The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-05-05
THE NEED OF MINISTER'S.

We learn that an unusual number of applca.
tions for young ministers have been received at
Union Seminary during the last few weeks. One OF
the Professors stated, on the floor OF one OF our
Presbyteres, two weeks ago, that the number de-
manded was three or four times the number of the
young men who expect next month to complete
the Seminary course; and these applications come
from Maryland Virginia, West Virginia North
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky,
Missouri, and Ohio-ten States This is sugges-
tive fact.
l. There is an encouraging evidence thus afford
ed, that our people are in more hopeful circum-
stances. True, the applications are mostly for
men without families, and many for purely mis-
siOnary fields Still our Presbyterial committees
and our people thus show that there is confidence
in having means to sustain more labor.
2. There is great encouragement to be derived
from the fact that so large a number of yonng
brethren are eheerishing desire to preach the
gospel. From information just received by the
Committee of Education, it is now ascertained
that the number is about $50! Nothing approach
ing this bas ever been known before in the history
of the Southern Presbyterian Church. 1t should
make every heart overflow with gratitude to the
Head of the Church. Faithful ministers are his
gift. And what work-what blessed work our
Church will have in sustaining, as far as needful
these brethren in their course of preparation.
3. But let us not hide from our eyes the real and
pressing exigency of our case. 1t will be some
years before we can receive large supply of min
listers from the source above mentioned. Most o.
these young men are Just starting in their studies
In the mean time our supply is inadequate to meet
the wants of new fields which are opening, and the
places of those made vacant by death and other
causes Il is true that this decreaseis By no means
as great as some have supposed; for it is great
mistake to begin calculation from the number
reported on the minutes of our General Assembly
at the close of the war. There was large number
on the roll then, who really were not Of us, and
VIII aaAaass have since been dropped.
~ - viking all allowance for this, the fac
undoubtedly remains that, for the present. we are
greatly in want of preachers. Within the bounds
of the Synod of Virginia alone, there are at least
half dozen churches, or several churches united
as one pastoral charge, and hitherto sefsustaining
which by death or removal have been recently left
vacant Earnest efforts to procure pastors have
not been as yet successful Truly the laborers are
few.
4. While our Theological Seminary in Prince
Edward seldom if ever presented more encour.
aging aspect, as to its external affairs, land the
Seminary at Columbia too has been remarkably
prosperous notwithstanding its severe trials, yet
we have to deal with the stern reality of the case
that for the present our supply is inadequate,
Never has there been such demand-neyer have
we been in such straits. What can be done? We
are shut up IN most important sense to look al
home for our supply Our whole number of The,
illogical students furnished by our Synod with its
9 Presbyteries, $50 churches, 1855 ministers, and
$4,000 communicates, now pursuing their profes,
siona studies, is just tl1elUe Any one can calcu-
late the ratios given by such figures. We have
no heart for the obvious results. We cannot shut
our eyes to the appalling fact that rate of pro-
gress in supplying our Church with ministers hard
" meets at present the annual demands created
by death. For suppOsing Columbia to provide
eight, and Union eight, and that four more reach
icensure in other modes, we have only twenty
every year.
5. We repeat the question, what can be done
Our Lord gives the answer, pray We the Lord Of
the harvest to send forth laborers into his har-
vest" But prayer, to be sincere, must be accom-.
panied by efforts. Not only must we pray, but
work. Pastors must teach their charges; parents
consecrate their sons; teachers, especially the
clerical and other pious teachers in our colleges
lay before their pupils the claims Of the minis
try. The merely worldly view, though not the
guide to duty, may be suggestive of our Providen
tial mode of intimatiop to our young men The
other professions are less attractive and less renu
lucrative than heretofore. Political avocationI
are lust disgusting. Teachers are fully equal tc
the demand May not all this suggest that Goo
is shutting up pious young men to preach? Surely
the subject is one worthy of thought, and prayer
and effort.
6. Is there no way by which our Church can
safely and proftably bring into its ministry some
men of approved piety and aptness to teach, upon
shorter training than that very properly required
as a general rule? Are there not men in our
churches, from thirty to forty years of age, who
have developed a fine character for piety and pru-
dence, and in Sabbath schools, Bible classes, and
prayer meetings, have acquired good experience
and tact in conducting religious services, and who
can speak well Why not select goodly number
of such, give them course Of one or two years Of
special instruction, and send them out to preach
:. Cannot more be done to give our feeble
churches some supply, by Presbyteries grouping
and arranging them into circuits