Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-05-26
The Great Advantages
Leadership in League Work.

| may be treading now on dangerous
ground but at the risk of bringing
down an avalanche of criticism | will
venture to say that it seems to me
that one of the elements in the solu-
tion of the problem is more interest
and enthusiasm on the part of the pas
tor Bishop Mallalieu asks when
will we learn that it is for the pastor
to be the leader of his church in all
good things?' If the Epworth League
is good thing he should be the lead
er of leaders, But the pastor may say
The training Of leaders is not part
of my duties" But did not Christ, our
great leader spend great deal of time
in teaching and training those who
were to take up the work of preaching
the gospel? Again, the complaint
may be made that the pastor has not
time for that kind of work. but Lno
question is rs the work an important
one?" If so it must be done even at
the expense of something else. The
young people of today, care-free and
needless though they be, will form the
church OF tomorrow and the question
is, how to make that church as near
as possible what Christ would have it.
The Epworth League should be the
training school that shall develop the
powers of our young people, If such
is the case we must take time. After
all it need not be much of a task.
Many people who are earnestly trying
to do good work especially in the coun-
try Chapters really do not know how
Not because the members of the coun-
their city brothers and sisters but be-.
cause they naturally come less in con-
tact with the great questions of the
day in which the Epworth League
should be interested If we want to
MAKE teachers of our boys and girls
we furnish them with books of infor-
nation on the subject and teach them
how to apply their knowledge, and we
should use the same common sense in
League work. The Epworth Herald is
mine of wealth for League leaders
but many of them never see it, and
have no idea of lCs helpfulness. Plen-
ty of first-class literature is published
to meet the needs of the inexperienced
leader, but he does not know where
to obtain it, and consequently he be-
comes discouraged because he does not
know what to do. We may say that
lis is an extreme case. that there is
no League leader but who reads tho
Epworth Herald at least But from
practical experience in some country
Chapters | know it to be the fact. A
few words on the subject of League
literature will often straighten out the
/ tangles and give the leader a start in
his work. An occasional cabinet
meeting at which the pastor is present
! will help him to see the needs of tho
work and show him where to say tht
encouraging word. Each pastor should
train his own leaders just as a super
intendent trains and superintends hi
own teachers. But after the conscien
tlous pastor has, done all that he cal
in this line he cannot by any mean
meet all the needs of the work. Par
of the solution lies | think with tn
district organization. We sometime
hear the criticism that we have to,
many conventions. That depends
think on the meaning of the wort
convention" If we mean meeting
whose chief aim is inspiration, wher
we have only flowery papers and stir
ring addresses with no practical idea;
, the criticism is probably just. Ofte
our delegates go home from a meet
ing of this kind feeling it was yer
pleasant and that they had
very good time, but after all they di
, not get anything practical, anythin
that they could use in their own ChaI
ters But if instead of this kind {
, work we should make at least part {
= to face, heart to heart drill
e.. methods of Christian work. there
little danger of too many. If sue
q meetings could be held once or twiC
q a year it would simplify the proble
y very much. The aim should be
! teach what needs to be done, what ii
q League possibilities are in regard
q missions, temperance, general churC
= duties, ETC., then to drill in the wa
. to do the work. Could we not ha'
. model devotional meetings, model Ii
- erary meetings, model social meeting'
. Christ in the parable of the unju
= steward, makes the statement that Il
= children of this world are wiser
= their generation than the children
. light, because the unjust steward us,
l.. all this ingenuity and knowledge
!. men to secure his own safety, whi
;, the children of light fail to do