St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-06-03
The Pastor as a Teacher.

[Abstract of a paper presented by Rev. s. II.
Barnum before Western Vermont Congrega-
tional Club at Castleton, May III, 1908
The pastors work as teacher is i'm
portant, but not more important than
his work as preacher, which is to per-
suade his hearers to act upon the truth
they know. Most people in our congre-
cations already know the greater part
of the truth we preach to them. They
need to be aroused to act. But the pas
tor must also impart religious instruc-
ton, and in their teaching ability pastors
differ much. We divide the subject into
what the pastor may do in his sermons,
and what he may do in other ways. Vi
1. Teaching through the sermon.
succession OF sermons that contains moth
ing instructive is disappointment, and
throwing away OF opportunity. The
minister is constantly studying, and his
congregation look to him as a guide.
What does he think about matters which
perplex them? On themes which interest
them they are glad to hear his results.
But what feeds one hearer may furnish
little to another. 1t should be suggest.
i've when good layman prays that each
one may receive his meat in due season.
A preacher must not preach theology
more than be does religion. Religion,
according to Lyman Abbott's common
dable definition, is 'the life of God in
the soul OF man." and people want life
more than philosophy about life. We
must use theology, philosophy, dogma
in our preaching, but ever with spir-
itual aim. In teaching through sermons
sometimes course is advisable.
course of sermons makes a greater i'm
preston than a single one on topic,
and if the first awakens interest, those
that follow are awaited with pleasant
anticipations, and the whole subject
becomes understood as never before.
Some are gifted in expository preach.
ing, and this is entitled to be called
teaching. Mnay one is glad to learn
what the sacred writers really taught,
and the application of their words to
present needs. A congregation that
hears nothing but topical sermons, with
| text which is mere starter and made
up of material gathered from every
source, is not likely to have an intelli-
gent knowledge OF the Bible. But when
text or passage is skilfully unfolded,
and the tt nth made clear and impressive,
| the interested nearer will look at t. e
passage in the Bible when he gets home,
and afterward it will seem different to
him from what it ever did before. Some
of Campbell Morgan's lectures furnish
an illustration.
| The preacher should be not only
teacher of the Bible but a teacher of
righteousness, for there are some low
standards prevailing, as in regard to
bribery and temperance. There is call
also for the teacher OF benevolent giving.
2. Teaching in other ways. When
| pastor can teach Bible class and pos
sesses good teaching ability, he has fine
chance to supplement his preaching.
Theoretically, he can do still better by
conducting teachers meeting and thus
instructing those who are to teach 9th
ers. Prof. Bosworth, in the Biblical
World, in speaking of training Sunday
school teachers in churches OF moderate
size, says that the minister is the key to
the situation. He says: $50 far as the
prospective minister is concerned, the
problem is a simple one. He can be
made to feel, from the first to the last
day OF his theological course, that it will
be an important part of his work to
train Sunday school teachers. The bibli-
cal department OF the seminary can see
to it that he learn how to plan normal
courses of Bible study for Sunday school
teachers; that he leave the seminary with
several courses in the Old and New Tes-
taments, planned in detail with suitable
literature, all ready for Inauguration in
his first pastorate. The seminary can
also prepare him to give short, popular
normal course in the fundamental prin
ciples OF pedagogy. After two or three
years OF persistent effort pastor SC
trained can revolutionize the Sunday
school teaching in the church of average
membership" For those who have
missed such training he can only say
that "such can be reached through tht
meetings of state associations ane
summer conferences, through periodical:
J devoted to Bible study and through th'
standard religious journals"
The catechetical class and the series o
evening lectures for young people may
also be used.
The questioned methods is important
but back of them is the man. We carr
more who the teacher is than we do fo
the ingenuities OF his methods. If he is {
. man of knowledge and sympathy ant
. spiritual life, and we can come in contac
with him, we shall get something. Pres
King said at Chicago that religious Eel
lowship,--in other words, the old tamil
E lar methods of association with spir
itually minded peoples after all, bot
! psychologicallv and practically tn
= soundest truth in religious education.
4. Hence, in order that the pastor may be
8 better teacher, he needs not only to tln'
t better working methods, but to be
{ wiser and better man.
r 4 ~ - hoe ,ve