The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1906-12-01

The olden time pastor, grown gray
| In the service of community, who
can look back over two or three gen
eratlons of parishioners, thinking OF
parents and grandparents and theil
| many descendants, christened, married
and buried under his ministrations, has
| no chance to-day. His old white church
with its clock-faced tower has gone
along with the old families, the odd
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-
ton, total depravity, justification by
faith, sanctif1cation, or the final per.
severance of the saints. Fluency of ex.
preston. power in prayer, sincerity
and goodness of life no longer com.
plete the equipment vf one who is to
hold place as pastor Of a growing
church. And when the demands upon
the modern minister are all considered
1t 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 we'll adapted
to accompany the trained singers who
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 Stimu.
lating leaders Of his flock who know
how to draw the dollars from the criti.
cal wOrshipers. 1--WE need a sort of
canvasslng agent, a man with the per.
sistence OF book or life insurance
agent" is pretty frank and express
sive way Of stating what probably is
the real feeling of many church men,
bers to-day. The chances are that the
average minister who Is led to adopt
the calling from sense of mans need
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 La dignifled and
impressive In connection with the for
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 a 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-
panlonship Of letters, Is as ill-fitted to
attend to the social duties Of his pro-
fesslon as he is to collect delinquent
subscriptions or lift a mortgage from
the property of an already oyerhur-
dened parish. And then, to make It all
the worse, the present day congrega-
ton 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-relig-
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 a strenuous
one, with plenty of criticism and with
retirement threatening when the step
falters In the least.