The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-12
REV. DR. MUTCH
 GOING TO RIPON COLLEGE
HAS BEEN PASTOR OF HOWARD AYE. CoNG'L CHURCH FOR
 EVERYTHING YEARS

His Letter to the Members of the How-
 ard Avenue Church In Which He
 Gives His Reasons for Rendering His
 Resignation--Win Become Professor
 of Philosophy and Pedagogy.
 Yesterday the members of the How ard avenue Congregational church were grieved to hear that their pastor, the Rev. William J. Mutch, D. D.. had de- cided to ask them to accept his resig- nation as their minister. MT. Mutch is held in high esteem, not only by the members of his congregation, but by all the clergy and laymen in the city of New Haven. He is one of the long est settled city divines here, and has always taken an active interest in everything that tended towards New TTaven's welfare. 1t is now nearly twenty-three years since he graduated from the Yale divinity school and took upon himself the duties of pastor of the Howard avenue church. He stood by 1t in the earlier and critical periods of it's career. He has seen it grow from small congregation until it has reached its present satisfactory standing among the Congregational churches of New Haven. MT. Mutch is native of Wis consin and he will go to Ripon college in that state, where he Will occupy the chair of philosophy and pedagogy, He will work along the lines of teachers training on Bible methods, a profession which he has followed out for several summers past. The following is the full text of Dr. MutchAs letter to his congre- gation:
 10 my dear friends, the members of
 the Howard avenue Congregational
 church, New Haven, Conn.,:
 When my preparation for the minis +rv had reached a point which justified a regular appointment to the service of some church, it so happened that this church was without a minister. Pleas ant personal acquaintances already formed in the work of religious educa- ton here led to my appointment to this service, at first tentatively, and then permanently. By all the precedents of this church and the expectations of the parties concerned, this service should have been terminated in two or three wears. or in five to eight years at the outside That is now nearly twenty two years ago, and this pastorate has covered more than half the entire his tory of the church,
 But new factors have entered into the situation within the last three months, which have led me to ask you, as I now do, to release meFn the com ing summer from the pastoral relation which has continued so pleasantly for these many years.
 Tn order at once to set at rest vain speculations, may say that for some months I have had under consideration Q. proposition to become a professor in Ripon college in my native state of Wisconsin, and to lay out department of instruction most congenial to myself, and according to my own ideas It is an opportunity such as rarely comes to any man; and it's attractiveness can only be appreciated by those who have felt the joy of working out construc- lively certain ideals which have been taking shape for years amid the fires yearnings of the soul. This invitation was unsolicited and unexpected. It is re-enforced by urgent pressure from a great multitude of friends and by strangers as well. I have more confi- dence in the judgment of some of these than have in my own. have reach ed the decision deliberately sdvisedly and in the fear of God" I hope it is no mistake. I believe 1t is right. It will enable me to continue in the ministry for many years, if the years shall be given me; and at the same time to carry that ministry into specialized lines the importance of which l ap- preciate increasingly.
 But when I reflect upon all that is in- volyed, in wounded roots and branches. and in the sundered associations of half "a lifetime, I confess that I am unstead- led by it. Yet if official relations must change, personal relations need not. can never forget that I have been a spiritual father to whole generation here. many of whom are already scat tered to the ends of the earth, and not a few beyond. Without hesitation can claim to-day to stand with all these in relations of mutual respect and friendship. and this is a heavenly treasure with which I could never will argiy part. Let us thank God that we have been permitted to work together so long and with so much of harmony and good will,
 can never hope to give adequate ex-