Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-17
ARE NOT IN ACCORD
Pastors and Laymen Disagree
on Line of Work.
MEN AND RELIGION OUTLINE.
Ministers Object to Program Pre-
pared by the Specialists.
LABOR WOULD BE TOO HEAVY
Multiplication of Duties Weakens
Pulpit Effort, One Speaker
Declares

Decided disagreement between the min
listers of the local churches and the lay
men leaders of the men and religion for
ward movement, which came to a head
at the conference of ministers in the
First Congregational Church yesterday.
bids fair to develop into marked dis
sension at the union institute and Inter-
church conference, which is to be held
in the same church this afternoon. Spe-
cialists from other cities who have been
working in the eight-day campaign have
prepared a series of recommendations
based upon their study of loca! condi-
tions. and the trouble lies in the execu-
ton of the work which will be thus
mapped out
Although subsurface rumblings pre-
viously had indicated that all would
not be smooth sailing ahead, the first
indication of open hostility to the pro-
gram which was in prospect came In
response to the address of Robert Nj.
Hopkins, secretary Of the Disciples
Sunday school board of cincinnati,
Ohio. before yesterdays meeting Of
ministers.
Mr.. Hopkins spoke about various phases
school, and he laid out a schedule Of
work which the pastors believed not only
would weigh upon them GENEROUSLY, but
would seriously affect their ability to give
attention to the preaching
of their sermons at the regular church
services on Sundays-a work which they
did not hesitate to say they believed to
be of paramount Importance.
Voices the Opposition.
Rev j. NJ. NJ. Gray. pastor Of Hamline
NJ. E. Church, took the lead in voicing
opposition to Mr.. Hopkins ideas regard
ing the work which the pastors should do.
and there were many indications of as
senting opinion from other ministerial
delegates who were present.
The portion Of Mr.. Hopkins remarks
which brought out the dissenting voices,
in part, was as follows:
Simply handing out text books for
teachers training is superficial and we
need something more fundamental,
something deeper than that In the
training of men, and I should say
whether the pastor has weekly meet
ing with his teachers Is immaterial;
he needs to have under his SUPERVISION
the training class that shall study the
of the Bible and study
the development of human life.
Il believe the study of child nature and
all that pertains to the psychology OF
pupils is completely revolutionizing the
ideas of education. and we need to have
this under the supervision of these pas
tors Whether the pastor shall teach
next Sundays lesson is wholly irrele-
want matter.
Don't be tied up absolutely with teach
ers' training text books. / don't want to
70 q "a m
books that are good, but I think the
average pastor who has this conception
of things can take any one OF those
books and can prepare helpful assistance
from his own study and experience.
hope you will not understand that i am
advocating a one-year course for teachers
Your teachers cannot by taking a
one-year course complete their prep
aration. This problem OF training:
teachers is a perpetual business and
true to his work.
Under Five Heads.
81 would put the teachers training
problem under five heads: Have an ac-
tual teachers training class; monthly
workers conference; institutes, library
that is helpful to teachers, and the
church literature to be censored by the
pastor
"Do YOU know there are some pastors
who have never thought it worth while
to call about them the teachers OF the
classes and tell them they are the great
est help he has. What an opportunity
there is
To all of this program of increased
work Rev. J. NJ. NJ. Gray took direct eX-
ception when he said:
II am hardly old enough to be called a
tory as yet, and still feel that in our con-
ference the pastors are perhaps failing
to realize what we admit in private con-
yersation to be the most common point OF
multiplication OF our duties
to the weakening of our pulpit ministry
Effects of Overwork.
There was a time when the churchs
life was maintained by the preaching
from the pulpit of the great doctrinal
of the church.
"Cotemporaneous with the multiplica-
tion of the other duties there has come
a superfciality in preaching; hand-to-
mouth sort of ministry from the pulpit.
and the result is that we are continually
needing more and more things that make
our church go, outside of the pulpit
preaching.
the connection between the Sunday school
and the church. but L believe In permit
ting the pastors more and more to con-
centrate their work upon the pulpit min
istry.
The ministers with their hands upon the
Bible class work too closely and are
working i'm the wrong direction. Any
program which draws the minister into
his Sunday school Sunday morning and
sends him into his pulpit with his brain
tagged or filled with things that ought
not to be there. believe is lc coking i'm the
wrong direction
Qualities His Statement.
Mr.. Hopkins qualified slightly when
he replied: Il hope you did not mis-
understand me. l did not say that the
pastor must do all Of that work, but
it may be unseen as you have inti-
mated. / have been wondering which
work Of Jesus was the more perma-
nent and lasting. the teaching of the
multitudes or the training Of the
twelve.
I'VE must have appreciation of the
Bible study work, and in so far as II is
possible we must have close connection
between the Sunday school and the
church services
Tc this Mr. Gray replied:
mo comparison concerning the work OF
Jesus personal ministry is at all apropos
to the modern situation. We are not deal
ing with conditions as they were, but az
Mr.. hopkins had the last word. how
ever, saying:
II want to protest against talking about