New Britain herald., 1924-10-16
.DR. DAV|SLEAVES ' WITHIN SIX WEEKS.
To Accept New York Passionate During First Week in Decembsr'

Rev, pr. John l.. Davis, pastor of Trinity Methodist church, who has been considering an offer of pas torate in Grace Methodist church, New York City. for some time. has accepted the call from that church and will leave within six or seven weeks for the Manhattan parish.
 pr. Davis is probably one of the most prominent ministers in New Britain. He came here from New Jersey a little less than five years ago. Tn November 1921. a meeting of S3 men in Trinity Methodist church at which Rev. Dr, o. F. Bar tholow, leader of the Bartholow Bible class of Mount Vernon, N. r.. then considered the largest of its kind in the world was speaker, he was elected leader of the Every mans Bible class of this city. The class grew by leaps and bounds dur ing the first year, through the aid of recruiting organization, men coming from all over the country and even from Canada and Europe to hear the popular sermons and see the class, which last year defeat cd the Bartholow class in >a mem- bership and attendance contest.
 Through his success as leader of this class, which has attained a membership of 22oo men, he at- tracted attention of other cities and has been in considerable demand as a speaker. He has been state chap lain of the American Legion, asso- ciate chaplain of the Fifth Masonic ldistrict and now is district governor of Lions clubs of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Recently he visited the. Oklahoma univefsity, wher he graduated and was awarded the dc. gree of doctor of divinity .
 That Dr. John L.. Davis has defin- itely decided to leave New Britain became certainty this morning lwhen the minister returned from New York where he went to con. clude arrangements with the offi- cials of the New York church.
 That he was considering the offer Of accepting the New York berth was not known until he told mem. bers of his official board Sunday eve. ming, even his most intimate friend, being surprised by the news. Al that time he was not prepared tc state definitely that he would 80, al. though it was generally conceded that he felt he should so. # | The Grace Methodist church ir uptown New York, where he will gt the first week in December, is said to Be the largest Methodist churcl in New York and a very good step ping stone to more important pas torates.
 Dr. Davis will not submit resig nation to the New Britain board. S' far as he is concerned the next stel does not come from him. He ha accepted the call from Grace church subject to the bishops appointment If the bishop does not object an' pr. Davis is appointed to the Nev York church, an action which nov is felt to be simply matter ot rou tine, the local official board will b. notified by the bishop that he ha been transferred from the New Yorl
 East to the New York conference.
 Then there will be two alterna tives, the local church will be per
 mitted to select its new pastor which is the most probable way, 0 the bishop will send a man here Whom the church will select is pro blematical. Nothing will be don
 until there is some definite officia notification of vacancy 1t is said although unofficially several bi men, at least one who has attracte,
 men from all over the country, ar being discussed with a view to is suing a call.
 In the event of the local pulpi not having a regular minister by tn time Dr. Davis leaves, the Every mans Bible class will also find 1t
 self without a leader. Members c
 the class are looking around for flu
 ture speakers. Dr. J. F. Conger, vice !! president of the Federation of Men
 Bible classes of America, has state
 that the federation is prepared {
 supply speakers and is preparing
 list of suggested speakers at thi
 time. Vice presidents H. A. Travel
 E. A. Krause and F. F.. Weeks wi work on the list being prepared b Dr Conger.
 7 In the meantime pr, Davis wi move his family to New York whe he leaves during the first of Do cember.
 Whether or not he will resign hi position as district governor of Lion , clubs in Connecticut and Rhod Island when he removes to Ne' , York depends somewhat upon tn , Lions club rules. ICUkDlIkkJ,0 TQhII