The Conduct of a Gospel Preacher
The Conduct of a Gospel Preacher THE CONDUCT OF A GOSPEL PREACHER
Otto Foster
(1) Act or method of leading; guidance.
(2) Act or manner of carrying on, as a business; management; direction.
(3) Manner of carrying oneself; one’s actions in general; behavior.
(4) Convoy; escort; also, a guide.
Synonyms: behavior, deportment, bearing, demeanor. A gospel preacher is one who preaches the gospel of our Lord. The church of Christ was not made for the preacher; but the preachers of Christ were made for the church and the world. “It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” When they are doing the Lord’s work with an eye single to his glory, they are noble instruments for good among men; but when they become selfish, engage simply in their own work, or that which they can turn to their own aggrandizement, their usefulness ceases, and they are dead weights upon the cause. Our Lord’s own life is the model of perfection in human character, both public and private. No community need look for any permanent good from any preacher who does not imitate the character of his Lord and Master. He may be much of a gentleman, very fine, pleasant, and interesting to worldly-minded persons, and not do anything or say anything that would remind one of the Savior of the world. But to come under the name of a preacher of Christ, and not be like him, not make men think of him, love him, and desire to come to him, is a deception upon the church and the world. “If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” The work of the church is threefold in its character:
(1)It is to convert the world to God
(2)To train the converted to fidelity in his ser-vice, and so develop the Christian life and character
(3)To care for and help the poor, the sick, the suffering. The preacher at once fits into the work of converting the world. The elders should be leaders in training the converted and the deacons should lead in the benevolent work of the church.
These works may and do interveave and overlap in different lives but the ones who, under the influence of the gospel, come into the church and at once begin to try to teach the truth to others and bring his friends into the Kingdom, constitute the class from which our preachers come. With proper culture and ability they make our evangelists. A person with a talent, a burning desire for converting men, will feel strong impulses to preach to sinners and such will be found at the work. He may not make public sermons. The greatest number of preachers ought never to make public speeches, but in a quiet, but earnest way, they will be found presenting the claims of Jesus to their own kindred, friends and neighbors, urging them to become Christians. Many a good farmer, business or professional man has given up his business to try to make a public proclaimer of the gopel, that could have been worth more to the church in his profession and private work as a Christian. But we are to talk this afternoon about the gospel preacher, the public proclaimer. Jesus said to the apostles, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.”
Under these marching orders, after they had waited in Jerusalem until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, these men went forth under the command of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, even Jesus Christ.
These apostles were illiterate men of Galilee with no worldly influences; they had nonvorldly attractions —needed none—desired and used none, yet they turned the world upside down and converted many thousands by preaching Christ, that he lived, that he died, that he was buried, that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. They spoke of these facts as being great enough to move heaven and earth, as they really are. They were not trying to make any oratorical display, or show their eloquence. The story they had to tell was so vast in itself, so vital to all the best interests of all nations and peoples, they knew it to be true, and they were so filled with the desire to tell it to others, that it only appeared necessary to tell it in the plainest, simplest, most artless way, which is always the best, most powerful and effectual way of telling any great thing in itself. As gospel preachers today, you are messengers ot Christ with the same wonderful and important message that the apostles had and it is just as powerful today as it was then. There may be no message, of course, except the divine word. There may be no subject save Jesus Christ, his death, burial and resurrection and the teachings of the Holy Spirit.
Yes, God has placed this treasure in earthen vessels and herein lies the difficulty, the medium is imperfect while the message is not. It behooves us to try to improve the medium, hence the discussion of this subject.
Addressing myself to the gospel preacher directly and to the rest indirectly may I say that no mission was ever more important than yours, and think you not that one so important will not be fraught with many dangers. Satan with all his imps and his chief counsel will be devising means to tempt you and if possible, to discredit you and in any and every way hinder, injure and kill your influence. We have but to remember what Satan promised our Lord if he would but serve him. See how he tried to encompass his downfall through every avenue of temptation: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. Jesus cautioned his apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane to watch and pray lest they enter into temptation. Paul said, “I bring my body into subjection, lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
Yes, Christ was tempted, the apostles wese tempted and one fell; Paul was tempted and every gospel preacher as well as every follower of Christ will be tempted over and over again. The jocular statement sometimes used when departing from a friend, “I am going to do something to you that Satan never did—leave you” is veritably true. Satan is ever on the job. The gospel preacher will be tempted through, the lust of the flesh. Yes, there may be times when he that he who travels in the narrow way may really want for the necessities or seeming necessities of life. Paul knew actual want. Should anyone be free? I wonder if it would not be better for us all to have is hungry, it is possible even in this day and generation such schooling. Perhaps the stronger temptation is to abound. How many of us can stand success, can really take it and hold our poise. The gospel preacher is only a man and if he starts out in his work, makes a success of it in the eyes of the church, begins to get calls from larger fields, churches that pay more, churches that are well known everywhere, it becomes the easy and the natural thing to reason that, “This is a larger field, I can do more work, reach more people, and I really need more pay. Yes, my influence will be greater and I can accomplish more good for the Lord.” The decision is made. The preacher goes to greener fields and if he is ready for the greater work in mmd and in soul he makes good, but in the course of time, it becomes best for him to move on. This time no larger field is open, he has been getting better pay while preaching to large audiences, etc., etc.
. . . Now can he make another adjustment and come back to a smaller work? It all depends. Can we abound? This is what our Master meant, no doubt, when he said, “How hardly shall they that are rich enter into the kingdom of God/’ “Not many high, not many noble are called.” We ought to thank God every day, you and I, that we are a part of that great body of ccmmon people known as the poor. The common people have always been the ones that have listened to God’s message to mankind. Success is hard to overcome. The lust of the eye—have you been tempted to make some great speech, to write some great article, to write a book, to announce some new theory, to prove to [the world you are a great man, an extraordinary man? It is not so much the doing as the motive that prompts it in these things. The pride of life, a desire to be the greatest in the brotherhood, the outstanding leader of God’s people of this age, the one to whom all w7ill naturally pay homage and honor whenever and wherever followers of Christ congregate.
Yes, all the avenues are used by Satan to try to reach the gospel preacher and the avenue of escape is as it was w ith our Lord—is the word of God. How well do we know it? How much of its spirit have we imbibed? How closely have we, are w7e, conforming our lives to its teaching? How7 much are we depending on our Lord tc help us? IIow heavily do wre lean upon him? We are not powerful enough of ourselves and within ourselves to overcome the temptations of evil, but our God will help us and will not suffer us to be tempted above' that which we can bear if we live in and trust in him.
Preacher Jealousy—Envious is almost a syonym of jealous. One is envious who discontentedly desires or covets the good fortune or attainments of others; one is jealous who suspects and resents the diversions to another (especially to one regarded as a rival) of what one loves or prizes as one’s own.
Jealousy will make us suspect rivalry, suspiciously watchful, and have jealous fears. It is to foe avoided like any deadly poison by all Christians and especially a preacher. If you have any jealousy in your makeup, you should carefully guard and watch yourself while you definitely and surely overcome it. On one occasion while our Lord was in his masterful way, teaching the apostles that they should not be striving about who should be greater, but should be serving instead, the beloved apostle John informed him that they had found one casting out demons in the name of Jesus and had forbidden him because he was not one of them. Some of us do not get any joy out of what others are doing in the church-only from that which we do. When anyone does anything that others approve, we are jealous. Older preachers are sometimes jealous of younger ones and vice versa.
Sometimes jealousy exists between the preachers and the elders. We all need the lesson and the rebuke that Christ gave. Jesus said “Forbid him not, for there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:39-40).
Church officers and preachers should cooperate, council, and work together. Being fellow workers with God, neither officer nor preacher should seek to excel the other in authority or influence, or to do all the work of the church. You will recall the request of the mother of the sons of Zebedee. May we all learn more fully that the way to greatness is to become the servant of all. Then we will not be jealous of any Christian worker. Brother Sewell used to say here in A. C. C., “It does not make so much difference whether you like me, but it makes all the difference whether you like my Lord.” There is too much to be done and the field of labor is too large to leave any room for workers to be jealous of each other, it is of the devil. The best way to whip Satan is to keep working for the Lord. “Always in your place on Lord’s Day” and at other times. Where is the Christian’s place on Lord’s Day? Where do you spend it?
Genesis 41:39, “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, for as much as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou.” Discreet means possessed of, or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct, especially in speech; prudent; hence prudently silent, careful.
Oh! how we all need to be discreet, would that we all could be prudently silent.
’Tis said that a man once said he had heard so much about the greatness of Abraham Lincoln that he would give anything to see him. Finally the opportunity came and he was ushered into the presence of the President of the United States, the great emancipator. When they were introduced Lincoln asked some question about the home state of his visitor that started this man to talking, and wnen he haa exhausted himself on that particular phase of his interest, Lincoln asked another question and when the visitor was told his 30 minutes were up and he was outside again, he was praising Lincoln in the highest terms just as his friends had done. Someone, after listening to this praise for a while said, “Weil, what did the President say?” and then the visitor, as he analyzed his visit in trying to tell his friend what the President said, discovered he had done all the talking and the President was just a good listener. We need good listeners. Are you one ?
Discreet, prudent, careful in your conduct. Joseph is held up to us as a very discreet man, a wise man, a successful man, a man that was attractive and that did attract the wife of the man that had put Joseph over all his household. Possibly no temptation is greater to a normal man than that which came to Joseph fiom Potiphar’s wTife. and yet by God’s help he overcame it. So can you, so can I, so must the gospel preacher. The worldly man cannot understand nor appreciate the story of Joseph; to them he is foolish and a weakling, but: Anyone could have yielded—it took a real man to refuse. Joseph has lived through all these centuries and will live and inspire men and boys to noble deeds and lofty ideals so long as this world lasts—what a different story concern »ng all those who have yielded to pas-sion’s call; and had Joseph yielded where would-his influence be now? The gospel preacher gets into the family life, very often, of other people, listens to their troubles, sympa-thizes with them, ad\ises with them. They learn to love him tenderly and dearly, he is often asked, most of the time unthoughtedly, to do thing’s, go places, with members of the family, the daughter, the mother, or someone that might cause comment, start tongues to wagging. How discreet the gospel preacher must be. A preacher some years older than I was in the store where I work the other day and I told him I was com ing here to talk on the “Conduct of a Gospel Preacher,” and he said, “You have a great and important subject. When I was holding my first meeting an elderly gospel preacher took -t upon himself to talk to me along that line, telling me how careful I must be and how I should watch my every action and carefully weigh the consequences before I promised to go any place for any purpose, etc. ...” He said, “That talk, that bit of advice has ever been a high spot in my life and has been worth more to me as a gospel preach er than any talk I ever had with anyone at any time.” My own experience has been very limited but I have seen women, members of the church, fall for the preacher—our preacher. I tell you, brethren, the preacher is tempted more than any of us and we need to pray for him and help him in every way. He is usually stronger spiritually than most of us and overcomes these temptations, but when he falls, great is the fall. None of us do quite the damage to the church, if perchance we fall, as does a preacher.
Within recent months I have been somewhat con-versant with conditions in a church in one of our larger cities and just a few Sundays ago I talked to a church in a smaller town where the local minister had finally been asked to leave after he had gotten into court, being charged with "driving while intoxicated.” These things are terrible but they seldom happen; most gospel preachers resist the devil wherever and whenever he attacks, whether it be in the form of some ruinful lust or otherwise.
If a preacher so conducts himself as to bring reproach upon the church,- goes astray morally, loses control of himself, and his passions, then comes to himself and makes confession of his faults will God receive him back? And should we?
If such a one confesses irregularities of conduct which the world has noted to such an extent that they would be held against him, and, hence, would reflect upon the work of the ministry, such things may not be overcome. Maybe he can really be saved at last without doubt, but effective service among men has come to an end. About this there can be no question. One may talk about beating back but it can never be done sonal feelings of the servant must be subordinated to except in a very limited way. In such matters the per- the larger interests and reputation of the church. Any man who tries to do otherwise is a detriment to the church and will damn his own soul by his brazen and defiant determination to force the church and the world to accept him at his former evaluation. God may forgive, but humanity will not forget.
” The same principle applies to a man who has had a checkered career, lived a profligate life, and perchance hears the gospel and genuinely repents and bcomes a Christian by obedience to the gospel. His past will ever be a detriment to the use of his talents for the Lord. Be not deceived-—God is not mocked— whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. I have been in the drug business all my life, have been in contact with the public and the medical men that doctor their ills, and I am saying to you that 90% of the boys that are immoral in their teens, never change after they are older and are married. Oh! that we could teach all our boys to say no! Teach them real values, teach them that anybody can be a rat and go into the gutter but that it takes stamina—a real man to live a clean life and be somebody, teach them that they should seek first the kingdom of God, make it first in time, first in affection and first in reality, always in their places on Lord’s Day, fulfilling their mission on the earth, living for God while serving hu-manity. A reformed ruffian, robber or moral pervert is not good material for a gospel preacher.
First must be God’s glory and then our own good— or goods. There are some who would make merchandise of the gospel, but they are hirelings and do not love the Lord’s work—do not love his sheep. With fair words they would deceive the hearts of the simple. When one preaches, he must feel, with Paul, that a woe is against him if he preaches not the word, regardless of the income. This is the proper motive and spirit. Nothing else can induce a man to carry on a successful work in the ministry of the word. The preacher who told the boy when he had asked him if he thought he should make a preacher, replied, “Not if you can help it” was about right. Yet we all believe in and do encourage every worthy man to preach if he wants to and can. If I had boys, nothing would please me better than to see them preachers of the gospel, the best and greatest of the earth have been preachers; if I had my life to live over I would want to prepare myself better, so I could preach the gospel, all honor to the man who does preach and lives what he preaches.
I am not one to condemn or to talk, or emphasize in any way the weakness of my brethren and I have no patience with the suspicious and hurtful person who is always watching for something wrong in my life, in the life of a Christian, or especially the life of a preacher. All my life I have been very intimately associated with preachers in our own work and I suspect I know as many gospel preachers as most any man, excepting the preachers tnemselves, and as a group, they are. the most godly men living today. And while I love them and would help them anytime, when one of them does yield to temptation and brings reproach upon the church, he should be asked to take a back seat and prove his repentance by godly living before he attempts to preach the gospel again. I am not at all in sympathy with, and as Paul says, “I believe I have the mind of Christ,” with the custom that is too prevalent, of listening to a preacher after he has been caught in a trespass, say he is sorry for his error, and then continues preaching. That procedure will not do for any church leader.
There are too many real men, men who have overcome the wicked one, who can lead and direct the work and preach the gospel to make it necessary or advisable to use one whose influence is detrimental. No, they should take a rest and we should have some way of disseminating the information to other congregations concerning them. In the early days of the restoration movement, I am reliably informed, the preachers went anywhere they had an invitation to go. They never asked nor thought about how much they would receive, but do they want to hear the gospel ? Experience has proven that—today the churches grow taster, develop more rapidly—the individual members, and preach the gospel to others more when they have regular preaching, or a located minister, but how about finances now? Very often the preacher wants to know about the financial support before he considers moving there, and ihat is likely alright in this modern age also, but too frequently the preacher will not consider a move if the promised support is not at least as much as he u getting wnere he is located.
Why should a preacher move anyway? What should prompt him to go elsewhere? What should be the motive that should determine whore he should go? Naturally, he would desire an invitation and then he should see if he could reasonably expect to accomplish more for the Lord there than at his present location, and lastly, he should See if they are giving enough to pay his living expenses. We, at Cleburne, believe in paying our preacher a living wage, and we want it to be enough that he can give a portion of it, as he will want to, to the work of the church, be an example in giving as wTell as in living, but we are not increasing the salary of the preacher in order to move him to us from some other place.
Woe will be unto the church if local congregations get to bidding against each other for our best preachers. There are too many places and peoples that need the gospel and we can only save ourselves by saving others.
How does it happen that you are a preacher?
Wnen did you make the choice of your life’s work?
Why did you make this decision?
Are you prepared for your work?
Where did you prepare?
Did you decide that it would be a good way to make a living,
to be taken into the hearts and lives of people,
honored and respected by everyone, and especially loved by your congregation ? When I was in college I heard a discussion about the fields that were open to young men and several thought at that time that the ministry was less crowded and offered the best opportunity to a young man. Do we have any preachers like that—looking for good opportunities?
""Every life affects the world for good or bad, in pro-portion to its activity and influence. If I am a person of influence, my opportunity to do good is great. A person of influence can lead many people in the right or he can lead many people in the wrong way. Do I have influence over others? Yes, definitely, and so do you.
How are we using it? Our best talents should be employed in the furtherance of the gospel of Christ. As you grew as a Christian, learned more of God’s way and his plan, did your heart burn within you with a desire to do more for Christ and after prayer and much consideration, you decided that come what may, sacrifice and hardships will be welcome if I can really serve? Then where did you want to work? Why? Did you have any bad habits? What did you do about them? Did you smoke then? Do you smoke now? If you cannot or rather do not overcome any of your habits, how can you tell others to change their lives? Thou that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?
1 Peter 5:3, “Neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock.” Can you ask your congregation to follow you as you follow Christ?
James 1:27, “And to keep one’s self unspotted from the world.” Any Christian should and must do that and shall I say especially a preacher. A professor in a school of religion in talking to a group of preachers studying religious problems told this to them: “The French have a saying that when a cat comes up to you and rubs against you, the cat is not stroking you, it is stroking itself.” Are you young preachers motivated by a driving desire to serve God and humanity in your determination to preach Christ or are you stroking yourself on Christ’s wounds?
God forbid that any gospel preacher should ever make merchandise of the gospel—then don’t allow yourself to get mercenary.
I know a preacher is very often referred to as a financial failure and most of them are, but most of any class are likewise financial failures when measured by certain standards, but I prefer that the preacher think as little about money as is consistent with economical living and honest dealings. It just seems of all men, he should not be mercenary.
Recently I read this from a gospel preacher: “A man who preaches falsehood for money is not dealing in the gospel at all. But there are certain lines of gospel preaching that are popular among brethren. It does not require much thinking to know what will please the brethren, and to know that brethren will pay well for such preaching. Nor does it take much wisdom for a preacher to know that some needed preaching is not popular in some churches, and that such churches will not pay much for such preaching. Any preacher knows that the displeasure of the big church injures his popularity as a preacher. What then? The ‘gospel peddler’ will preach the gospel sermons that please, and leave off the needed things that would not be well received. Then people can say he preached the gospel straight, and he did as far as he went. That is the slickest way to make merchandise of the gospel. Do not fool yourself into thinking that I am overdrawing the picture.”
I do think that he has overdrawn the picture. There may be such a preacher, but we have never had him at our place and I am persuaded his type is very scarce. We like it all even if it hits us right between the eyes. A preacher is looked upon as an example; though he sometimes is not a good example. A good example is one that stimulates people to better living and guides in the right way. Hence, Paul exhorted Timothy to be an example to the believer—in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity. In his preaching the preacher should be true to the word, and he should be true to the people in that he withholds nothing from them that would be profitable to them. His love, his aim and his purpose should center on the right things; for these determine what he is. His manner of living counts for much. He must deal honestly. To do so he must live within his means. The honest preacher will do without things rather than make debts he cannot pay. If he cannot pay as he goes on the salary he gets, he knows that he cannot on that same salary ever be able to pay an accumulation of debts. He should not be extravagant and wasteful; neither should he be slouchy and filthy. He should be pure and clean morally and he should reflect that inner cleanness in the care of his person and the clothes he wears. He should be firm and courageous in advocating and defending the truth of the gospel, but should avoid all senseless wranglings and useless strife. “But thou, 0 man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” “Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal whereunto thou wast called, and didst confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:11-12).
Tf ere will be met people with itching ears, who will seek by various ways to entice the preacher to preach so as to please them. They are frequently willing to pay well for such preaching, though it damns both them :-v.J the preacher. “For am I now seeking the favor c_ men, or cf Cod? Or am I striving to please men? If I were plca::ng men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). The celebrated actor, Garrich, was once asked by an eloquent clergyman why it was that the gospel preacher who has such solemn truths to utter could not affect or interest his auditors as he could on the stage, when everyone knew that what he said was all fiction. “Why, sir,” the distinguished actor replied, “You speak truth as though it were fiction, while we speak fiction as though it were truth.” But no man can really be in earnest who is not pious. And should anyone study earnestness of manner for the sake of its effect, without a corresponding piety, he will never acquire it except as a hypocrite acquires so much of the appearance of a saint as to make him tolerably current amongst those who have no hypocrite detector. Indeed, he that would deceive in the ministry must put on the garb of godly sincerity, as the ancient false prophets were wont to apparel themselves with a rough garment, because in those days the true prophets assumed that style as more compatible with their office. No man ought to try to preach the gospel who does not feel such an interest in the great work of saving men as to absorb his whole soul in the undertaking. Many indeed wish to become public men because of their love of publicity and popular admiration. Better for such a one to seek admiration in a safer market, and to cater for that reward on terms that will not imperil their own salvation in the day of final reward.
If a man love shouting and acting, let him go to the stage.
Does he love wrangling? Let him go to the bar.
Does he love teaching? Let him become a school-master.
Does he love money? Let him become a merchant, banker or professional man. But does he love souls and desire their salvation? Let him spend much time in the mount with God and go forth to the congregation with sincerity and zeal and pathos of one inspired with the faith and hope of the gospel. Then indeed, his labors in the Lord shall not be in vain, for the work of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Some excerpts from an article from Brother C. M. Pullias:
“The growing tendency to the ‘pastor system' by the churches of Christ is alarming. We preach against it and at the same time practice it. The preachers are being called in by the large churches to preach exclusively for them. The larger a congregation, the more helpless it is. They have reached the point where the preacher is not allowed to evangelize the world in holding revival meetings where they are needed. The churches are not able to have prayer meetings unless the preacher is there. As a result the churches are perishing. Large congregations are the burying grounds for talent. The larger they are, the more and more is this true. The members of the churches are to trust to the preacher everything. They feel they pay him to do it, and they, therefore, are relieved of any rsponsibility in leading or conducting the services. A few more decades, and the church of Christ will not favor itself—if changes are not made soon. Besides, the preacher in such cases is not appreciated for his strong and scriptural preaching, but for his little pastoral visits, good mixing, and organizing." Does that describe the church where you worship and work?
Brother Colin Smith told me about a Brother Cheek who went to Australia a few decades ago to preach Christ to them'. Within a period of some two years he had established some 34 congregations of Christians and died at the age of 29, but leaving all these congregations imbued with a missionary spirit to reach all near them with the truth. On Lord’s Day this brother would meet with a congregation at 6 or 7 A. M., and then ride sometimes as much as 45 miles on horseback over almost impassable roads to get to another appointment by 8 or 9 P. M. His life was short, his work was intense, but look at the accomplishment. I am not sure but that Jesus meant for his followers to work in just such a way. He often reminded them that they were not of the world. He tells us not to follow or be influenced by the ideas of the world if and when they are opposed to his plan for Christian living. The world would advise against a life similar to our Brother Cheek’s and would say he cut his life short by his imprudent zeal. But did he? He lived a full life in five years and God said, “It is enough, come on up higher.” Christ worked for three and a half years and worked intensely. A more modern example in our own country is Willard Morrow of the Riverside Congregation in Fort Worth; he is the most constant worker in the Lord’s vineyard that I know anything about. I asked for a report on his activities and have a report from the elders there. He preacnes at Hicks Field of Flying Cadets at 8:30 Sunday morning; teaches a Bible class of 80 to 100 in the church building at 9:45; preaches at 11:00 A. M.; meets with the young people on Sunday afternoon; and preaches again at night. On Wednesday night he meets with the men and boys at 7:00 P.M.; and at 8:00 P.M. teaches a class of High School boys and girls that averages 35 to 40 in attendance, He speaks over the radio station KFJZ each Tuesday and Thursday at 4:45 P. M. On each fourth Lord’s Day he preaches at Azle at 2:30 P. M. and at the County Home for the Aged at 5 P. M., in addition to his regular Sunday program. He prepares numerous gospel tracts and advertising material in printed form. In the nearly 38 months he has been there, he has conducted 58 meetings, usually from eight to twelve days in length, within 50 miles of Ft. Worth, with about 200 additions; 220 funerals, numerous weddings, baccalaureate sermons; some lectures, etc. Two new congregations have been established at Azle and at Kennedale. Yes, the Riverside church is working, too. They are a busy bee-hive of workers, and they back up their preacher in his work all the time. How about the local work—did it suffer? No—Morrow comes home every night and preaches at horn? every Sunday and most every Sunday night. During the 38 months, there have been a total of 563 responses. October, 1939, the month before Morrow came to Riverside, the average contribution was $50.55 per Lord’s Day; treasury balance was $181.98. The 1942 average contribution was $141.32; treasury balance was $1,666.67, increased more than nine times; and $5,110.36 cash on hand in the building fund. The Riverside congregation has no large contributors, but is composed of people with comparatively small or medium wage-earning ability. Brother Morrow is a single man, says he has no time to devote to a home life, that too many people are dying without Christ, and that he must do all he can to save them.
“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work.” In temporal things it takes work; in spiritual things there is no substitute for work. Should the gospel preacher have a title? Should he wear special garb or clothing? Should he belong to the Ministerial Associations of the town or city? Should he be a college graduate? Should he meet with the officers in their meeting or just with the elders? Etc., etc. ... •
We all know he should not and will not be called reverend for he knows that means God. Shall we call him doctor? If he has a doctor’s degree, say doctor of philosophy from some leading university, should he then be referred to by us as Dr. Brown? Some time ago one of our members complained to one of our elders that he was never referred to or called on by his title, that we called on our doctors as Dr. Yater, etc., but that we never called him judge. Why not be satisfied with brother? In the early days Christians were referred to as saints; but more often as brethren. That shows our mutual relationship to one another and acknowledges each other as on an equal basis in the Lord. If I had a dozen titles I would prefer to be called Brother Foster by my brethren to any of them, and so would every lover of the Lord. So let’s do it, let’s not hesitate to greet each other as brother and sister, wherever we meet and whenever we meet. Let’s let the world know we love each other. A degree re-quired? We will take no time to answer the other questions now. May I make my final appeal to the preacher, as an elder, by asking you to concentrate more on the correct method of selecting qualified officers of the churches, how to correct mistakes that have been made in the past in such selections; and teach every church member everywhere the truth along these lines. These actions are seldom taken and ignorance is bliss in most cases. Brother Showalter said once that the preachers have been improving themselves for some decades, but little or nothing has been done to improve our elders and that the next ten or twenty years could well be spent with this purpose in the foreground. The elder is just as important to the local work as the preacher and he is much harder to reach for he stays in his shell and whatever you say here never reaches him. In many instances he only needs teaching, but in some he certainly needs removing and either is hard to do. Better be sure they are good material before we select them. I am willing to go my full length in this work; so long as I am able, I will go anywhere in reach of my home and talk to elders, deacons, etc., if you will get them together at any central location— will you not join me in this most important work? Since you know that the elders are a hindrance to the work in many places, isn’t there some way to show them a better way? May God help us to work in his vineyard while it is day.
If I have said anything that is worth anything to anybody, I am glad. The preachers know how to conduct themselves; if they didn’t they know that no better advice could be found anywhere than in Paul’s letter to Timothy, a young preacher, and in those letters you will find everything I have said and very much more. For your conduct in the pulpit I refer you to these letters. To the rest of us: We are kings and priests unto God—Christ is our elder brother—do you think God would be pleased with any conduct save the highest type of efficient workers in his church?