The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-21

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board of education OF the
Presbyterian general assembly to stud
ents preparing for the ministry than
| ever before, the number of candidates
was smaller than in years and, in pro-
portion to the gain in church member
ship, is steadily declining. 1t has be-
| come problem in the PRESBYTERIAN as
in most Protestant churches how to re-
cruit the ministry, 'and it's solution is
veNing the best minds in all denomina-
tions.
| The only recommendations which the
board of education had to offer before
| the assembly We're these: (a) Prayer
ful effort to promote general revival
of religion; (b the enlistment Of min
| 1sterial influence in the urging of
young men to qualify for the ministry;
and (c) greater recourse to PRAYER.
| 1t being the boards thought that pray-
| err should be encouraged in the closet,
in the family and in the social gather
ings, as we'll as in the more formal
congregational devotions. BY means
| of prayer an atmosphere of piety
| might, 1t was thought, be create
which would incline the minds of
young men away from the material
things of life and toward things spirit
ual. This would stimulate ambition to
do Christian service in the ministry.
All of these recommendations are
sound and timely. We recall no pc
Rod in the worlds recent history when
there was greater need than at pres
ent for II revival of religious interest
and spirituality as a wholesome check
upon the predominance and immense
multiplication of material concerns,
Although the figures show that church
membership and attendance are keep
ing pace with the progress of the times
there is reason to believe that the spir-
itual' life of the churches is not what it
now sweeping over Professionalism, a
wave especially high IN the Presbyte-
rian denomination, as illustra ted
among other ways in the election of Dr.
Van Dyke to the modera atorship, there
are numerous signs of relaxing of the
hold which a church ought to have
upon the life and conduct of it's men,
bers. From possibly an excess of aus
terity and Standardization the pendu-
lum seems to be swinging to an equal
excess of indulgence and worldiness.
But the material fact must not be
lost sight of that the minister of the
gospel, whatever the degree of his
spiritual eXaltation, must have food.
shelter and the means of maintaining
at least modestly the growing intellec-
tual and social requirements of his
position. The system of ecclesiastical
government in the Catholic church has
eliminated this problem so far as that
church is concerned, but Protestant
denominations must face 1t frankly.
No amount of praying and no revival
In spirituality can permanently recruit
the ministry unless the material con-
ditions are equitably adjusted. So long
as in the majority of pulpits the pay
Is less than that earned in secular pur-
suits calling for neither special educa-
ton nor extraordinary skin, and the
opportunity offered for rearing and
educating a family is less than in most
of the mechanical trades, just that
Is, will the ranks of the ministry be
depleted. 1t Is the pocket book as well
as the soul of the Christian church
which needs a revival of religion.