09 HOME MISSIONS
HOME MISSIONS
HOME MISSIONS
Cleddie Wallace—This is a necessary work. God has bound it upon us. The love of God is the motive power. Jesus commanded the apostles to preach the gospel to every creature. This obligation rests upon us. The church should do—must do—the work. Every congregation should be a center of missionary work, and preach the gospel to those in reach. There should be regularity in supporting the evangelist doing this work. Antioch is an example to us. Perishing souls are all about us. Every Christian should, in a sense, be an evangelist. Let each one do what he can.
Matheny—Every member should pay one-tenth. A land owner thinks he can not pay one-tentli, yet his renters pay him a third and fourth. Why are they able to pay him so much more than he is able to pay the Lord? A preacher should preach, if he is not supported. But every’ child of God should support the work. Two or three congregations should unite to support a preacher. Let every one do something. Let every church pick out some place and have a meeting held there. We need more system in our work. No home mission work is being done.
C. R. Nichol—No method is needed. We need to go to work. Much is being done already. But the preachers are doing most of it. The churches are not instructed as they should be. The contributions on the first day of the week are for the support of the gospel. Elders are to watch after the members, and they should know what each one gives. The elder should know what each one .is able to give, and see that he gives it. Let there be equality in giving. Each should bear his part. Covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5).
Lee P. Mansfield—I want to say “Amen” to Brother Nichol’s speech. Two things hinder the work: 1. The preacher does not teach the brethren as he should; 2, and he does not give as he should. He should be an example to others, that the elders may know what the members are doing; every member should put his name on an envelope containing his contribution. Every Christian should try to take some one to heaven witn him. Every congregation should support a missionary. Five families can support a preacher.
J. C. White—If you should assess the members, who would collect it? I would not want to be the collector.
G. W. Cypert—The assessment plan is wrong. Let not your left hand know what your right hand doeth. Churches, by co-operation, can employ an evangelist.
U. G. Wilkinson--The trouble is with the brethren. Shall the preacher set his salary? If not, why should the brethren set it? Some one must say how much he receives. Each church can support one preacher.
R. L. Whiteside—Every congregation should pick out some nearby place and start up missions. Let one member take the responsibility of the work at one place, another at another place, etc. Stay with the work until something is accomplished. Begin with the poor, the lowly. Christianity will work its way up from the lower to the higher classes better than it will from the rich to the poor. Don’t fire the brush pile on top.
Counting everything the Jew gave, his taxes, sacrifices, freewill offerings, time devoted to feasts and Sabbaths, I infer he must have given about one-third. Never preach on giving, from a selfish motive. This causes resentment and promotes stinginess. The amount one gives is measured by what is left, rather than by what is given.