The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-10-02
RESIGNATION OF
REV. II. r. MILES
Has Accepted Call to Church In
Berkeley, Cal.
WILL LEAVE IN OCT. OR NOV
Pastor Of the Congregational Church
for Nearly Ten Years, Coming Here
From Hartford, conn.-Letter OF
Reclamation Read Sunday Morning.

Resignation Read sunday morning.
Rev. Harry II. Miles, pastor Of the Cen
tire Congregational church Tor nearly Yen
years, has resigned 10 accept can 70 ,he
First Congregational church IN Berkeley
Gal Ills letter OF resignation, which was
read at the morning service Sunday, Is as
'o''0"' sept. ~. 1908.
To the Centre Congregational Church
and The BTattleboTo East society.
Nv dear friends:-Nine and hall years
ago YOU called me 10 become your pastor
and Il is mine 20 now return TO your
hands the trust then coniided TO me. !
Law Il down, as ! took II up, WITH the
feeling which alone can justify one IN 90
ing either, that Il Is the right thing To 40
/ have accepted call to the rist Con
pregational church in Berkeley, California,
The growing suburb OF san Francisco and
the seat oil the University OF California,
with nearly three thousand students Inc
first half OF my life was spent ~ the
west. where | was born in circumstances
az n semipioneer life and where ] ex
pccted 10 spend all my ministry. ! have
always felt a debt 10 the west which l go
10 meet. The new work is less estab'
lished than that ! leave, and Will he more
exacting The Berkeley church, although
now large, is in the making and the op,
portunity II presents seems as large as
one shall be capable, OF making H. ~
Twenty.one years here have made New
England a part OF me. / love her hills,
her waters and her people. ! may hnd
larger work than this in Brattleboro; but
/ do not look to find happier years, great
er comforts, more freedom IN WORK, or
more loyal confidence than you have CIV
en- your minister.
The affairs of the church are in, such
condition that she can well part with her
pastor. For some time l have been III
point of service, senior among vermont
Congregational ministers ~ churches tnt
size of this. We have had tune to grow
together Your families and mine have
gone through deeps in these years. 10 Us
YOU have shown sympathy and iorbear-
ance that will be life memories. In your
crises YOU have honored me with conf
dences that | shall always treasure. II
will be a shame if my life is not larger be-
cause the lives of some of you have been
built into it.
Let us hope that the decade has brought |
some good. The normal life OF church
brings yearly change of some ten per
cent in its constituency; About nan the
Joined in during the present pastorate,
and about half the membership. OF dec,
ade ago is gone from us. We have hved
on and God has granted us daily the
bread to meet each days need. In re-
spects we have gone forward.
| should be sorry not to think that our
parting will bring some loss on both
sides. The long pastorate has ITS advan-
ages. One who receives young people
INTO the church, marries them and bap'
lies their children, passes with them
through their high experiences. HIS ire
becomes deep rooted in theirs, and ties
ormed are a vantage ground for mutual
and helpfulness that can
,ome only with years. should be sorry
lot to believe that our parting will bring
ome gains on both sides. God has new
hings to teach us both. ] have said and
lone what it has been given me to say
md do. If this pastorate has brought
INVITING worthy. that will be kept, and
he next will add other things.
If | must cease to call you my people,
may ever hold you my friends. In days
t the other end of the continent, ] shall
,e refreshed as | think that you are here,
lolding your stations in the one Chris,
ian army to a far company of which | {
o,-not leaving, but taking as dear !
ossession, the friendship of some OF the I
ruest men and women that it has been
line to know. /
/ would name as the time when this ;
esignation take effect either the 18th OF ,
october, or the 23rd of November as the
lterests of the two churches may deter
line. | ask the churcn TO act upon the
asignation Friday evening next, and to a
,in me in calling an ecclesiastical coun
il to dissolve our relation as pastor and p
eople. - S
The Lord bless you and keep you: The !
ord make his face to shine upon you and :,
e gracious unto you: The Lord lift up n
is countenance upon you and give you i
eace. h
Ever faithfully yours, =
Harry r. Miles.
Rev. Mr.. Miles's father was a Vermont a
AN. who moved from Woodstock to Wis .,
,nsin. Rev. Mr.. Miles was born in Wis y,
,nsin, and received his early schooling y
lere. He was graduated from Harvard
1888, and after spending year IN busl-
ess in Wisconsin he took course IN the J.,
ale divinity school, from which he was a.
'aduated in 1892. He spent two years ~
the universities of Berlin and Halle in W
ermany His first ministerial experience o. q,
as in Tunbridge, VT, where he spent ~ y,
rec months during a seminary vacation. a lit
e became assistant pastor to Rev. DR.. L. 81
Munger in the United church in New ut
aven, Ct, and in February, 1896, he y
as settled over the Windsor avenue ne
church in Hartford, ct. ye
e resigned his pastorate in Hartford on y.
count of the ill-health OF Mrs Miles, w
1ich has greatly improved since then, q
d became pastor of the Centre church VI
Brattleboro June l, 1899 He has; ~ ~