Letter – Liberal Christian Church to Rev. Howard Matson (Offer to Serve)

June 21, 1947

Rev. Howard G. Matson
Jefferson Drive
3025 Albuquerque, New Mexico

Dear Mr. Matson:

Our pulpit will be vacated by Rev. Raymond T. Palmer as of August 31, 1947. Rev. Palmer has been our minister for one and a half years since his return as chaplain in military service and is resigning to take a professorship in a Chicago University. Our church customarily vacations during July and August but our concern is to have a minister to replace Rev. Palmer beginning September 1st.

Mr. Dan P. Fenn has given us your name and biographical sketch as a possibility for a minister. We want very much to have you candidate for us here in Atlanta at your earliest opportunity. We will of course pay all your travelling expenses for doing so.

We have a church and parsonage centrally located. The membership is small but devoted. However, judging from Rev. Palmer’s success, there is a real opportunity for a liberal church in Atlanta. Further, our chief objective at the present time is to sell our property and build a new church.

Our present budget provides $2,980 per annum with a furnished parsonage provided. One member states he will pay $100 if others will pay $400 to raise the annual salary to $3,480. One individual stated he would pay to keep Dr. Palmer here and possibly he can be persuaded to contribute to another minister. We are working on this.

I wish I could tell you more but I suppose it will have to wait till I see you provided you can come. Really the fire of our church is the desire of the church to aggressively promote and aid the cause of liberal religion throughout the community. I sincerely trust you are the you to lead us.

We want you to candidate at the earliest possible opportunity. We are very anxious indeed to have a minister by September 1. The congregation can be assembled at any time. In the interest of saving time which seems to pass so rapidly in a matter of this kind, please help us all you can by writing us your state of affairs by return air mail, or telegraph collect to my business address below. My heart is with you in your great work wherever it may be . . . I trust it is with us.

Fraternally yours,

Harry A. Bromley, Chairman

Board of Trustees
1017 Highland View, N.E.
Atlanta, Ga.

Cc: Mr. 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