The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-04
REV. Mr.. MASON RESIGNS
MS P1STORATE or ROOSTER PLACE
BAPTIST on URCH.

Rev. Mr.. Mason, pastor Of the First
Baptist church, has rendered his resig-
nation. The following letter explains
the case and the reasons for the pas
tors action:
To the First Baptist Church:
| Dear Brethren--I desire to take this
! occasion to present to you some strong
! grounds for encouragement in the con-
/ dition and in the prospects of our
! church. You win agree with me that
the winter just closed has been one of
the best in our history. Many members
| have been added to us and new chan
/ nels of Christian activity have been
| opened.
The fact that we are the farthest
down town of any Protestant church
in the city and that our own people are
constantly moving away is fact that
cannot be forgotten, of course. But
let me tell you of some things which l
have seen since / became your pastor
nearly seven years ago.
/. AS regards membership. Although
our downtown problem has been
| growing ever more apparent and our
own people have been steadily moving
| into newer parts Of the city, far from
| Wooster square, although our roll has
| twice been subjected to searching re-
| vision resulting in the dropping of
many names, although we have dis
missed two large colonies for the form
alton of new churches, and although
I there are to-day twice as many Ameri-
| can Baptist churches in the city as
there We're seven years ago, yet our
own membership is considerably larger
| than it was at that time.
| 2. AS regards our benevolent offer
| ings. Prior to 1889 these had for some
years ranged between $4,000 and $4,000
1 In 1889 they rose to $3400, in 1890 they
were $500, in 1892 $4,000, in 1893 $500.
! In 1894 they were $4,000, and in 1895 they
We're $4,000. This large amount, how
ever, included one exceptional and ex-
traordinary individual offering for a
special purpose, and it is not to be re-
| garded as the standard for the future.
! Furthermore, these figures would be
entirely misleading did l not hasten to
| add that the remarkable increase not
| ed is due rather to the increasing gen
! erosity of one or two individual men,
| bers Of the church than to that of the
| rank and file of it's membership. But
| at the same time one of the most no.
/ ticeable and gratifying features of our
work has been the steady growth in the
| number of givers among those of slen-
| der means.
During this same period, at least up
| to the beginning of the hard times
| two years ago, as members of the So
| cietys committee have informed me,
our current expenses have been met
| more easily than in earlier years.
3. AS regards the internal condition of
| the church. The unity and harmony
existing in the First Baptist church
| have long been proverbial. So far as
| l can learn this condition has never
been more apparent than at the present
time
4. AS regards our Sunday school.
| While our Sunday school has probably
suffered more than any other depart
ment of our church life through the
| changing conditions in our neighbor-
| hood, yet in it's most important branch
| (the primary Department. it has never
known anything like the strength and
promise which are found in it to-day.
In view of these facts and conditions
I feel justified in presenting herewith
my resignation as pastor, to take effect
on Sunday, June IA. If you were in
adversity I should feel bound to re-
main until / could help you to better
| things, or until / had proved my ina
| bility to do SO.
Nevertheless, 1t is idle to disguise the
| fact that the future will have In it some
grave questions for our church to con-
slider. The question of the removal of
| the church edifce has been in many
! minds and doubtless might find not a
| few advocates among our wisest and
most active members. I have given
much thought to this matter myself,
| and I find the question involved in
Inany conflicting considerations. Yet
I am firmly persuaded that the removal
of our church ediflce would not be ac-
companied with the Masters blessing,
| If such removal meant the abandon
ment of our present field. For while it
is true that the population that is de-
| parting from us is American and the
population which is coming in is largely
| foreign and not easily accessible to
| Protestant churches, yet there is still
a. great field which ought not to be
| abandoned. And if the present church
| home were to be removed a vigorous
| mission should be maintained in the
| eastern part of the city.
But I am persuaded that there is
| something better than that Why may
not this church, remaining where 1t is,
adopt some new measures and new
methods and put new spirit of devot-
ed energy into its work for the east
side? Much has been done of late in
| the very direction indicated. But 1t
| seems to me that the time is ripe for
much larger work.
Now, every one knows the value of
new leadership in the opening of a new
era A fresh voice in the pulpit and
| other methods of administration than
those most familiar are likely to awak-
en- dormant energies, and TO call out the
activities of some who might otherwise
miss their opportunity. Il find that
| only two pastorates in the entire his
tory of the church, covering eighty
years, have been as long as mine)
But my thought for you goes farther
still. I believe there might well be
| readjustment of salaries, not for the
sake of reducing expenses, but for the
| sake of increasing the force of special
| helpers. The noble work of Mrs. Dur
ham and the splendid fruits of it must
have convinced every one that such
work is indisDensable If at least one