The Detroit times., 1912-02-05
DECLARES PASTORAL SIDE OF
PREACHERS WORK NO SNAP
Rev. Joseph A. Vance Discusses
Problems of the Parson
in Administration

The Rev. Joseph A. Vance, pastor
of the First Presbyterian church.
gave the members OF the Baptist
Ministers conference an interesting
and helpful talk, Monday morning.
on the duties OF the pastor and his
relation TO the business administra-
ton OF the church. His subject was
Pastoral administration; problems
and possibilities today; does the
church need a business manager"
He said in part:
The pastoral side OF preachers
work is no soft snap. Some business
men think IL Is. and grow eloquent
at times over the preachers frailties
and lack OF practical business sense.
Some preachers are woefully frail in
executive ability, and the chief work
OF their piety is inability to take an
interest in, much less successfully
direct, the sordid affairs of earthly
life. But such preachers are rare.
and. thank God, they are growing
rarer.
Business men sometimes forget,
ntheir eloquence over the malad-
ministration OF churches, how big
percentage OF business enterprises go
on the rocks. Bradstreet and Dunn,
if I remember the figures correctly,
have variously estimated these at
from 40 TO 60 per cent OF all bust
ness ventures. Fewer churches meet
with disaster
"A strong church organization de-
mands systematic and thorough pas
toral visitation. Very few preachers
-aaa-bring -needed-rn essages-to
their people Sunday after Sunday,
unless they know them in their daily
experiences; and surely no preacher
can make out Of his congregation q
splendid working machine for the up
lift of the community unless he
knows his membership by personal
The strong churches OF
our country have been developed by
men who were devoted pastors, as
we'll as brilliant platform speakers.
Pastoral administration calls for
three things. First-A thorough
OF the community and its
needs To get this, a pastor must
do far more than take religious
census OF his parish and locate the
different forces that are hostile or
helpful 10 the peoples uplift. He
must know the individual lives OF the
people. know from frank and serious
with individuals their
aims and motives. their
daily struggles and defeats and
defeats and triumphs.
Second-He must organize and
train his people into an effective ma
chine for meeting these needs. Here
pastor confronts peculiar condi-
ton. He must get voluntary service,
and the service must be rendered
without snobbishness or condescen-
sion, and in spirit OF hearty good
will lie cannot go into the ecclesi=-
astical labor world and employ so
many men and women at 80 much a
head for each specific task He must
create I'm the hearts Of his people a
desire 70 rsuch service an dget IL vol
unteered This means that great
leader i'm church WORK must have
loving personality, as we'll as be an
able executive. The administration
OF great city church today. with It's
10 or 20 societies. TO be efficient and
smoothly worked, to say nothing Of
the church house and missions. Is not
OILY sllht luuuilk AnF NihtltuN put
OF great department store or man.
ufacturlng enterprise. but &c must be
-permeatEd from kindergarten to
mems club, with a spirit OF absolute
confidence and devotion for their
pastor leader and executive
The third essential is to see that
these people are thoroughly trained
for their special tasks and faithfully
/ perform them. Between these two
things many a pastors energies TO-
day go 20 waste.
Very few church members are eff
lfGent at an assigned task till they
are shown how To 1T ss4S=is=sS
true Of running a mems club as IL IL
Of personal soul winning Some men
are born promoters BY temperament.