The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-21
THE CIRCUIT SYSTEM.
REV. @. p. NASH.

hO WOnnuCoo VI 81 uuduy VI Jul
churches in the West, of the great ma
jority of them, necessitates combina-
tion of effort, if many of them are not
left to die. We have in Ohio but five
churches employing the entire time of
their pastors, and one of them is now
pastorless. The work of our church
has long, indeed always, been carried
on, mainly by combination division
of the minister's time. But in making
arrangements for this work, every min
lister and every church has been indie
pendent of every other minister and
church. This has led to the engage
ment of ministers with churches at
long distances from each other, so dis
tant that there could be no special SYM
pathy, or cooperation between them,
the minister spending good share of
his salary in travelling expenses; being
obliged to tax his churches more heav-
lily than otherwise he would, in order
to meet such expenses, or, as in many
cases, such expenses reducing his own
compensation to very meager sti-
pend; while, in many instances, neigh
boring church, the natural ally of the
church in mind, has been served by
some other minister, who in turn, may
hap, has also travelled long distance
for that purpose. The Universalist
churches Of Ohio, and indeed, Of the
whole country, have done well by the
railroads, albeit said roads have usually
carried their ministers for them at half
the usual fare. This system, while a
seeming necessity, has been operated
under these, and other serious disad-
vantages. This has led many to con-
slider and advocate the advantages of
the combination of contiguous churches,
popularity known as the circuit system,
which, in many instances, has been
adopted with excellent effect. That, if
generally adopted, it would be a great
Improvement upon the old system of
Independent action and scattered SER
vice, there can be no doubt. So evil
dent has this seemed that most of our
State Conventions have given their
sanction to the system, in several in
stances, charging the State Superin-
tendent of churches with the duty of
organizing the circuits. 1t is to be
lamented that two serious impediments
hinder the success of this undertaking:
l. The lack of loyalty to the system on
the part of ministers. 2. The lack of
loyalty to it on the part of the churches
interested. Our ministers have so long
been in the habit Of negotiating their
services with any church desiring them;
and our churches have been so long in
the habit of hiring any minister whose
services they desired, that both are slow
in learning to say, mo, cannot en-
gage with you, it would break up your
circuit" or, mo, we cannot hire you,
unless you also engage with the other
churches OF our circuit" And yet it is
needed but to call attention to this state
of things, for both ministers and people
to readily see that, if the circuit sys-
tenn is ever to attain to any degree of
efficiency among US, we must unitedly
come to that standard of action. If
the circuit system is worth anything to
our church, we must all be ready to
make whatever necessary sacrifices re-
quired in its maintenance. We must
not only advocate it on the floor of the
State Convention, whether minister or
delegate, but we must advocate and
practice it all the year round, even if
opportunity does present itself of IA
vorable engagement, on the part of
either church or minister.
Peru, o.
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