Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-04-30
COrralling a Pastor.

The qualrennial general conference
of the Methodist Episcopal church
will meet at Cincinnati early in May,
and will remain in session for about one
month. There will be some important
measured brought before the confer
ence, some of which are calculated TO
make quite radical change in the gov
eminent of Methodism, though it will
be difficult to tell what changes will be
made. OF the questions to be brought
before the conference none is Of more
importance than that Of modifying the
itinerancy. The Methodist system of
distributing pastors was adopted early
in the organization Of the church, and
has been adhered to rigidly because it
has been found to work successfully.
Some years ago the law was so far
| changed as to allow pastors to remain
at charge for three years instead of
two, but all measures introduced for
the purpose of increasing this limit
have heretofore been overruled.
Against this law which prescribes that
no minister shall serve any one church
longer than three years in six, consid
cradle opposition is being developed in
all parts of the church. There are
probably but few ministers in the
church who would be willing to do
away with the itinerancy. There are
many who recognize the advantage it
possesses over the congregational sys
tenn. Some seek only for such modii
cations as would remove its most obvi.
Gus disadvantages, believing it can be
so amended as to become the best sys-
tenn Of pastoral appointment that could
be devised. The point at which the
itineracy seems to fail is in pastoral
service, as the preacher cannot do his
most effective work as stranger. The
most efficient pastor is one who is most
intimately acquainted with his charge.
The relations of pastor with the mem
| bers of his church are of confidential
and sacred character, and men and
women will not give their confidence to
stranger. By the present rule the
pastor comes suddenly, and comes as a
stranger it is known that at the furthest
he can stay no longer than three years,
and congregations naturally shrink
from forming warm attachments that
must be broken every three years, per-
haps oftener. The minister is, there
fore, chiefly valued for his sermons,
aud his personal influence counts for
comparatively little. Thus it is that
the Methodists have not built up strong
and influential churches in the great
centers of population as other denomi
nations have done. Amsng the plans
which have been proposed by way OF
modification is one that simply asks that
the bishop be granted power to make
appointments year by year of the same
! minister to the church. The length of
the pastoral term could, under this rule,
be gagged according to the wishes and
needs of the church and the desires of
the pastors. This would give the ben.
efts of the settled pastorate while re-
tanning tho obvious advantage of the
itinerancy in making necessary changes
easily and quietly. Very many. per-
haps majority Of the ministers of the
church, are opposed to this and other
proposed notifications. and the system
may be kept the same as it is now by
the general conference, but the strong
est churches in the principal cities OF
the country are in favor of some change
that will permit them to keep pastor
to whom they have become attached, q
longer period tkan that now allowed
by the rules of the church. It is a
change that must ultimately come,
| whether it comes now or not.-Hauk-