his people you
have shown me. Ny opinions have
been generously respected, my interests
guarded and protected. In my de-
parture to a new sphere of labor /
shall bear sweet memories of my asso,
Citations with all classes among yoH
young and OLD, IN the mouse OF worship
and IN the home. From such ties as
bind US nothing would separate me but
a strong, unyieldng sense Of duty.
In conclusion, may ask that you
crafty me by accepting this resignation
on the day that it is offered,
the resignation 10 take effect and
my pastoral work here to close
March %, 1890. Ny reason for this
request is that, feeling the need of
short season of rest before entrance
upon my Denver work, | desire, with
my family, to go South for few weeks
before the weather IN that section be-
comes uncOmfort9bly warm. | hope
that you may find 1t convenient and
agreeable to acquiesce in this request.
That the great Head Of the church
may be with YOU in all your future,
guiding you in all truth, is the wish
and prayer of
Your affectionate pastor,
KERR b. TUPPEl