The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1912-05-06
Mr.. HURT RESIGNS
PASTORATE HERE
TO GO TO DURHAM, N. c.
RESIGNATION OF BAPTIST PAS
TOR is ACCEPTED WITH
MUCH REGRET.

With a feeling of the keenest re-
gret, the congregation of the Conway
Baptist church yesterday morning re
ceiVed and accepted the resignation of
their pastor, Rev. John Jeter Hurt,
who viii leave on June to accept the
pastorate Of the First Baptist church
of Durham, N. c., to which he has
been unanimously called. Rev. Hurt S
/ resignation came as a surprise to the
entire city and the fact that he has
been called away from Conway is re-
GREETED not only by his church, but to
every citizen
During his pastorate of nearly sew
en- years here, Rev. Hurts achieve
ments have been no less than remark
able. Beginning with congregation
weak both in numbers and financial
ability, he has during this tine seen
the membership Of his church more
than doubled, the Sunday school at
tendance quadrupled and the offer
lngs to all purposes greatly increased.
His crowning work was the erection
Of handsome $500 church build
ing and a two-story parsonage. Mr..
Hurt has not only done a great work
here, but has taken his place as one of
the Baptist leaders of the state. For
several years he has been secretary of
the State Baptist Convention and is a
member of the most important boards
OF the convention.
The church to which he is called is
considered one of the strongest in the
south Durham has a population of
about 10000 and is the ranking Bap-
tlst city of the state, having 100 more
members than any other. There are
seven Baptist churches in the city, the
First, to which Mr.. Hurt is called, be
ing the oldest and strongest, with a
membership of over 800.
Following the acceptance of Mr.
Hurts resignation here, a comm ttee
was appointed to draft appropriate
resolutions to be forwarded to the
Durham church. His letter which
was read to his congregation yester-
day is as follows:
To the First Baptist Church, Conway.
Arkansas:
/ My Beloved Brethren-For nearly
seven years | have sought to burden
your minds with the thought that
duty should be the supreme word in
the Christians vocabulary. That
word, though heard in whisper.
must be sufficient to change your life
plans and mine, and turn the tides of
our influence into channels we had
not dreamed of.
Personally, | have never sought to
modify the meaning of the word duty.
as applied to my own conduct | do
not now. | seem to hear it clearly,
and | obey, trusting my future to Him
alone who can order it as he peases.
1t has now been more than four
months since the First Baptist church
of Durham, n. c., asked me to con
slder its pastorate as a great field of
usefulness. The church had taken a
! full year to find the man they thought
they needed, and am informed their
/, choice to me was the result of much
prayer and investigation.
Until two weeks ago | did not know
any of the members of the Durham
church, none of them have ever vet
heard me preach, and | had never
seen their city. Notwithstanding
these facts, the pulpit committee of 81
members were unanimous in theil
recommendation, and the church has
extended a unanimous call Under
these circumstances, it looks like Goo
has had the leadership in it all, and
therefore, | tender to you today my
resignation, to take effect June /, OF
as soon thereafter as your interest,
may admit of my release. The First
church of Durham will be notified to-
day of my acceptance of their call
1t Is proper for me to say that each
one of the noble band who worship
here will be enshrined in my memory
forever, We have borne our many
burdens together, but these burdens
have but served to strengthen the
bonds of fellowship, and | shall leave
this church and the city of Conway
feeling that | am a friend to every
man and woman here-and believing
that everyone is my friend, too. This
thought will be fragrant recollec
tion so long as time shall last.
You will please me and conserve
your own best interests by accepting
my resignation at once, and proceed
ing to the choice of another shepherd
/ am sure that duty calls me hence
and no human voice could change my
decision. Needless to say that | shall
cherish in my heart unbounded love
for this church, and for the little city
which is dearer to my heart today
than any other in the land. 1t Will be
my privilege to pray increasingly, anc
with confidence, for the coming OF
your greatest era of prosperity.