The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-25
LOSS TO MAIN
STREET CHURCH
Rev. Leo Boone Thomas Resigns
as Pastor of the Baptist
Church After a Service of Five
and One Half Years
BELIEVES HIS WORK is
FINISHED IN WORCESTER

MI EuOt WIN ~ HIoNS " ildNN
Him ReConSider--LOSS of a
Pastor to the Church May
Hasten the Consolidation of
Some Baptist Churches
Rev. Leo Boone Thomas has resigned
the pastorate of the Main Street Bap-
fist Church. Deacon F.. l.. Durkee read
the letter of resignation yesterday
morning after the sermon.
Mr.. Thomas gives as his reason for
wishing to leave Worcester his be-
lief that his work here is done. He
has been the pastor bf Main Street
Church since July, 1895, and has seen
il grow in every direction under his
leadership Ills resignation was a
complete surprise to the small congre-
CATION whkh brayed the storm yester-
oay. Mr. Thomas, after preaching the
sermon, announced that he had come to
q decision to sever his connection with
the church the first OF the fall when he
returned from his vacation. Deacon
Durkee then read the following letter:
To the members of the Main Street
Baptist Church.
Dear brethren and sisters in Christ:
After five and half years of ex-
ceedingly pleasant labor among you
as your pastor, l feel 1t now to be my
unwelcome duty to ask you to release
line from that sacred Office The many
fond memories of the years just passed
shall linger ever the most precious
treasures of my heart. The Lord has
blessed our church abundantly. No
one reason, but many, lead me to the
decision which brings my resignation
before you. That decision has been
prayerfully and thoughtfully made, and
] hereby tender my resignation to take
be able to do better and better di-
rected work as the years go on but
never l believe more work than in the
present passionate.
May the Lord be with you and bless
you and make your pathway to shine
more and more with the dawning of
, the perfect day.
: Faithfully and cordially,
! LEO BOONE THOMAS.
After the reading Of the letter the
= church voted to refer the resignation
Of the standing eomnnitsee of tbs
, church and that the committee ask
Z Mr.. Thomas to reconsider his decision
I There Will be meeting for this pur-
= pose tonight at " Dread Street, the
: residence of f. l.. Durkee chairman OF
the standing committee. Mr.. Thomas
; said yesterday that there was little
y, probability of his being induced to re-
: main in Worcester. However, he would
: | not affirm positively that his decision
I might not be changed.
Rev. Leo Boone Thomas is a grad
uate of Harvard College in the class of
. 81, and Of Newton Theological lnsti-
tute, a. He received a call to the
First Baptist Church of Colorado
4 Springs, Col, the second largest Bap-
i fist Church in the state, the largest
one being in Denver. The church waS
:. burdened with heavy debt which was
E raised during his short pastorate of
two years. In this time also the mem
; bership increased nearly 100 per cent,
I Mr.. Thomas arrived in Worcester to
take up his permanent residence, July
4 3, 1896. He had preached here the
{ March preceding when the impression
{ that he made was so favorable that 1t
resulted in call being extended. In
accepting this call. Mr. Thomas acted
with full knowledge of the condition
of the church and with the realization
that it was a hard field to work in.
During the five and one half years that
ne has been here the church has grown
in every way. At his coming it num-
y bered about 100 resident members; now
= II has $50, a net gain in membership
! OF about 60 per cent
! The Sunday school has gained over
l 30 per cent and the membership of
the Young Peoples Society has dou-
E bled
Mr.. Thomas has been very active in
Christian work throughout the city.
: He has been known as the Y NJ c. A
pastor because he was always ready to
help out the association in every way
possible and took much interest in its
work. When the Worcester Temper
ance Federation was organized in 1899
Mr.. Thomas was elected president and
continued in that Office till this year
1t was due largely 10 his efforts that
. the license majority was so small at
the last municipal election.
Mr.. Thomas has been ably assisted
in his work by his wife. Mrs Thomas
is an expert in the sign language and
for about three years has had a class
of some 30 deaf mutes connected with
the church. These unfortunates were
greatly disturbed yesterday when they
found that they were soon to lose their
teacher. Under Mr.. Thomas pastor
ate the Chinese branch of the Sunday
school has increased from 10 to about
30 members.
The relations between church and
pastor have been very cordial and ex-
. pressions Of regret at his decision to
leave Worcester were heard yesterday
on every mana. Inc young people es-
pecially who have been received into
the church by him feel the loss which
his removal will bring to them.
Mr.. Thomas has no other place def
, nitely in view, although he is in COM
munication with several
; After Dec. 81, when his resignation
takes effect, he expects to spend some
time at the home of his father. Rev.
DR.. Jesse B. Thomas at Newton. in
rest and study
The resignation OF Mr.. Thomas brings
! again into the foreground the possi-
bilities Of union between the Baptist
Churches of the centre Of the city.The
Main Street Church is in good condi-
ton but it cannot be called a bie
church. The First Baptist Church al
Salem Square is the largest BAPTIST
Church in the city in point of member
. ship but its location preeludes any
, possibility of its growing larger in
: its present situation. There has been
D a good deal Of talk Of the two uniting.
t and although there is strong feeling
j in opposition. it is not impossible that
e this may eventually happen That
= something must be done soon If the
r | Baptist denomination is to retain its
E present strength in the city, is the
l | opinion Of many of It's leading men,
bers.
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