Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1882-03-31
Pastors and E,osgebsts.


We copy the following from the
old Pah Guide, by special request
"Some weeks since you published
finely prepared article from Bro. Nc,
Carney, on the Duties and Respon-
sibilities Of an Evangelist" laid this
paper away, hoping 10 find leisure to
offer some further suggestions on the
subject. But time passes and is all
occupied as Il goes, so can, at most,
only tell you what ! would say If l
had leisure.
Bro. McGarvey assumes not only
that churches should have the con
slant labors Of an evangelist az pastors,
bot makes this their first and great
work, IL | understand him. | have
not 80 understood their duties, or the
proper course tor the churches. Our
congregations have got into the habit
Of looking to evangelical labor for life
and growth. making pastors Of evan
gelists who have not the proper quail.
fications, and laying on the shelf the
men Providence has raised up 10 be
pastors. Thence the congregations
are not doing so well; new coDgrega.
tions are not being formed as they
should be, and weak ones are not
properly strengthened. / desire,
therefore, TO enquire
1. For scriptural authority for
preaching to congregations after the
present manner. know no suthori-
ty for it, and | see little good in il be.
yond the pay Of the preacher, and the
comparative ease Of his life and la
bors. / know no case in the script.
ures where a church had regular
preaching by one evangelist, or where
one evangelist was permanent in any
one place. Exactly the course now
popular among US, and becoming more
so by the force and power Of the
preachers, is, so far as | know, Who'll.
ly without divine warrant. Ancient
evangelists preached, baptized, form
ed and set in order congregations, and
then went on into new fields. know
no exception TO this course. They
taught the elders to be pastors, and
left the passionate" of the congrega.
tons in their hands. Now, even
young evangelists are hired 20 preach
to the congregations, aud are, l sup
pose, in the true sense of the word,
hirelings, caring for the fleece rather
than for the flock; pasturing on the
flock rather than having the flock pas
ture on them They feed them with
pretty half-hour sermons from APP
proved terts alter the sectarian style,
a course so caostically condemned in
the Christian Baptist, and utterly
without scriptural example, or pre-
cept in the Bible. "And the people
love 20 have IL sol Even long pGstOrates
are urged, lie, evangelical rule over
the churches For, in such cases, the
elders are generally nominal only.
Evangelists are the rulers, if they do
not lord it over Gods heritage. p"
2. | would enquire whether a man
can be scripturally bishop or pastor.
without the qualifications laid down
by Paul? think not. And. hence
the condition of our congregations.
II incompetent men run schools, col
leges, or State governments, they will,
like incompetent railroad engineers,
run of the track. So they have done.
3. | would understand the duties Of
the elders. II the evangelists are TO
be the heads and leaders, what are the
elders to dol or the bishops, if you
please for / do not understand these
as equivalent terms. l would under.
stand the difference between "the pas
tors" and 'the elders" Some churches
advertise themselves as having plu-
rality Of deacons, plurality Of eld-
ers, and a single pastor" 1t seems
to me that this is virtually Gnnulling
the Office OF elder, or bishop, and ere.
Gting the office Of "the pastor" II is
certain that the New Testament knows
nothing of such pastor.
| Perhaps Bro. Brents may reach
these points; or, perhaps, Bro. Nc.
Garvey can make them plain. | shall
wait with some anxiety to see.
Afiectionately, G. KENDRIcK.
DowNEY Cry, CAL. .