Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-09-26
DR. VANCE TELLS
FLOCK WHY He
ACCEPTED CALL
North Reformed Pastor Said
Duty to Old Home Charge
Actuated Step.

AT the morning service in the North
Reformed Church yesterday the pas
tor, the Rev. DIR. James l. Vance, who
returned Friday last from his summer
vacation at Blowing Rock, N. c., Of
hciated, with his assistant, the Rev.
Lucas Boeve, after he had visited the
Sunday school classes. In the primary
classroom he was welcomed by Mrs.
Robert r. Ballantine, the superintend-
ent, and the little boys and girls sang
hymns.
DIR. Vance then visited the young
mems club, where he was greeted by
the members, He next visited the room
of the older Sunday school pupils and
the Bible class, where he was well
coined by James Polhemus, the upper
i%ntendent.
The church was well filled when the
morning service begun. DR.. Vance
said that he would be with the con-
gregation at communion for the last
time. and he hoped every member
would be present. He announced that
when he decided to accept the call to
go back to his old church in Nashville,
Tenn, he did not SEM to the North
Reformed Church his resignation as
pastor, for he could not bring himself
to write a cold, formal letter, and he
decided to tell the members of the
church his reason in person why he
severed his connection with it.
Tells Reasons for R~esigning.
1T is not because of any personal or
sectional feeling that I decided to ac-
cept my old Nashville church." DR..
Vance said, "for though L was born
in the South and my family lives there
and many old friends, l have many
good friends here in Newark, and no
pastor could have been treated more
kindly thar the members of this church
have treated me since l came here ten
years ago. I have had many calls to
other churches since you do not know
of, except the call to an Atlanta church
three years ago, and I declined all of
them.
but when the urgent call came from
my old church in Nashville to go back
I felt that it was my duty to take up
the work there again. l go to Nash
Vile for the same reason that | &C.
copied the call to come here, and I'm
nearly heart-broken at severing my
connection as pastor here and leaving
the many kind friends here. Some
may think there was a material rea-
son, but l believe there is a divine
call and that a minister should g"
where the Master desires, and l be-
lieve that Jesus Christ is In the call
to the Nashville church and that 1t is
my duty to go there, l shall remain
with you until November, for want
to round out ten years as pastor here
and give the church time to secure an
other pastor of this fine church"
The subject of DR.. Vance's sermon
was Gods Lodge in the Wilderness.
He read the story in Genesis of Jacob,
a lonely old man, making the wilder
ness his church, with a rough rock for
an altar. The sky was the dome, the
songs of birds was his music and he
saw angels descending and ascending,
and he also saw the gate of heaven.
When he awolze Jacob declared: This
is the home Of Cod" and 1t was the
gate to heaven.
DR.. Vance said every church IN earth
was a gate to heaven If Christ was IN
1t, whether 1t was q grand building OF
marble or stone or q poor and small
place. In churches children were bap-
tised, were instructed in Christ's teach
sings. were married and were prayed
for at death in solemn services, there
fore the church should be very dear
to everyone who loved God and was
true to Him and kept His command
ments.