The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-01-21

COinnlttee, IL. NJ. PrentlSS, Miss Maud K
Russell, Miss Nellie Hopkins, Sunda,
school committee; E. S. Bowker, Fl. M
Prentiss, B. L. Davis, Leslie B. Gardner
| Arthur Stantial, Welcoming committee
Miss Caroline W. Field, Miss Alice Poor
Miss Margaret Hazeltine, Floral committee
Mrs. Ada Wiley, Miss Julia Perry, Miss L.
A. Mcdowell, Mrs. Calvin Hubbard, Com.
mittee on City Missions. The meeting
closed with the benedctiOn by the pastor.
RESIGNATION OF REV. GEoRGES S. MILLS.
AT the morning service in the North church
last Sunday the pastor read the following
letter, and while it was not unexpected, the
fact of his call to another church having
been made known some days before, many
of the congregation were affected to tears
The letter fully explains the situation:
To the members of the First Congregational
Church and Society, Belfast, Me:
MY DEAR PEOPLE: 1t is customary to
ask fellow pastor, i'll exchange of pulpits,
to read such a letter as l am about to read
to you. But have preferred to say for N.Y.
self, difficult as it is for me to say it, what
is necessary to be said.
You already know of the invitation that
iitto SoinC w HiC w uCCCpI tuc pdSlUTdGG OI
another church, the Second Congregational
in Bennington, vt. For some time | have
been aware of the possibility of this church's
making an approach to me, and although
the formal call has been bat recently re-
ceived, the matter has been weighed care
fully IN my mind, and the decision have
reached Is deliberate and conscientious. 1t
has seemed best to accept the unanimous
and hearty Invitation to the pastorate in
Bennington, upon your consent to nv reSIg-
nation OF the pastOrate here, which | am
sure you will not wish to refuse, knowing
my sincere and fixed purpose, subject Of
course to the approval of council of the
churches of our faith and order in this
vlclnage, which l ask you to unite with me
in calling at an early day.
1t is appropriate that make brief state
ment of the reasons for this decision, which
has cost me more pain than any other de-
cision l ever made. | think YOU under
stand my. position and the conditions per
fectly. Ii it were question Of inclination,
simply, should choose to continue in the
work of the Christian ministry where |
have formed attachments of friendship and
good will, of rare strength and sympathy,
dare to believe, that will endure through
life; to keep a home that has been more
dear than any other, not even excepting the
home OF boyhood, which was a mutable
one, as l am minister's son and so born to
this unhappy lot of partings and new begin
nlngs; and to serve a church that has been
notably loyal to its pastors But the real
question is one of judgment rather than of
inclination.
1t IS not far from nine years ago that you
called me to be your pastor and teacher
That is a long time. | came here from the
seminary with small experience The years
for me have been years of study of men
and books and of learning how to do things,
of some growth in wisdom and ability, and,
| n J,t
been to you | do not know | have helped
some of you. have wanted to help you
all. But what you have taught me, what
have gained through experiment, feel, can
best be developed and applied elsewhere
1t is very probable too that you need now a
different type OF minister, with other abli~
ties and aptitudes, to strengthen lines of
your church's life and activity that | have
done little with. Then it is for my own
proper advantage also IN ways that | can
not afford to Overlookfor the sake of my
family, whose maintenance and education
is my first duty as man, which takes pre-
cedence of my duty as a minister, and for
the sake of the inspiration of a new and
different work which aids pastor in the
cOnSecration of his service to more effective
results.
| can not make plain to you how hard it
IS for me To say these things. | have no
slightest fault to find with you. No church
feet, and there are some things | have wish
Ell to accomplish among you that have not
succeeded in doing. But your spirit of
kindness and generosity, your willingness
to try to 90 what was asked of you in rea-
Sonabe request, your confidence in your
pastor, your tolerance of the faultiness of
the young man, your appreciation of his
purposes, are matters of lasting grateful
memory to me, for which thank YOU. And
speak here as well for the pastors wife,
who is not formally called or dismissed by
any church, but whose assistance and in
splratlon are Invaluable for whatever inca
sure of success may have been obtained.
AS the other church, which has been
without pastor for some months, has ex-
pressed the desire that | might come to
them at as early a date as possible, l have
thought to fix upon the third Sunday of
February, the 21st, as the time of entering
upon the new pastorate. Therefore would
i if it so please you, on Thursday evening
of this week.
But one word more. | am very hopeful
of the future of this church. We have pass
ed through period of stress and sorrow.
Old and valued members have gone from
tions. But faithfully and courageously
those who remained have taken up the bur
den and done the work. To-day, it is my
conviction, the outlook is far brighter thar
it was two years ago. The record of oul
last annual meeting is in witness, and Other
signs have multiplied. l am confident fol
you. You will secure good pastor. Ant
he will lead you on into better things Thai
will be my JOY as much as his and yours
My love for you abides-no church can evel
be to me what you have been, my frs
church. And my prayers will follow yol
every one all the days of our lives Ma,
our Lord and Master, the Great Head O
the church, have us in his holy keeping
Amen.
Affectionately your pastor and friend,
| GEORGE SHERMAN MILLS
| n-pr.x