The sun., 1904-08-07
why Men Give Up the Christian Min.
ietry,

Some time ago we referred to con-
fession by young man Of tho reasons
which had induced him to retire from
the ministry Of the Episcopal Church.
They were, in brief, that in the theologi-
cal seminary and afterward in the min
btry he had encountered an inferior
class Of men intellectually, and in some
respects morally; and that he had
found obstacles In his way because of the
preferences of parishes for pastors with
an aptitude for secular management.
He said that In abandoning the ministry
ho represented many young men who
had been trained in divinity schools.
Now we receive from an Episcopalian
clergyman Of long service In Church
a further and somewhat different e1-
PLANTATION Of the reasons why ministers
are retiring to 60 into purely secular
employments, to this effect:
y am an Epsscopsiisn. and tho father Of four
sons and the uncle Of ten nsphews, and hsvs not
encouraged one Of them 70 enter the ministry and
for these reasons, IN the present day condder II
positive sin for young men to enter the ministry
they viii be expected to promote. And. besides
this. know Of so many olergymen Of ability pos
s.ssng rare efts for the ministry. who have in the
ososing yesrs Of their life felt obliged TO seek .
living In secular neld,, and that when they have
taken this course they have been reEsrdsd BY their
Bishops and brother clergy as men who have prae-
ticarly renounced the ministry have secular1zed
It - sn occupation.
young to enter upon the vocation OF minister,
To me zeal and earnestness seem to be absolute
qualincstions for the winning OF souls to CHRIST.
But matters now stand there seems to be sense
Of - mission to the souls Of men, In the admins
trafion Of our Church, and, far as the laity are
concerned they simply seek for a pastor a man
who can show the same tact and skill In running
a church" he would manifest II he were running
a store" It's . vsry sad condition Of things. and
looking the Convention Reports Of the diocese
Of New York fer the past ten years am amazed
that so many clergy have resigned the ministry.
There seems to be no help for this condition Of
things untn some man Of rare Apostolic gifts and
in she fulness Of the Spirit shall be raised up OF
GOD who will make It clear that the Apostolic min
lstry Il not found In organizing social Institutions
called churches. but In winning souls TO CHRIST by
preaching the truths OF the Gospel earnestly be-
lIevsd and faithfully prsctlsed by men called Of
Gop 70 the sacred ministry of the Word"
We cannot see that anything alleged
by this clergyman would justify him
either in retiring from the active
ministry Of his Church or in advising
young men to keep out of it. From
the tone Of his letter We infer that
he himself belongs to the kind Of min
listers he regards as especially needful
now-men with zeal and earnestness
for winning souls to CHRIST II.
as he said before, there is "an in
adequate supply Of candidates for the
ministry of the Protestant Episcopal
Church Of this country" there would
seem to be all the moro reason for those
Of the right sort to remain in the minis
try, whatever the drawbacks, and all the
moro reason for urging young men "of
rare Apostolic gifts" to enter it. Or are
We to infer that he means that the young
men Of whom be speaks arc 80 little
grounded In the religion which they
will be expected to preach" that it would
be . positive sin for them to enter the
ministry
Special ability in running church"
is unquestionably and reasonably In
demand. Great parishes in New York
and in all the more considerable towns
have become organizations with multi
farious activities which require adminis-
trative and executive abilities of high
order in their pastors. About them has
grown up large and complicated ma
chinery. religious and phi!anthropic,
whose superintendent and efficient
management require abilities not dis
similar from those necessary for ~
direction OF great business enterprises.
The rector Of such parish must super-
intend the activities of staff of clerical
assistants and subordinates, deaconesses
or religious sisters, teachers, typewriters,
stmoners and lay workers OF many kinds.
He must be man OF affairs rather than
studious rc1ection-must be man both
Of comprehensiveness and of detail;
, must know how to set other people to
work and how to get the most and the
: oest out Of them.
fs rector Of that sort Of whom our
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