The sun., 1899-02-04
Are Our Clergymen overworked?

The question is raised by the Church
Economist of this city il the present de-
mands on minister's in New York more
particularly, are unduly severe, and pro-
duce a strain on their energies greater than
that which busy laymen are compelled to
endure. At this time Of year especially. it
says. the tax on ministerial strength is Pc
culiarly severe, with numerous services and
frequent meetings occurring and "scores
of conflicting calls" in consequence of
which our pastors wear "a haggard look"
1t cautions the ministers of the town, there
fore, to be on their guard lest they "yeld
under the strain"
The testimony on the subject when it
obtains from specific ministers and from
physicians. however, does not go far to
sustain its theory of overwork by our pas
tors. The Rev. DR.. CADMAN, for instance,
says that necessarily ministers must work
hard if they perform their duties with
religious fidelity. The pastor must be
ready to keep up "a drive that is as earnest
for CHRIST as is the drive the men addressed
put into their chase for dollars"
That chase for dollars is the occupation
of nearly every man in New York, and the
competition in trade and in the profess
sions is so sharp that it taxes the
full energies Of all those engaged in
it. What clergyman is under n severer
nervous strain than that to which thou
sands Of brokers in Wall street are submit
ting daily? What one works harder more
intensely, or for more hours than a ply
scan of large practice Such practice
is the end for which every physician strives,
yet it imposes upon him labors whose phys
ical, nervous and emotional drain is of the
utmost severity. II men will bear all this
in the pursuit OF the things OF this world
and in the effort to relieve temporal
suffering by disease, why should our sym
pathy be asked for those whose labors are
in behalf Of the infinitely more essential
cure OF the soul?
Substantially this sentiment is expressed
by the Rev. DR.. MILLER, a Lutheran pastor
Of this city. He does not believe that
hard work breaks a man down :" "it is
worry that breaks man down" and conse-
quently he counsels ministers to "train
themselves not to worry" saying that men
Of business and physicians are able to do
so. Now, what are the words of CHRIST?
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof
Take no thought for the morrow. Seek not
what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink,
neither be OF doubtful mind
The physicians consulted on the subject
agree in the opinion that actually minis
ters do not work too hard. DR.. CHARLES l..
DANA a specialist in nervous diseases, says
that his observation shows that break
downs are fewer relatively among minis
terS than among most men, and that the
clergy live longer, a fact which is prov
able by tho vital statistics of civilization
II is not work which is the cause of the
trouble, adds DIR. DANA, for "work doesn't
wear out man." but worry and bad
living" One bad habit he refers to by
men who smoke too much" He also
advises ministers and all other men to vary
the routine of their lives and to multiply
the things they are Interested in.
Anotherph physician in the same department
of medicine says that very few ministers"
work hard, though to accomplish much they
and everybody else must drive hard"
The instances of breakdown among min
listers encountered by him were not due
to "overwork performed in their own
churches" but TO work "outside OF their
pulpits, to literary effort, lectures" or
undertaking "to affect directly the moral
tone of the community instead of indi-
rectly through uplifting their people" He
concludes by referring TO the unquestion-
able fact that ministers get more rest per
yeaE, and work less hard when they work.