Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-06-02
Do Churches Own Their Pastors7

Some church members appear to think
that the pastor and his family are in pecu..
liar sense their property. His household
management, his business arrangements, the
exact outside and inside condition of all his
worldly affairs, is to them subject OF legit-
innate scrutiny, and if in all respects he fails
to conform to their arbitrary standards, the
matter is made the subject of gossip or dis
paraging criticism. If the real secret of
many of the pastoral changes which take
place could be ascertained, it would be found
that their starting point was right here in
this meddlesome spirit. Ministers are, after
all, human beings" men of like passions"
with other people, and impertinent curios-
ity in regard to their private affairs-a curl
osity which honorable persons never mani
fest toward each other, and which any men,
ber of the congregation would at once Wig
orously resent-is none the less dishonorable
and impertinent when exhibited toward one
who is comparatively defenceless against it.
We have seen preachers who seemed to have
become hardened to this sort of thing. They
probably began their ministry with as much
sensitiveness as others, but the incessant
attrition of the petty gossip Of small people
about the small affairs of their ministers has
brought about a kind of epidemic atrophy.
They are not all thin-skinned. They rather
take pride in parading what other people
prefer to conceal. We never yet knew a
minister's wife, however, who achieved that
fortunate or unfortunate condition of insen-
sibility. So that even if the coarseness and
vulgarity Of church members do sometimes
so toughen the feelings of ministers that in
sheer self.protection they cease to feel, or at
least to give evidence of feeling, there are
- - &c %ha faY ilxy
who are not beyond the reach of the stings
should never be forgotten that a preacher is
a man, aud that in becoming pastor he
surrenders no manly attribute or feeling OF
right. One of these is the right to manage
his own private affairs in his own private
way. An honorable church will see to it
that its pastor has support, and that
that support is promptly paid. Here, within
certain limits the responsibility of the
church ends. 1t has no more business to &c
chasing after every dollar that the pastor re
ceives to see whether it is expended accord
ing TO some fanciful standard of economy
than it has to institute an inquisition int
the private affairs of the humblest person
Whether the minister's wife wears a new
bonnet or an old one, whether she comes tt
church in silk or calico, is absolutely no
body's business but her own. She has pre-
cisely the same right to regulate her house
hold economy without impertinent interfer
ence that any church member may claim
No one has any proprietorship in her or he
husband, and the man who, merely becaus
he contributes few dollars to the supper
of the pastor, attempts to exercise such
proprietor's right or to intermeddle or tall
or gossip about that pastor on account o
such contribution, exhibits an exceedingl
narrow view of the ministerial office or al
exceedingly narrow soul. The truth is tina
more frequent application of the homel
rule "mind your own business" would saw
great deal of trouble, not only in the rels
tions between pastor and people, but woul
cure, or rather prevent, a host of churc
troubles, that now so sorely tax the patienc
and interfere with the prosperity of Zior
Untamed and meddlesome tongues seem +
have been not unknown in the apostles day
and if Paul could declare of them that the
were "set on fire of hell" certainly no lar
guage that we can use in condemnation o
the sulphurous fame of gossip which sucl
impertinent and meddlesome tongues kindl'
can be considered extravagant or severe
When preacher decides to "know notf
ing" among his people " except Jesus Chris
and him crucifed," and when his people ar
equally decided to "know nothing" an
guess nothing in regard to his private an
family affairs, save as that knowledge wi
contribute to the one great object of h
mission, we may look to find permaner
and successful pastorate. Other things b.
ing equal, the measure of ministerial SUI
cess will be largely proportionate to tn
fidelity with which these simple rules {
gospel preaching and gospel courtesy al
honored and observed Western Recorde