Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1902 — Popular Pastor Resigns. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Popular Pastor Resigns.

Rev. Ed Meads, of the Free Will Baptist Church Will Leave June Ist The F. W. Baptist congregations in Rensselaer, Vaughn and Parr churches were very unpleasantly surprised Sunday, when their most popular young pastor, Rev. W. E. Meads, tendered his resignation, to take affect June Ist. Mr. Meads has been here about a year, and during that time has revivied the churches at Rensselaer and Vaughn, and built up a new and strong congregation at Parr.

His work at Rensselaer, especially, has been almost phenomenally successful. When he came here the church organization w'as practically a mere shell, and the building they sometimes worshipped in, was another shell. Now they -have one of the strongest “livest” congregations in the town, and an excellent house to worship in. At Vaughn, the church is similarly revived, and at Parr, a new congregation has been organized and a new building erected. Mr. Meads is as sorry to leave the work here as the different churches are sorry to lose him, but he finds the care of three congregations too great for his . physical health to bear, and is for that reason impelled to resign. He has calls from three other churches in as many different states. One from Bell Vernon, Penn., one from Haddam, Kans., and another from a town in lowa. It is probable that the Pennsylvania call will be accepted.

REV. WM. E. MEADS.