The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-22
coon nasIsrEas AEE SCARCE.


Cbasehee Seek Them yewsdsys, snd IA
Rather G~rfea. Fzt bfea.
Sew Yofk sun.
Tin caoossng minister the church used
70 dictate ief1as - The minister. nos II Il
the minister who dictates terms 10 the
chureh. This WAS The way In which q
prominent Trustee uf . Bro0kiyn church,
expfsxset his conviction that the time
hcnoresi re tied 81 congregation calling
4 minister 20 puipts ana hearing what he
could soy for hsmseh was about done
away wsh. provided the minister
Il isrsf-c.ass preacher. TITS conclusion
has also :serss reasisesi ~ the tssiye church
suemsers comprising the trustees and
frunainent rfstc saIs in fhe Lafsy cite avenue
Presbyterian church formerly miuisf-red
to Us The Rev DR.. Theodore i. Cusier.
Dr.. Lfsyses fszigard in April iasf. and ince
that tine the caurcis has ben casting
about sor fitting successor DR.. Cuyier
enialiIsuss 70 supply The paipsf, hut doss no
pastoral work III the parish.
The mean taken Ds the committe. 10
learn II the taisny and general illness Of =
preacher Tor tie iaisysste avenue church
partakes al tie nature Of detective work.
Fit must ne confessed said the trusfea 70
the reporter. 'stte reason for tie change
from the did method Of frisging . mil.ls-
tss iefoFs rs ~ oar hpn.ing up one lies In
the fact that there are comparatively few
A | ministers nowadays. Congregations
grow IN size. grow enormously rith some
times. bsn tile samser Of good preachers
does not grow pr0poftionateiy. You
can't get . minister cf any prominence
nowadays 10 submit to tie old system
where iss was called before the congregs-
tim aud tested. He knows he Is on exni-
biiion. aud he feelsit Il has been system
always ahhofred y ministers. and nov
that there Is such scarcity Of good minis
seTs. any one Of hem would let as know
In way sc wouldn't fosees II we houi
shannon him 70 90 on exhibition for toe
hsnaiit OF the people who happened 10 b.
IN casfgh on the morning he preached.
'Ibtx tendency In churches. !" continued
the CHURCH trustee. exists not Only In
Presbyterian aud Congregational and other
churches without bishops, but also in the
Protestant Episcopal and Methodist Epis-
eopai churches and ali others except the
Church Of Home. When minister lnds Z
church hs likes, lis pretty diihcult for the
higher powers Of thr church 10 order him
20 pasture where the psekings are lean.
In thn Lafayette avenue church We
hare got shr system Of hunting mp . min-
lister down 10 4 tire point. We meet ~ one
81 the cosun.sfeenieis.s hosses in the latter
part oi every week, and sit bshind locked
doors. Then We decide what churches
each os ~ il 10 visit On the coming sun
Gay. On Friday or Saturday we scatter.
II . com mi.tecaan has to 10 TO Chicago or
81. Louis ar 81 Panihe starts earlisrin the
week. No one knows when We starr. Oar
families esFn do net know where
We are guing when We leave town.
Onr secrecy is maintained In
order that no minister may learn we are
coming his way and prepare an extra fine
sermun for his lock. ost snsibly preaching
tn them, bur really talking FOR biz In
crease Of salary. oae OF the things TO be
avoided IN the former system was the fact
that the candidate put on an extra burst Of
speed ami The congregation didn't know
bow be would turn out when he got down
10 his regular gait. The visitor 10 the
church selected slips urrerceived Into q
seat IN the rear Of the auditorium. and uses
hiss ~ars aud his eyes like reporter.
The com nitstse. on returning ~ Brook
lyn. Ises aud compare neies, and, on q
very favorable report OF certain minister,
several members visit the church and hear
him. That j. as far as We have got. When
we arc sers we can recon- mend minister
TO The church. 4 meeting of the members
Will he quietly called. and the chairman OF
the committee s. Ill set forth the reasons for
inviting . certain minister To become
the pastor. An affirmative vote Of q ma
iority will settle II. aud he VIII be invited.
Very likely he will be a very much sur
prssed man when he rets the invitation,
Tor II will he unsrammelied in its nature as
regards anv dsctation hv the officers of the
church. This was he course pursued
in getting Or. Meredith. OF the Tomp-
kins Avenue Congregational church.
and the result proves its wisdom. You
see. thc sysssm gives the church wider
FIELD 20 graze over In the same time than
the old method Dr. cuyIer's successor
viii probably not be chosen until fali's'