Letter – Department of Ministry to Liberal Christian Church (Pulpit Candidates)

Department of the Ministry: Director, Dan Huntington Fenn – Assistant, Orlo McCormack

AMERICAN UNITARIAN ASSOCIATION
25 Beacon Street, Boston 8, Massachusetts

June 9, 1947

Dear Bromley:

I appreciate very much the spirit of your letter of June 7, and I understand also the urgency with which you are eager to complete the arrangements for a successor to Dr. Palmer. Even though it might not be possible to have a man actually in Atlanta by September first, which would not give him time enough to be released from his present church, nevertheless, if the church had settled upon a man, it would prevent a slump between ministers. It might also be that the man whom you selected and who agreed to come would be one who was not in a church at the moment and could, therefore, actually arrive in Atlanta by September.

In talking with Mrs. Rogers, we mentioned both Rev. Howard G. Martin and Rev. John Gill. As I told her at the time, both men were under consideration by another church. It now looks as if Mr. Gill were the first choice of that other opportunity. He may not accept it and so I would suggest that you communicate directly with him on behalf of the Atlanta Church. I think this direct communication between your church and Mr. Gill would save time from my making the arrangements on your behalf. In this instance, however, I am sending a copy of the fifth paragraph of your letter to Mr. Gill and am asking him to communicate with you. If Mr. Gill does decide in favor of the other opportunity, then my suggestion would be that you immediately get in touch with Mr. Matson and see what arrangements can be worked out there.

There is the possibility of another man whom I have in mind, and I will be able to write you the end of this week whether or not he might conceivably be available for your pulpit. If he is available, then I feel certain that he could come to you on September 1, if you decided that you wanted him. I shall write you the latter part of this week about him.

I am very grateful to you for your consideration about keeping us informed of your negotiations with the men. I do think, however, that everything would move along more easily and more rapidly if you carry on the communications directly with them and send me a carbon of your letters which would keep me informed.

It must be a difficult strain upon you to have not only your own work but, now this added responsibility of the church coming at just the time when you are under the emotional tension of your mother’s illness.

Do feel perfectly free to call upon me for any help that I can give you in relation to the church.

Cordially yours,

<signed>

Dan Huntington Fenn

Physical Archive: UUCA Box: 26   Folder: 10
Citation: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta Records, RG 026, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University, Atlanta GA