The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-01-19
Pay Your Preacher.

A CHURCH calls and settles pastor.
A positive understanding exists between
the two parties. The pastor has no
other source of income but his church.
Carelessness upon the part of the men,
bers will soon bring want into the pas
tors home. Pay day, although ii Uas
thirty days off, has come around and
the grocer, bookseller, tailor, and land
lord all want their money, and of course
they all expect "the preacher to be
prompt" The pastor is perpleXed-
almost ashamed to pass along the street;
because he has pledged himself to pay
his bills to day; and now he finds it i'm
possible to do so because the church
has not fulfilled its part of the agree
ment. His honor as man and min
lister has gone to protest, and that, too,
when he was doing all within his power
to avoid it. He must 90 and make an
explanation of the matter: but this does
not pay the accumulated bills that are
now due. In some instances this need
not produce any special feeling; but in
other cases the man of business will be
disappointed, and in some instances will
discuss, in his own mind, if not with his
intimate friends, whether these state
mentS are true or not. The pastor S
standing is lowered, and it will require
months, and perhaps years, to reinstate
himself in the confidence of the business
men in his town. This is sad, very sad!
The pastor, under such circumstances.
cannot study or do any other work well,
because his unpaid bills haunt him by
day and by night. He begins to feel
that the church is not satisfied with him
as pastor; and he, too, is disappointed
in his expectations. His word is too sa-
cred to him to be sacrificed in this way.
He feels grieved and hurt The church
has disappointed him. Soon watchful
deacon or some good sister makes sad
discovery. The pastor does not preach
so well as he did. They are very much
mortified at the terrible failure he made
last Sabbath, because ''Col. Brown
and LADY, and Maj. Smith were all
there by special request of Deacon Jones
to hear 6 our new pastor" who had been
quite popular until within a few weeks.
In few days the deacons have special
meeting. The pastor is discussed, and
the conclusion reached is, eve have
been imposed upon by man of few
sermons Soon arrangements are
made, and the pastor finds it necessary
to resign. The church, at full business
meeting (because the members will at
tend on such occasions), passes a series
of resolutions highly commenting the
pastor for his course while Gin their
midst" and strongly recommending
him tn Gonna rrno5 oburob +bo+ NAV 10
looking for a good pastor, which has
just disposed of a good patient man under
similar circumstances. And, if the NOV
ing pastor leaves dollar unpaid, or does
not refund the money borrowed to move
away with as soon as expected, he is
referred to as being very slow, if not
absolutely dishonest, and the church is
not at all surprised that such men have
to move often. But the church assumes
the debt, because good part Of the
pastors salary is unpaid, you will re-
member, and appoints a committee to
report nothing done" at the next
meeting. The pastor waits q few
months, or years-which is not unusual
and if he asks for the balance due him
the conclusion reached by the church is
that he was preaching for money, and
not to win and build up souls in Christ.
We cannot too strongly emphasize the
very great importance of pastors meet
ing promptly their financial obligations
but, alongside with it, and with equal
force, we would urge the great reason
ableness and necessity of the church
being equally prompt in the payment of
its obligations to the pastor. Failure
upon the part of the church must always
result disastrously to the pastor and his
work, lowe no man anything, but to
love one another Rom. xii. S.)-N.
Y. World.