The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-08-29
A MINISTERIAL WRECK.

a Few days ago the writer was intro
duced to a Congregational minister who
until recently, has been one of the most
efficient pastors and preachers in the
village churches of that denomination.
A good Baptist deacon assured us that
there were few men whom he held in
higher estimation, and that he was one
OF those rare men that never gave poor
sermon. He was, moreover, a scholar
Of more than ordinary ability, and .one
OF the finest of gentlemen. day he is
a mere wreck. The reason is worth a
careful study. He had been the success
ful pastor Of one church for some seven
teen years. Things were moving on
well, but he was about sixty years old
and few of the members of the parish
thought it was time to get a younger
man, who would draw the young people
more strongly. Suddenly, without any
warning, these few, IN parish meeting,
sprung plan that resulted in driving
pastor out. A first result of this was
the sudden physical collapse of this
seemingly strong and efficient man, as
though struck down by a severe blow he
lay for time as one dazed. Insomnia
followed and now, after about a year,
although everything has been done that
the best medical skill could suggest, the
man is wreck, cared for like a child by
his wife. A new man, young and sup
posed to be popular, has taken his place,
but the church has less people in attend
ance, both young and old. Some of the
young people who were nearly ready to
unite with the church have left and gone
to another denomination. The treat
ment of the old pastor bas reacted
against the church and it has legacy
of shame from which it cannot recover
in many years. In every way the change
has proved detrimental to the interests
of all concerned. A lesson concerning
the iniquity Of the parish system might
be in order, and another concerning the
proper treatment of a pastor by the
church, but our purpose concerns a still
different matter.
Why did this minister break down 30
suddenly and utterly There is an in
teresting fact to be taken into account.
Some fourteen years before he was driv-
en- from his pastorate by the scheming
of few of the sons of Bella, he was, led,
through the belief that his church was
somewhat Strengthened financially, to
volunteer to give up for the year one
hundred dollars of his salary and his va
cation, As the church was accustomed
to pay about twenty dollars a Sunday
for supplies, this amounted to relieving
the church of about one hundred and
eighty dollars. Having done this for one
year, he kept on dong it every year
after, remaining at his post, giving his
people fresh and instructive thought,
without break or a vacation, for all
these fourteen years. The result was
that when the extra strain of this sudden
blow was put upon him he had not the
reserve of physical strength that could
enable him to withstand it. The whole
secret of the sudden wrecking of this
more than ordinarily able man, is to be
traced to the mistaken notion that he
did not need, or ought not to take regu-
lar vacations. The man is warning to
every man bearing the immense strain
Of an earnest successful pastorate, that,
like his master, and in obedience to his
teaching, he needs every now and then
to go aside into some desert place, up to
some mountain, down by some sea, or
into some retired country place, and rest
awhile. The writer tried for one year,
the experiment of gong without vaca-
tion, although the circumstances seemed
to make the vacation less needed than
usual, a change of pastorate having been
recently made, it was yet clear, before
the year was over, that a mistake had
been made. When the work was press
ing hardest it became evident that there
was lack of reserve strength, found at
other times to be accumulated by va
cation. An earnest pastor who pushes
his work for all it is worth, not sparing
himself when then pressure is on, can
not accomplish as much in the long run
without taking frequent vacations. Elk.
perience and increasing knowledge are
laying even stronger emphasis upon the
Importance of the pastors vacation. No
church should allow its pastor to go
without vacation. No pastor can af-
ford to dispense with vacation, unless
he is a man who is content to do inferior
work. Sooner or later, defrauded ma
ture takes it's reyenge.-Vermont Bdp-
tiSt.