St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-01-11
DR.. LAMSON RESIGNS.


At the annual meeting of the
North Congregational church the
the following letter of resignation
was read:
To the North Church, St. JohnsburY:
Dear Brethren-I desire by this letter
to lay before you my resignation as
pastor.
For more than eight years l have
sought, with all the sincerity of which l
am capable, to live as your minister in
the service of our Lord Christ. In this
labor | have felt your deep and constant
sympathy. l am sure that we have be-
come friends through our common loyal
ty to the truth that unites and blesses
all who love and serve it. By your
devotion to the church, your spirit of
charity, your responsiveness to the
claims OF the Gospel, by what you
have done and by what you have been
you have builded ourselves into my
life and made me feel that the North
church was a place of spiritual rest and
power. | owe to you more than can be
! told and am grateful for what you have
given of that which nourishes and COM
forts life. May l hope that my loyalty
to you and to the church that is so
honored and deserving of honor has
made my labor with you not in vain.
! | have received a call to minister IN an
other field of Christian service. You
! have also renewed your own call and
made it most tenderly influential and
emphatic. Children close by the cradle
and men close by the grave have united
in the desire that l ''abide with you"
While | am sure that you have over
estimated my worth, | am also sure that
no one can over-estimate the sincerity
| and earnestneSS of the wish of the whole
| congregation that | should obey the call
| that is old and new. | have considered
it by day and by night. Indeed as l re-
view the past weeks 1t seems as If | had
considered nothing else. The apparent
| balance of personal comfort, the interest
and Joy l have in the town and the
| beauties of its surroundings, the strong
tender ties of love to the North church
all joined with your call that | should
remain in your service.
But strong considerations have been
presented against this decision. Men
having no direct interest in the church to
which | am called, but in the great
cause of the church in general, have pre-
scented claims that have seemed to me
full of reason and power. The needs
and opportunities of another work have
without my seeking been insistent in
their appeals to my sense of duty. They
have urged themselves, even against my
desire and choice, with force am un-
able to resist. | will not assume that
my motives are unmixed with selhshness
l can, however, say that | have sought
to keep nv soul opened toward God and
in real trust to learn his will. can
assure you, friends, that Il have waited
on the Lord" The deep conviction has
come that ought to assume the burdens
and difficulties-lnd | know them to be
| he church that has hTnuOht
| its work to my thought. l know that
in this l am causing you trouble and
pain, and it is to me a great sorrow
that any act of mine should give you
grief 1t is also a sorrow that l cannot
prove to you that the work presented is
my duty. l can only ask you to be
lieve me when 1 say, l think it is my
duty. Thus thinking there IS nothing
left for me but to obey
therefore ask for your acceptance o
this resignation and the appointment O.
a committee to arrange for the termina
tion of my pastorate in accordance
with the usage of the Congregations
churches l leave the date for this tC
your wisdom, but suggest that it be
near the end of the present month.
Yours in the work of the church.
CHARLES NJ. LAMsoN.
St. Johnsbury, Jan. 6, 1894.
1t was voted to accept Dr.. Lam
sons resignation and com mittee
of three were appointed to arrange
with him for a council of dismissal
Franklin Fairbanks, L. 6. Spencer
and Robert Mackinnon were ap
pointed on this committee. The
date of the council will be Jan. %
: The following resolution was ther
, offered and unanim ously adopted;
Whereas, our pastor, DIR. Lamson, ha
received and accepted a call to the Cente
| church of Hartford, Conn, and has
/ rendered his resignation to this church
: therefore
Resolved, That we take this oppor
tunity to express our high appreciation
| OF his untiring devotion to the interests
! and welfare of this church, during th
, eight years of his ministry with us, anc
the deep and sincere love and esteem W.
= have for him and Mrs. Lamson; also th
, great sorrow and regret we feel ia part
ing with them.
DIR. Lamson's departure will be {
great loss to the church and to thi
: entire community. AS a pastor h
= has endeared himself to his church
and congrega ton, and their regret II
,, very deep. AS a citizen he has taket
an active part in everything that ad
s vanced the best interests of this town