More than 200 persons attended an inspirational installation service last night for the Rev. Thomas Haines in St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in North Weissport.

Rev. Haines, 26, of Minneapolis, Minn., accepted the call to replace the Rev. Melvin Hammer Jr., who resigned in May to become the pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Allentown.

The Rev. Daniel Eckert, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Hazleton, and dean of the Hazleton-Lehighton District of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, was the installing officer while seven ministers participated, including Revs. Charles Kampmeyer, Robert Hoffman, Wayne Heintzelman, John Hoff, Ronald Orovitz and Richard Schaeffer.