Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-10-11
REV. SUMNER TO LEAVE.
Called TO PaStorate of Pilurim
Church, Minneapolis.

Rev. F. A. Sumner, nearly fivt
years pastor OF the Congregations
church of Little Falls, has accepted
a call to the pastorate of Pilgrim
Congregational chnrch at, Minnea
polls, one OF the largest and mos,
important churches of the denomi
nation in the state.
At the close of the regular services
Sunday morning MIR. Sumner read
his letter Of resignation to the con.
gregation as follows:
Little Falls, Minn., Oct. 9Th, 1901.
To the officers and members of the
First Congregational church OF
Little Falls, Mfnn.
DEAR BRETHREN AND FR1ENDs:-
A little more than four years and
a half ago when I received your kind
and enthusiastic call to become the
pastor OF this church, it came to me
as the call of God to take up a larger
and more needy work than the one
in which I was 80 pleasantly en-
gagged.
! accepted it as such and have not
in the years we have been together
had occasion to regret the step TAX
en-.
Because OF your loving, consider.
ate. united and faithful work our re-
latiOns have been all that could be
desired as pastor and people.
The success of the work has been
largely due to the faithfulness of the
officers connected with the work oil
the church and the response that
has come from your hearty cooper.
alton with their plans.
I feel that you look upon the
church as of more value than the
leader. And with your excellent or.
ganization and with your increase
In numbers and financial strength
you are certainly more hopeful for
the future than when I came among
you, and feel that with the same
united and faithful effort that has
ever characterized your church life a
bright and honored history awaits
this church.
Since I have been your pastor
several communications have come
to me from churches, three OF them
larger in numbers and salary than
this, in regard to a change ofpastor
ate. Until this time have firmly laid
aside all .overtures OF this nature.
Some days ago, as some OF you. al
ready know, I received a unanimous
and urgent call from the Pilgrim,
Congregational church OF Mime.
apolis to become. it's pastor. After
most careful and prayerful consider.
alton and investigation, l find the
church to be one of the largest OF
'our way in the state, With a Sun.
day school OF over six hundred mem.
bers, located in what is now grow
ing portion OF the city with import
ant and urgent problems to solve.
The need and Importance OF the field
with the prOvidential circumstances
connected with the "call' appeals to
me in the same way that your call
appealed to me when l came to YOU.
And feel it my duty to take up the
work thus brought to me. TO this
end and for these reasons I now,
with much reluctance to break the
"tle that binds as pastor and peO-
pie, and with heartfelt gratitude for
all your kindness to us, now give
back to you the trust committed to
me as pastor of this church, and dc
now resign my pastOrate over this
people.
In view of the need and urgency OF
tiOn to take effect the last Sabbath
OF this month that I may take uI
work in the Pilgrim church the first
Sabbath in November. I trust that
as speedily as you'can,yOu will cal
a~meeting and actafavorably upon
this resignation andlet me go with
your blessing. And I would su ggest
that you soon appoint a pastoral
committee to consider the selection
| OF my successor. And J pray that
you may he guided in divine way
in the choice of a wise leader to carry
on the work SO we'll begun.
Respectfully submitted,
F. A. SUMNER, pastor.
The people of the city, without re-
gard to denomination, will regret
Mr.. Summers departure. He has
always been ready and willing tt
help in promoting the city's welfare
and in using his influence toward {
kindly and liberal feeling between
the churches. Under his pastorat'
| the COnpreQ ati0nal chnrch has in