Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-09-13
WHERE PREACHERS COME FROM
Bu Bishop Warren 4. Gambler.


going the rounds of the religious press
lately:
"Of 403 candidates now studying for the
ministry in the Southern Presbyterian
Church, 24 are sons of farmers. Only
Al are sons of ministers, and but 80 sons
of merchants. OF 416 ministers heard
from in answer to a specific question, 300
say that they decided for the ministry
before they went to college. Eighty
eight decided in college-sixteen of the
number in State institutions. Twenty
eight found their vocation after they had
graduated from college,"
The facts as stated are about what
might be expected, and the statement
may be taken as about correct. The
Presbyterian Church is neither better
nor worse than other churches in this
matter, and what is true of it we may
| fairly assume is approximately the same
with all the rest. These figures, there
fore, should be of interest to the entire
religious community.
1t concerns us all to know the source
of ministerial supply; for IL that should
run dry, our civilization would suffer
great damage. Some men may depreciate
| the ministerial office and speak lightly
Oh DnlnlBleTbs Dul iii SSIlCNS anu
BILE persons, even though they be not
members Of any church, would deplore
scarcity of preachers in the land. All
intelligent people know how vital are
churches and christianity to our ciivliza-
ton. "A famine OF the hearing of the
word of Cod would be as desolating as a
famine Of bread. Religionless nations
there have never been, nor does it appear
that there ever can be such. But ours
must be a christian nation, or a religion
less nation; for there is no other faith
for US to turn to. The heather can turn
from their idols to Christ. but If our peo-
pie turn away from Christ they have
nothing to which to go but darkness
and despair. We may say to Him as
Peter said, Lord to whom shall we go?
Thou hast the words of eternal life"
Christianity, however, can not survive
and prosper among us without living
ministry. 1t is vastly important, there
fore, to know whence we get our preach
ers. Whatever their source may be, we
must keep that fountain open and keep 1t
pure
Well, these figures tells us where 1t is.
Let us see what they have to teach us,
First of all, it appears that most of our
preachers come from the country, and
that they are the sons of farmers. Here
in is seen another evidence OF the great
value of the country church. Urban
churches and trading communities do not
produce preachers. l was for ten years
the president of church college,, and
during my presidency several hundred
young preachers were students there; but
can recall only one who came into the
ministry from city life. All the rest came
from country churches and from churches
! in small towns in which life has in a good
degree the simplicity and purity of the
rural districts.
Commercialism corrupts and corrodes
all those high and unselfish motives
which impel men to enter upon the self
sacrificing life of the Christian ministry.
This was so as far back as the reign
of Solomon in Israel. During his reign
the nation prospered amazingly, so that
| gold and silver were "as stones in the
streets of Jerusalem;" but we hear no
voice of a prophet speaking to the king
and the people out OF the eternities.
David had his Nathan and Ahab his
Elijah, but Solomon had no prophet TO
rebuke his sins and direct his life with
messages from heaven. He had any num-
Der of priestlings on Temple Hill burn
ing with infinite precision 1.-The fat and
| the two Kidneys" but he had no prophet.
And the kingdom went to destruction
| through seeds of evil sown in Solomon's
prophecies era.
The rampant commercialism of our
| times works the same blasting results
| wherever the breath of its pestllence
penetrates. Our city churches would be
pastorless II they were forced to Cepend
on what they supply from among their
| own sons. In most cases when a preacher
comes into the ministry from an urban
church, he is found to be the son of the
pastor; he is a product of the parson-
| age, or manse or rectory, and comes not
| from the market place with its hard
| metallic cries.
| 1t is evident also from these figures
| that secular institutions of learning do
not and can not furnish a supply of
ministers for the churches. A few come
| from that quarter; for in a land like
ours it could hardly be otherwise that
many Christian students would drift into
] state schools. But not many come out
| of them as preachers. Daniel got out
| of the lions den, but it is safe to say
! that dens of lioEs are not the best walls
| from which to draw prophets. Romulus
and Remus, 1t was said, had a wolf for
! nurse; but most people would not care
| to commit their offspring to the care
| of such nurse. So preachers can come
| out of state schools, but we would not
think of depending upon such institu-
lions for an adequate ministry, either in
quantity or quality.
| The educational movement which is
proposing to draw some church schools
from their UNCONVENTIONAL connections,
and to destroy all that ii can not thus
| draw away from the churches, If II
| could succeed. would blight religion and
every other good thing in the country.
| The men who are back of II do not mean
this result, perhaps-certainly some of
them do not so intend. But whether