The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-25
RET II. LEE MIICHELL HAS RE
SIGNED FROM HIS PASTOBATE,
He Has Been Pastor of the Grand Avenue
Congregational Church for Eleven
May IA Special Meeting VIII be Held
to Consider the Matter

i
| ton would come so soon. He read his
communication to the church at yester-
| day mornings service, and his reasons
are set forth as follows:
ITO the Grand Avenue Congregations
Church and First Ecclesiastical Soci-
ETY. of Fair Haven:
my Dear People-The slow and I'M
| willing determination having at length
| formed in my mind to lay down my Of
| flee as your pastor, / use this opportu-
nifty to inform you of it. That this de-
termination has not been formed hastily
| the fact that | have been your pastor
eleven years is witness; that it has not
| been formed unfeelingly the fact
known to some of you, that have been
repeatedly tempted to form 1t before
| and have refused for no other reason
| that 1 could discover than my strong
attachment to you is witness. l can
give no reason for leaving you except
| the growth of judgment that we can
be of more use to our common Master
apart
Il thank you for the liberty of life
and thought / have enjoyed among you.
Whatever does any man do who cannot
freely preach what he conscientiously
thinks? truly believe you to be the
most tolerant congregation in America,
and that to that we owe the great hap
piness of our life together these eleven
years.
THE men and women to whom this
resignation is read are not the men and
women who called me here eleven years
1t xx,,I
communication should consider their
memory so grateful to me, and trust
that / have their permission to lay
down the commission they gave me.
II desire this resignation to take CT
feet on or before May /, if a council
shall 80 advise, and ask you to unite
with me in calling such council as
soon as possible.
u. LEE MITCHELL"
Despite the fact that 1t was known
that Mr.. Mitchell had received at least
two calls, and these seemed much proh-
ability that he would resign. many of
hear the communication yesterday. DR..
Mitchell, in the eleven years he has
been in this community, has endeared
himself to the people by his genial man
ners and big heartedness. He was
friend of all and seemed about as well
acquainted outside his congregation as
in 1t. He is good preacher, an excel
lent pastor, kind in his ministry to the
sick and ever ready to perform last sad
rites in burying the dead. To lose such
a man Is a great loss to every commu-
nifty. And there was much sorrow in
the Grand avenue congregation when
the resignation was read yesterday.
DR.. Mitchell said to representative
of this paper that he knew Of no feeling
against him in the church--the people
desired him to remaIn--but he felt that
1t was best he should 60 He said his
leaving was not a question Of money;
but the feeling had been formed as he
expressed 1t in his communication, that
after eleven years of service 1t was best
that he should lay down the work.
Dr. Mitchell succeeded Rev. DIR. Bur-
dett Hart, now Of Philadelphia, the we'll
known and elderly retired clergyman,
pastor emeritus of the church. DR..
Mitchell was a graduate of Harvard
class of 50, and of Union
seminary, New York. His
first pastorate was at Cadillac, Mich,
where he met and afterwards married
his wife. He began his pastorate Of the
Grand avenue church eleven years ago
Since coming to New Haven
he received the degree of Phi. D. in the
department of history in Yale unlversi-
fy. The church has more than doubled
In membership during his stay and now
has nearly eight hundred members. 1t
should be said however, that while the
has so largely increased,
the church is not as strong financially
FOR the reason that number Of wealthy
members have either died or moved
away from the parish. The church is
lut of debt, but is not In condition to
pay a $4,000 salary that DR.. Mitchell
once received, but has paid him the past
year $4,000,
At the close Of the service yesterday
morning many of the congregation lin
yered in the vestibule to discuss the sit
lation. There seemed much regret that |
hey were to lose their pastor. One |
said:
1.-THE whole thing amounts to about |
his DIR. Mitchell Is a $4,000 man and |
We cannot afford at the present time to |
)ay more than $1,000. 1t is safe to say |
hat ninety in every hundred are |
sorry to have him leave. But some of |
lis best friends have advised him that |
lnder the circumstances he has done |
he right thing. Few pastorates last |
leven years. But DR.. Mitchell is great
Y liked, and there will be regret when
lie leaves u.s."
Several members said they would |
double their subscriptions to
AVE DR.. Mitchell remain. 1t is be-
ieved that an attempt will be made by
ONE to have the resignation with
rawn, but that will hardly be done. A
pecial meeting will be held this evening
0 consider the resignation.
Mr. Mitchell has not decided where he
,ill go, but it is likely to be either New |
'ork city or Attleboro, Mass, having
rgent calls to churches in both cities
lie mas preached Two or three times 10
large church in Attleboro and the peo-
lie are very anxious for him to come
1ere 1t is large and influential
hureh, and it is understood the salary
SO, 900, or more. He preached there a
eek ago yesterday, and since then
ley have sent him a letter telling him
} let nothing stand in the way of his
1ming to them. The New York call is
lso said to be a flattering one.