Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-18
PASTOR AND PEOPLE.
How the Shelving of Experienced
Ministers Will Very Often
PROVE DISASTROUS TO CHURCHES.
Some of the Topics to Be Discussed in Our
City Pulpits To-MOrrOw.
GLEANINGS FROM CHURCH FIELDS

Lawyers and physicians who have reached
the half century mile post are considered to
be at their best, and with fair ability have
little difficulty in securing clients and
| patients. The minister, as a rule, is on the
wane when he passes what is denominated
the dead line of 80 years, and has little show
with vacant churches, which are looking out
| for young man of brilliant parts. By all
ordinary rules the preacher of 80 is better
equipped for his work than the one of %.
But congregations are disposed to shelve
the former and ionize the latter.
There are many things needed in pastoral
| work, which can only be learned in the
school Of experience, and it seems pity
| that the restless spirit of our Young America
should deprive the church of the ministra-
| tions of those who have gathered the ripe
fruits of experience.
When great financial interestsare at stake
| We consult ripe lawyer whose experience
and practice have given him knowledge
which could not otherwise be gained.
When disease or bodily infrmities begin
their work, we want an experienced physi-
clan at our bedside But, in choosing
spiritual physician, we yield to the pressure
of young people and join with them in
shelving the old pastor to give place to the
brilliant young pulpit orator, who struts
and pets his brief hour on the stage and in
few years is heard no more.
In a very short time it has heen discovered
at dear experience that the old pastor would
have done better work than the new. 1t
stands to reason that the minister who
Joined father and mother, for better or
worse, who gave his blessing at our
baptismal conservation and who for a
nr ad
with our home and church life is better
equipped for administering consola-
tlon when we come into the dark
and difficult places of human expert
ence than any new graduate of the
theological schools can possibly be. In
the old world the life pastorate is the rule,
while in this country it is the exception.
In Scotland or the North of Ireland when a
minister is once married to q church there
is a seldom dissolution of the pastoral
relation.
Here the average length of pastorates is
little more than that of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, which limits the term
to three years. The system which compels
change of ministers every three years at
turthest has some advantages over the
starving out plan which seems to be in
vogue with some of our Protestant denomi-
nations.
When the average congregation grows
tired of its minister and bankers for a
young man, it usually begins the process of
freezing out by cutting down the rations.
When the minister was called many years
ago the flock was very generous in its ideas,
and for time money poured in freely and
salary was promptly paid. Brother -
was ready to take a half dozen pews if
necessary, and the new minister was greeted
with showers of blessings and greenbacks
But now he is growing old fogyish. He is
too outspoken. He is behind the times A
younger man of more style would better
fill the pews, and the pressure for a change
of dynasties grows stronger day BY day A
year or two of this kind of pressure brings
a resignation from the pastor who was SO
popular few years ago. The church be-
comes vacant, and the same old process is
repeated with brilliant young man who
has his day and ceases to be. There is one
thing utterly mean, without one redeeming
feature, in the conduct of church towards
its pastor, and that is the starving-out
policy.