Rev. J. Marcus Kester Leaving Shelby for Position with Mission Board, Jan. 1, 1923

Rev. J.M. Kester Resigns Pastorate. . . To Leave Shelby the 1st of January. . . To Become Educational Secretary of Mission Board, Church Commences His Work Here

Rev. J. Marcus Kester, D.D., popular pastor for nearly four years of the First Baptist church of this place, tended his resignation Sunday morning to become educational secretary to the Foreign Mission board with headquarters in Richmond, Va. His resignation will become effective January 1st, when he will move with his estimable family to Richmond to take up his work to which he was elected about 10 days ago without his knowledge, after he had declined this position about a year ago. The call came so strong, and the Baptist leaders thought him so well fitted for this particular work, that he reluctantly made up his mind to leave. Dr. Kester is a most earnest and consecrated Christian worker who lives the religion he preaches. During his pastorate the church has gone forward as never before with a church membership of 800 and a Sunday school enrollment of over 700.

A pulpit committee will be appointed at an early date with a view of securing a pastor to take up Dr. Kester’s work when he leaves the first of January.

After the committee had recommended to the church Sunday night that his resignation be accepted, Judge B.T. Falls offered the following resolution which was unanimously adopted:

Whereas Dr. J. Marcus Kester has been chosen educational secretary to the Foreign Mission board of the Southern Baptist convention and in obedience to the leadings of the Spirit feels that he ought to accept this position as affording a larger field for service and has asked that he be released as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Shelby; and whereas he has labored zealously for the upbuilding of the Kingdom in our midst for nearly four years, preaching the gospel with unusual earnestness and power; and whereas under his leadership the church has gone forward along all lines of Christian endeavor and the spiritual state of the membership of this church has been strengthened and reached higher ground than ever known before:

Now therefore be it resolved,

First, That we, the membership of the First Baptist church of Shelby, hereby express our appreciation of and admiration for Dr. J. Marcus Kester both as a man and as an exponent of the religion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and for the zeal and power with which he as our pastor has preached the whole Gospel.

Second: That we congratulate the Foreign Mission board and the Baptist brotherhood of the south upon securing the services of Dr. Kester in so important and responsible position as that of educational secretary; and that we assure Dr. Kester and his estimable family that the prayers and good wishes of the members of this church will follow them in their new field of labor.

Third: That a copy of this resolution be spread upon the permanent minutes of this church, and published in the Biblical Recorder.

From the front page of the Cleveland Star, Shelby, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 31, 1922. Rev. John Marcus Kester was born in 1887 in Grover, Cleveland County, N.C., married Margaret Ann Bird in 1915 in Boston, Mass., and died in 1936 in Wilmington, N.C., at the age of 48.