The church I serve is out in the County, our closest town in state, that is where our kids go to school and where our post office is, is Cherokee.  Cherokee is not large enough to support a newspaper, even a weekly like our neighbors in Iuka, MS who have the Vidette.  (Sorry no link, they don’t have a website yet.)

Anyway, someone has recently started printing an occasional newsletter – Smoke Signals. The following letter was printed in the latest issue #27/8.

To the citizens of Cherokee,

It has been brought to my attention that I have offended many of you by the articles I have written.  I now take the time to apologize because I do not want to be the cause of any discord here.  I also take the time to apologize to all the Pastors of Cherokee for writing to them in an attempt to create unity.  This could be ssen as me trying to tell them how to run their churches.  this was not my intent.  I will no longer write any articles to be published in Cherokee and I also am announcing that Sermons in the park will be discontinued and I will not run for Mayor.  At this time I am putting the Brotherton house and the Park and camp grounds on the market for sale and my wife and I will move out of Cherokee as soon as it sells.   We have a price in mind but will consider all offers.  If you wish to see the house and Park and Campgrounds, please call [—-].  Again, I deeply apologize for any harm I have done to Cherokee or any of it’s people.

D… R…

I don’t know what was so offensive that the man has to stop preaching, drop out of his run for mayor, sell his home and business and move out of town.  I think I’ll call to see if they have back issues available.  I didn’t receive a unity letter – I wonder if I should be offended that I wasn’t included.

(NOTE: Just to avoid any confusion, D. R. was simply a contributor to the newsletter not the main writer/editor/publisher.)