The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-15
DR. FOSTER WILL
 COME NEXT MONTH
VA, CONGREGATION EXTREMELY RELUCTANT TO
 LOSE PASTOR WHO ACCEPTS CALL TO FIRST PRESBYTERIAN.

The Rev. Dr. J. s. Foster. the new pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Birmingham will arrive during the first week in January to take up his new charge. He has just succeeded in severing his connection with the Tabb street church in Petersburg, Va, over the protest of the congregation.
 Resolutions were adopted expressing the love and appreciation of tie con- gregation, and sincere regret 1ver his leaving. The Richmond Times Dis patch carries the following apprccia- tion for Dr. Foster and a description of the services when the relations were severed:
 Petersburg, Va.-Rev. J. s. Foster. D. D., for eight years past pastor of Tabb Street Presbyterian church in this city, announced to his congregation at the morning service today his intention to resign his pastoral charge. His resig- nation will be formally sent in later, and a congregational meeting will be h cid on the first Sunday in December to act upon it.
 Dr. Fosters resignation is not only regretted by his congregation, but by the entire community in which he has lived and moved for so many years, and in which his useful life has won universal love and respect. He is one of the ablest ministers and profounH- est students in the Virginia synod, and his departure will be loss not only To the church in this city, but in tn e state.
 During the past several years Dr. Foster has received many flattering calls to other states, notably to Texas Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia and Ala bama. His most recent calls were to the First Church in Augusta. Ga, and to the First Church in Birmingham, Ala. Both of these churches he visited, and his decision was to accept the call to the church In Birmingham. pr. Foster was born and raised in Mobile, and In going to Birmingham he feels like returning to his own people. Dr. Fosters work in Petersburg has beer productive of great good. and his infiu- ence has proved of great benefit in the community. He will not leave for Bir- mingham until January.
 The Rev. Russell Cecil, D. D., of Rich mond. occupied the pulpit of Tabb Street Presbyterian church Sunday morning. and afterwards presided over a meeting of the congregation, held to consider the resignation of the pastor the Rev. J. s. Foster, D. D. James P. Banks acted as secretary. Dr. Cecil read the resignation of the pastor, in which the request was made that the congregation would join with him in asking East Han over Presbytery to dissolve the official relations between the pastor and the church. In his letter pr. Foster spoke tenderly of the personal ties of love and friendship formed during his eight years of ministry in Petersburg. which neither time nor distance no severance of off would ever remain fresh with him. The letter was heard amidst intense silence.
 James P. Banks spoke in high terms of Dr. Foster as man and pastor, and of the good work he had done in Pe- tersburg, and of the regret with which the church and people would part with him. Mr. Banks offered resolutions ex- pressing the love and appreciation of the congregation for Dr. Foster, sincere re- get over his leaving Petersburg, accept ing his resignation, and acceding to his request to join in asking presbytery to dissolve the reltations existing between him as pastor and the church. The reso- lutions, which were adopted unanimously, also provided for the appointment of a commission to represent the church in presbytery and to present it's action on