The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-11-03
Methodism as Viewed by
Rev. J. H. Thompson.
LESSONS FROM THE CONFERENCE.
"f he Methodist Church Is the Best Or.
ganiztd Body For Good, in the Chris
tian World" Says the Speaker,
With Emphasis on the Word
"OrganiZed."
From Mondays DAILY HERALD !

From Mondays DAILY HERALD
"Some Lessons from the Conference"
was the subject of broad, catholic, |
forceful sermon by Rev, j. H. Thomp-
son at the First Baptist Church last
night, which was enjoyed by large and
attentive audience.
He read portion of the 10Th chapter
of Matthew, including this verse: "Ye
know how to discern the face of heaven,
but ye cannot discern the signs of the
times" The children of to-day as we'll
of Bible times, he said, were careless or
dull in reading the signs of the times;
aid that was why some pulpiteers
not keeping abreast with the thought
and progress of the times.
He prefaced his remarks by saying
that what he had to say was not to
flatter, neither to condemn, but an
honest expression of the lessons he had
received He did not believe in all he
had seen and heard; else he would be a
Methodist. He disagreed with them in
some things, but agreed with them in
many. But it mattered not 50 much
whether he agreed with them or not, it
was his duty and the duty of all to OBJ
serve, to listen and learn what the world
was thinking about, to keep abreast
of that thought, to make deductions
therefrom and profit by all that was
good therein.
If he might be allowed to give special
emphasis to the word "organized," he
would agree with the speaker who said
that ''the Methodist church was the
best organized body of christian
workers in the world" Their church
organization was a marvel of systematic
work. From class leader up to Bishop,
they were thoroughly disciplined, per
fectly drilled army of workers. They
went further and quicker than any 9th
er church or society; the first church
and the first preacher in a new country
or new town or new place, nearly always
was a Methodist church and Metho-
dist preacher. They had plenty of
preachers to send, and they sent them.
And where thay were sent they vent
and yet they had preachers to spare. He
was glad to observe the willingness of
, men to go anywhere and preach the gos-
pei: he was glad at the same time to
note the care this church was exercising
in the selection of these men, for delicate
as the subject was, he felt constrained
to say that, not only in the Methodist
church, but in all the churches, there
) were great many who entered the
) ministry from unworthy causes; some
were there for the loayes and fishes,
while Others were there because they
had made a miserable failure at every
thing else.
: 'The Twentieth Century Movement" "
, for the cauSe of education, was one of
the grandest movements of the age The
MethOdists had learned the lesson that
educated men are needed for the minis
try, and that fifty years from now this
, movement will tell d wonderful tale OF
= cnlture and refinement. They are right
l ly emphasizing the necessity of young
| men attending these schools, for the
time is near at hand when the avenues
of success will be closed to those who
are uneducated. That this greet body
was bringing its millions of dollars and
C consecrating it to the cause of an edu
, Gated ministry, was one of the hopeful
signs of the times, and one he hoped the
Baptists would pattern after. The
Methodists know and the Baptists ought
to know that an ignorant ministry coulC
, not teach or lead an educated, read
> ing world
? One of the sweetest lessons he learned
= one of the grandest sights he ever saw
9 was the loving, tender care the Metho
: dists had for their superannuated minis
d ters. He saw $1,000 in checks distrib
= uted to these veterans by their grateful
= children, and he prayed Gods blessing
= upon that method in Methodism, ant
commended it to other denominations
"When our ministers are worn out" ht
b said, "they are placed on the shelf, anC
!. remain there until the shelf collapses
q while their worn out fathers, who have
given the best years of that life to tn,
y ministry, are tenderly, lovingly cared fo
y during the remainder of their lives, anC
o even their widows are provided for, anC
their children, until they are able to tax,
care of themselves 1t was custom
worthy of all emulation.
, If ANYTHING there was an evidence o
> too much organization; there was dan
ger of requiring too much time and iabO
from willing workers; too many societ!
: meetings, leagues, etc, and he though
d he saw some signs Of the Methodist
;, coming to his way of thinking on TIN
y subject. He saw some evidence of her,
d worship. and this he deplored: and tn
e amens. while not to be forbidden, wer
e not always timely. They were NOR
= emotional, perhaps, than pious, an'
there was danger Of OVERRIDING the emo
e tiOnal act.
d In conclusion he begged to reminC
n his hearers, that alter all, God makes
> the christian, and calls his ministry. y,
man ought 10 enter the ministry If h
: could help il; cossecrated men wer
], needed in the pew and behind tn
n counter. Just as badly as in the pulpit
b. and unless God ads his call 50 nm
. mistakab.y upon e man that his con
u science could not resist lt
e ne should not enter the min
: istrv. Neither should men be takel