Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-03
DISCUSS
VARIED TOPICS
CHRISTIAN MINISTER'S MEET IN
MONTHLY SESSION
"As Others Sec Us" Subject Of Rev.
J. M. campbell--Dr. J. N. Smith
Talks on ministerial
Courtesy"

"AS Others See US, paper read py
Rev. j. M. Campbell, pastor of the Sierrs
Madre Congregational church, called
forth a lively discussion before the
Christian ministers monthly meeting
held yesterday at the First Christian
church. DR.. Campbell spoke of the
Church of the Disciples as viewed from
a Congregational standpoint.
Rev. D. w. Thornton of Long Beach
president of the association, presided al
the session, at which several interesting
papers were read.
Rev. ]. N. Smith, pastor of the East
Los Angeles Christian church, read the
first paper, on ministerial Courtesy"
He said in part:
Courtesy in some of its forms occurs
three times in the New Testament. The
meaning OF tine term ii the original Is
kindly minded Jameson says that cour-
tesy is genuine Christian politeness. 1t
would seem that If any man in the world
should possess this quality and should
manifest 1t in his association with his
fellow men it is the minister of the
gospel.
ITO see ourselves as others see us; to
measure ourselves with the same measure
we employ in measuring others is rare
gift A minister should be courteous
toward all men, strangers as well as
acuuaintances and friends. The cour-
teous treatment of any one never leaves
room for regret or the wish that we had
done differently. In our association with
people generally we will find that cour-
tesy invariably receives its reward. 1t
often makes up for other things in which
we may be wanting.
Courtcsv to COLLEAGUES
'And there is the courtesy we show to
ministers of other religious bodies than
our own. They differ from us in their
views and teachings. They do not SYM
pathize with US in our work. The time
was when the treatment our preachers
received from their brethren made 1t no
easy task for us to treat them cour-
teously But for the greater part that
time has passed. AS rule now our min
listers are treated with as much If not
more consideration by denominational
preachers than we could reasonably ex-
pect when we remember that we are
engaged In a work which, if successful.
would result in the dissolving of all de-
nominations. True. this would bring
them into the one great universal fell
lowship, but this they do not yet under
stand"
In regard to courtesy among the minis
ters Rev. Mr. Smith advocated the idea
of criticism In a kindly and effective way
when the faults of the ministers are seen.
He spoke of ministers who were well ed
ucated and qualified in many respects for
their work, but were sadly deficient In
others. The speaker continued:
1T seems impossible that man who
has ordinary intelligence and has read
the newspapers could so heinously mur-
u t-1a \ w~,t,,
lister heard preach. While he seemed to
have a knowledge of the Scriptures and
could quote passages without limit, he
seemed to have no knowledge of the ge-
ography of the country or of almost any
thing else. Where Paul is represented as
preaching in the midst of Mars hill he
had 1t that he was preaching in the hilly
country of Mars"
Luncheon Served
At the conclusion of the reading of
Rev. Mr.. Smith's paper at 1890 o'clock
lunch was served by the women of the
First church.
At 1870 o'clock Rev. C. H. Marsh, vice
president of the association. called the
meeting to order. Rev. ]. M. Campbell
was then called upon for the reading Of
his paper. He outlined his paper with the
following points, which he took up under
discussion in their order as he saw them
pertaining to the Christian church:
Youthful vigor, optimistic spirit. aggres-
siveness, evangelistic zeal, dogmatism.
exaltation of the word Of God. place of
honor given to the church. spirit of
brotherliness and remarkable growth.
Addresses were made by Rev. ]. c..
Hay on 1.-THE State of the Cause" and
Mrs. Reba Smith on "Gleanings from
Our Convention"