Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-08-15
The Time Limitation.


g contains the arguments for the presen
q SYSTEM
d 1t will be seen by our readers by tn,
=, report in this issue, that the Montpelier
u preachers meeting discussed this question
on Monday of last week.
L Rev. Ii. A. Spencer read paper on the
n occasion, from which we are permitted to
gather some important statements of facts
and of which we make an outline for the
information of our readers. 1t should be
horne In mind, however, that mere out
line cannot do justice to the elaborate and
conclusive articles which sustained the
position of :he essayist.
After describing the itineracy as a
system of uneqnaled efficiency in supply
! ing churches with pastors, and ministers
with pastorates, some statistics were
quoted TO show the comparative inefficiency
of The system of so-called "setlled'
pastorates, as seen in The present status OF
the Congregational churches of America
There is Il total OF 8, 1913 Congregational
ministers. not including missionaries to
foreign lands. Only 9lS OF this number,
Tor less than one fourlb) are "set led
! o ly COZ, very much less than one half,
have regular work AS acting pastors, while
1,l98 are reported as mot IN work"
The total number of Congregational
churches is 1896, 927 having pastors
1886 having regular supplies-for terms
extended or brief rs the case may be,-by
acting pastors and 028 being vacant,
the latter condi ion of more than one f,urh
of the churches being one of e"tlre desti-
luton of pastoral care. OF the churches
having regular supplies, 1,6n7 are b.,
ministers of this church, and 379 of other
dPnominai ions
From this significant showing of the
in, tficiencv of the settled ministry system
both IN .uppl,, ing churches with pastors
and ministers with ,a>to,ateS, and esp"
cially when conlrasted with tn" alus O I
churches, all supplied with pastors. and
,ur cffrc i've ministers all supplied with
fields of labor, the conclusion is tv dent
that such system Fl rs no a'l' q ,;,te
inducement tor change in i 8 favor.
Then AS to ii mod tic zion of the present
system, the ESSAY he'd that any IL ut 10 so
r. adjust ii AS to retain all lis present td
v,ntages and also TO secure The advantages
If the settled pistorate, to be impractl
cable.
The details of each system are so utterly
different us to render harmonizti"n
impossible. The Keystone of the one
system is the calling and dismissing o the
pastor by the congrt gtrion at pleasure. 1t
involves all the ADVERTISEMENTS of divis-
ion in opinion and in Preferences, and the
friction consequent upon such division.
he keystone of the other 81 stem is the
method of sending ministers by authority
vested in a representation of the whole
,h ND in har with oil
It's united interests. These points were
illustrated in detail, and showing that all
the real advantages of The settled ministry
were covered in the llinerant system,
except protracted pastorale, which is
now very exceptional under any system.
1t was further shown that The average
Methodist society is oftener able to secure
the minister of its choice and the average
Methodist minister more frequently graft
fed with the possession OF his chosen field
of labor, than in other churches Also
that necessary changes are effected with
far less friction and loss of power, both to
churches and ministers, than by any other
system.
The essay held therefore that removal
of the limitation is inexpedent, because !
such removal would tend directly to all
the embarrassments Of the other system,
while involving II loss Of all the advantages
OF the lineracy. No removal would then
occur without advertising dissatisfaction,
either in the church with tho pastor, or IN
his mind concerning the church.
Few men are able to judge OF the value
Of their own work, and 1t is often tie case
that men will regard as successful the
years which others consider to be complete
failures, and it would entail endless bitter
ness and strife to make it possible for such
men to be returned to the same charge
year after year indefinitely. Fairly sue
cessfu men now remain three years
because that is the limit, and inferior and
undesirable charges are accepted cheer
fully for the same reason. But with the |
limit removed, preachers would vacale
charges and charges would
demend the removal of hardly popular
pas OF IS at the first conference following the
appointment.
In view of the present brevity Of pastor.
lte- in other churches, we must arrogal,
o ulseives more ability lean nlng and
popularity han the ministers OF suci
chu ches, if we hold that a removal OF lh
limitation would result in longer terms ot
setvce.
While this might obtain in the case Of
the M ST popular men and the mos
desirable charges, it would entail upon Ih,
cabinet he d f1icu,t task of sending me'
who were seeking charges 10 charge>
seeking changes OF men, and yet having
only undesirable charges and men who ar,
not asked 10, 10 supp y the demand.
The bishops would ne forever pr ohibited
from picking up the best men in III,
church TO meet he exuaurdnary exigen
c'es that arise by denh or otherwise, fo
hat would be exactly contrary TO tb,
intent of the p,opose'i extension, ant
hence the bishops must needs sauply tn, st
If en- important plac S Ut of the men win
became available b. cause heir con'iuu
,nce in another appoln, mcnt is no
j. sired.
Recurring to the qIes' ion of the exprd
ency OF, x'ehdlng he IMITATION, the s aN
,lso held TO the u, "a i've. In the TROY
New psnire and Vermont conference
80 preachers weIeal lnted To pI>,orale>
II 1880, OF whom only 40, or !, S. than Is t
per cent, were appointed Tor The lhllr 6
ear. A good authority gives the avelag, 9
Of the third Year appointments as only 10
rer cent in The whore clurch.
The per centage in 1880 was Is in 80, or
some l6 per cent, in Tue New llamp,nlr |
,nnfrence; 10 in 1856, or IL fraction less
han ten per cent, IN the Troy COME, renee;
while in the Vermont conference il was
Is in l04, or about II per cent 1t is i
'Dgnhchnt hat the lowest per cenlage was S
n he Troy conference, having The largest +
number of desirable appoin menls and,
presumably, in view of It's large member
'hip the largest number of available men f
or such pastorates. i
IL is obvious that an extension of the :
line limit would lessen the number of
hree year pastorates. Many now remain
hree years because there is no special +
demand for their removal and thew have q
ome warm friends, and while the ma -,
GRITTY may prefer change at the close of =
he sect nd year, in Difference TO the warm +
riends Of the pastor they waive any I
assumption of preference for "ony one
year more,' which would not be done for p
my added number of years.
The essayist admitted the existence of :,
In unmanly cowardico in the church and q