Rev. J. T. Sunderland

The departure of Mr. Sunderland who leaves nest week for his new charge in Oakland, Cal., removes from our city its pastor of longest uontinuous service here. Since Mr. Sunderland took charge of the Unitarian church 20 years ago all of the churches in the city have had two and most of them at least three pastors. At the time Mr. Sunderland came, the Unitarians owned and occupied the Unity block building on the corner of E, Ann sü. and N. Fifth ave. Since then tbe sooiety has purcbased the ground and built, mainly through the exertions of Mr. Sunderland, the fine church and parsonage on the corner of State and Haron sts. ... Mr. Sunderland has been an indefafejgable worker. He founded here the Unitarian magazine and edited and published it for several ysars nutil it gained a oirculation of abont 7,000 copies. This magazine he sold a few years ago to parties in Boston. Since he has been here he has written and published a work upon "The Origin and History of the Bible, " wbioh has had a largu sale - a book whioh has had the nniqae foitane to have been read to Queen Viictoria by one of her laditís in waiting. Besides tbis he has printed a large number of sermons, addresses of varions kinds - 150,000 copies of his "College Town Pulpit" and other sermona having been oironlated in this country and in Enlgand and India. In fact, noolergyroan in Amerioa, with the single exception of Rev. M. J. Savage, of New York, bas pnblisbed as mauy sermons as Mr. Sunderland. All this immense labor besides attending to the regalar services and activites of the church here could not be carried on forever and he has for sotue tirue feit and his anxious frieDds have feit that he needed rest - at least the rest that ooines from a ohange of climate and scène. The ohuroh to which he has been called in Oakland is a large and wealthy one - the most important Unitaran church on the Paciflc coast ontside of San Francisoo. Mr. Sunderland leaves our city with the hearty good will and respect of all onr people. Probably no one among ds has done so mnch during the last 20 years to extend the name of Ann Arbor tbronghout the world as Mr. Sunderland. He leaves with the sincere regret of his congregation. The board of trastees of his church at a meeting last Monday evening formulated, signed and sent hiin the following touching note of farewell : Ann Arbor, July 12, 1898. Rev. J. T. Sunderland : Dear Sir, - The board of trastees of the First Unitarian Society of Ann A'rbor desires to add a word of personal farewell to the resolution adopted by the pociety at its meeting on the llth ultimo. Some of ns have been merubers of the board or members of the society doring the whole of tbe period that you have stood to us in the relation of pastor, and we can all bear the trongest testimony to the untiring industry, the zeal, the unflagging interest, and the devotion you have shown at all times in your labor among us, not only in the condticfcipf the etated Sunday servioes, bat in fostering and aidüig in numbsrless ways the various activities of the church and the several organizations of students and otbers, designed to extend the iijfluence of this society over the largest possible area. We wish also to make record of the debt we owe to Mrs. Sunderland for her most efficient co-operation, whethar in the pulpit, in the Ladies' Union, or in the exercise of her special gifrs and tálente in all directions. To your son and to your daughters must also be given our warmest tbanks for their ever ready and willing services iü all tbiDgs pertaining to the welfare of the society. Whatever innoence for good this chnrob has extended and whatever measure of success it bas obtained during a score of years are dne largely if not exclusively to yon and your family. That your work in tbe D9w field to which you are about to go tnay be crowned with a like enccess is the wish of us all. We bid you Godspeed. (Signed) John Allen, Ida C. Finney, Geo. W. Bullis, Chas. E. Greene, W. D. Harriman, Mary Motley, Wm. H. Pettee, Joseph Whitlark.