Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-06-01
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The Services at the Installation of the
New Pastor.

The Services at the Installation of the
New Pastor.
The installation service, at the INSTALL
ing of the new pastor, Rev. Arthur Pea
body Pratt, last Thursday afternoon, was
an affair of much interest and largely at
tended by citizens of all the churches
here and many from the surrounding
towns. The service opened al 2 o'clock
by the organization of a council composed
of churches in nCighborng towns and GER
tain interested ministers of other To-
calities. The council chose as moderator
Rev. G. H. Merrill of st. Johnsbury and
Rev. r. W. Roundy of Ludlow, scribe
The records of the church were produced
showing the vacancy caused by the res
ignatton last year of Rev. ]. T. Stocking
to accept call from a Newton, Mass,
church; also the record of the church in
extending the call, in March of the pres
ent year, to Rev. Arthur Peabody Pratt
of Chelsea, Mass, and his acceptance
Mr.. Pratt was presented to the council
and gave an interesting account of his
religious experience, his education and his
work in different pastorates which he had
served.
Mr. Pratt was born in Dorchester
Mass, SO years ago, received his educa-
ton at the Boston Latin school and took
his college degree from Boston university
in 1896. He then went to Andover Theo-
logical seminary, and while there spent
some time in Europe studying social con-
ditions, principally in London and Paris
His specialties are along philosophical and
sociological lines He took his seminary
degree of S. T. B. in 1901. While in the
seminary and for five years previous to
1903, Mr.. Pratt served as acting pastor of
the church in Berlin, Mass In 1908 he was
called to an important church H. chelsea,
Mass, where he has since been located,
until his resignation of about a year ago,
two largo churches there having been
merged into one.
Mr.. Pratt's exposition of his theological
views was deeply interesting and may
be termed as leaning toward the liberal
views OF today, although by no means an
extremist in that respect. His statement
OF experience and views covered the
ground so fully that at it's close Rev. II.
r. Miles of Brattleboro, in q neat speech
moved that the council dispense with fur
ther questions of the candidate, but pro-
coed at once TO deliberate by themselves.
The moderator stated this to be an ac-
ton never before taken in Vermont but
the council wholly concurred and after
short elaboration voted unanimously to
install the candidate and adjourned until
evening for the purpose.
At 7.30 p. m. the public meeting of the
council occurred at which the scribe read
the record of the action of the council
and the installation ceremony was pro-
ceeded with. II was as follows: Invoca-
ton by Rev. c. H Merrill of st. Johns
bury, scripture reading by Rev. r. w.
Roundy of Ludlow, prayer by Rev John
Fl. Reid of Walden, N. Y, followed by a
hymn, when Morning Gilds the Skies"
installation sermon by Rev Asher An
derson, d. D., of Boston, secretary of the
National Evangelical Alliance, his topic
being the importance of the ministry
preaching Jesus Christ instead of the
minor doctrines of theology; installation
prayer by Rev. c. H. Merrill Of st. Johns
bury, followed by the hymn, Jesus shall
Reign Where'er the SUM-" the charge to
the pastor was given by Rev. H. L. Bal
lou of Chester; the charge to the people
by Rev. j. T. Stocking of Newton, Mass.
the right hand of fellowship was extended
by Rev. H. R. Miles of Brattleboro; the
fraternal greetings of other local churches
by Rev. c. w. Jackson of the Bellows
Falls Baptist church, and following the
doxology by the congregation, the ben
ediction was pronounced by the newly
installed pastor
The entertainment of the visiting rep
resentatives from other churches to the
number of about 40 was a pleasant az
fair. The ladies of the society served a
generous supper to about 65 including
many OF the local prominent church of
ficials.