Alaska sentinel., 1906-12-13

The olden time pastor, grown gray in the service of community, who erations of parishioners, thinking of parents and grandparents and their many descendants, christened, married, and buried under his mlnistrations, has no chance today. His old white church with its clock-faced tower has gone, along with the old families, the old homesteads, the old influences which once marked American life. His con- stituents are no longer content to sit in box pows beneath the high pulpit to listen to sermons on eternal damna- tion, total depravity, justification by faith, sanctification, or the final per severance of the saints. Fluency of ex- pression, power in prayer, sincerity and godliness of life no longer con- plete the equipment of one who Is to hold a place as pastor of growing church. And when the demands upon the modern minister are all considered, it is not specially surprising that the profession no longer draws from each community those who seem most likely in point of attainment. No. The mod ern congregation must have an up-to- date building, fully as attractive as any other in the community, Its eXter- nal architecture no more pleasing than the completeness of its interior fur nishings, its fine organ well adapted to accompany the trained singers who are depended upon for the music of the service. To secure these things money is needed, and no pastor Is fitted for the place unless he has the rare power of raising funds, or at least of stlmu- lating leaders of his flock who know how to draw the dollars from the criti- cal worshipers. "We need sort of canvassing agent, a man with the per sistence of a book or life insurance agent" is a pretty frank and expres- sive way of stating what probably Is the real feeling of many church mem. bers to-day. The chances are that the average minister who Is led to adopt the calling from a sense of mans need of salvation Is unfitted for this sort of canvass. The modern pastor must be a social leader. He must know how to shine at wedding or at an after noon tea, and must be as graceful in these respects as he Is dignifed and impressive in connection with the for nal ceremonial functions of his church. His calls must be numerous and they must be occasions for pleasant ex- change of greetings rather than dread ed interviews on personal religion. Sometimes 1t seems as If a pastor mot afraid of notoriety," as one put 1t in connection with recent case, is call ed for by modern religious leaders. In many cases 1t Is more than likely that the student, fond of books and the con- panionship of letters, Is as Ill-fitted to attend to the social duties of hls pro- fession as he Is to collect delinquent subscriptions or lift a mortgage from the property of an already overbur- dened parish. And then, to make 1t all the worse, the present day congrega- tion is exceedingly hard to please. The instruction once given through the pull pit alone Is now afforded by a thou. sand media. The increased circulation of the daily papers, the development of widely read religious and semi-rellg- ious weeklies, the multiplication of philanthropic. charitable, social and educational activities, the increase in the number of topics upon which the modern minister must keep informed. all these combine with the money -rais- ing requirements and the social duties to make the minister's life strenuous one, with plenty of criticism and with retirement threatening when the step falters In the least.