The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-02-25
REV. C. C. MERRILL
CALLED TO ILLINOIS
Conference to BE Superintendent
Of Great Western State
Especial to The Reformer)
BURLINGTON, Feb. -.

Especial to The Reformer.)
BURLINGTON, Feb. -.
At a meeting here yesterday of the
board of directors of the Vermont Con-
gregati0nal conference and tho Vermont
Domestic Missionary society. Rev. Charles
c. Merrill. for nearly five years secretary
of the conference and associate secretary
!of the society Submitted his resignation
TO take effect on or, about May L.. Mr..
Merrill resigns in order to accept an uf
gent and unanimous call TO become super
intendent of the Congregational confer
ence of Illinois In his letter of resigna-
ton he said that he left Vermont relnc-
family and only in accordance with the
advice of UNCONVENTIONAL leaders and
under the conviction that if it was felt
that he could in sany way meet the need
for leadership in a strategic state like
Illinois, which was the largest Congrega
tionaf state open for a SUPPLEMENTARY
that included sclf-supporting churches. he
must accept the call, which had come en-
tirely unsolicited.
He expressed his confidence in the vi
tally of the Congregational churches of
Vermont as evidenced by their hearty
response in recent years to a summons
To participate in n forward looking pro-
gram which included an ever deepening
spirit of fellowship among the ministers
and the churches, closer cooperation with
other denominations, and a stronger in
terpSt in missions as evidenced by higher
standard of giving. He felt that state
in which such vitality could be shown was
not decadent or dying. but belonged
among the really progressive states.
He went on to say And when once.
the people of Vermont become aroused
and there are signs that they are being
aroused-they will MASTER the art Of state
government. they will more fully develop
cooperation methods in agriculture, they
will release still further her great natural
resources. they viii arrest the tide of
population away from the small towns.
they will insist that the state be no longer
a base for the b0otleggerS effort to supply
the thirst of the states south of us. as
we'll as our own.
There Is tremendously urgent and diff
cult work ahead. 1t can be done if there
be among the NcrmOnters today enough
of the reSOlute courage of the Green Noun
tain boys of the Revolutionary era and
if there be enough of the cooperative
spirit which comes from the religion Of
Jesus Christ, which promotes human
brotherhood because it teaches that we
are all children of God our Father ANY
plans for a Greater Vermont that leaves
religion out of account are not worth the
paper they are written on. Real lovers of
Vermont will not stop until in every small
community in the state there has been eS-
tabIShed as the very center of the com
, munity life one vigorous Christian church
under the leadership of competent and
virile minister
Mr.. Merrill concluded his letter by ex-
pressing his deep gratitude for the way
the Congregational people of the state
had stood with him during these five most
interesting and perhaps happiest years of
his life ....
The election of a new secretary will
take place at the annual meeting of the
conference and missionary society, which
takes place at Springfield May to II. Ii
is the duty of the board of directors to
present a nomination for the Office and at
the meeting yesterday action looking to-
ward making such a nomination was
taken. though no. final decision was
reached.