The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-09-08
BEGINS PASTORATE
IN AUSPICIOUS WAY
Enthusiastic Welcome for Rev. and
Mrs. George E. Tomkinson at
First Baptist Church.

Yesterday was a day of reopening in
many Of the churches Pastors and
people have returned and new plans
are being made for the season S work. !
Notably, and with special emphasis.
can this be said of the services at
the First Baptist church, for it marked
the beginning Of the public work OF
their new pastor Rev. George Z. Tom
| kinson, who with Mrs Tomkinson ar
rived last week and settled themselves
IN the Ayerill house on Terrace street.
Large congregations greeted the new
minister at morning and evening SER
vices.
Mr. Tomkimson S opening remarks to
the people, previous TO the sermon.
were especially felicitous and evidently
found hearty response OH the part OF
his listeners. Ills morning discourse
was based upon Isaiah 6:s. which gives
the question of the Lord, :. Whom shall
send" (which the preacher inter
preted as equivalent to VIII YOU 90.
isaiah =. and the answer of the
prophet, '' Here am t. send mel The
topic chosen was, '.The Can of the
Infinite"
He emphasized the need, also the
though that one hears God speaking to
him only as he looks around and sees
the need and feels it. This he illus
trated by Instances in the life Of
Moses, Livingstone and the immortal
Lincoln. Only volunteers are want
ed. lie hkencd the Christian to the
keen edged tool, which if used careless
- ~ or wrongly may lose entirely its
temper and usefulness, saving, the
= one who shakes the call of God is good
only for the junk heap,
At the communion service DIR. Hol-
ton, the senior deacon, extended to Mr..
and Mrs. Tomkinson the right hand of
p fellowship.
T I'm the Bible school royal welcome
was given. Mr.. HawIey, the superin-
tendent. told him that the school rec
oguized him as the head ana called his
atteution to the fact that their officers,
while nominated by the school, were
7 elected by the church and consequently
' by force OF his office he became head
Of the executive department of this
branch OF its work. lie said he had
0 been trying to lind a fitting compari-
son of their relations. but without
success He cited Moses ana Aaron,
hut they were men of about the same
- j age; Abraham and Lot but he would
, not like to campare the new pastor to
= Lot: Saul and David, but while he
- thought Mr.. Tomkinson would make a
fine David, he didn't want to be called
Saul, so he thought it better for them
! to be real voke-fellows in the work.
I, The school rose and after giving the
- ChaGtauqua salute sang n welcome
=. hymn composed by Miss Mary E. Hor-
ton. closing with the words:
~ So we voice our welcome.
v May the future prove
e Pastor and his people
Led of God above
a A most fitting and hearty aekknow-
e lcdgment Of this greeting was made by
e the pastor. notwithstanding the fact
that it came as a complete surprise to
him.
very large audience gathered in
the evening. The opening service made
use Of the Alexander songs. In addi-
y tion to anthem = Dreams of Galilee,
' the audience We're pleased to listen tc
the singing of a gospel solo by Mr.
Tibbett, a brother of Mrs. TomkinSon
'l who is a junior i'm Harvard, a former
Lowell classmate and now a Harvard
classmatc of Laurston Knowltou, sor
of Mr.. and Mrs. John knOwlton, for
- merlv of Brattlcboro.
49, The evening sermon was a simple, Iii
-. rect, intensely holding discourse on the
:. text The serpent beguiled me, ano
~ dealt with the beguilement of Satan II
- various insinuatiug aud deceptive
. ways. The attention of his hearer,
~, was riveted and was due not only tt
their interest in the new preacher, bu
, also to what he said and the manne
-, of putting things in short ineisive sen
- tences which could be easily followed
:. Surely the opening was auspiciou
80 and Mr.. Tomkinson has the best wish
= es Of The Rcformer and all the peopl
bo Of the town for his success.