Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-05-23
MINISTER and MAN
Former Preacher Sets Forth
Ideas That Call for Most
Serious Consideration.


alton that they are not strong enough
to Withstand "the system" 1t ap-
pears that this menace to freedom is
also felt elsewhere in other guises. A
Congregational minister writes to his
parishioners an account of his rea-
sons for quitting the ministry for the
profession of law, which the Christian
Work New York; publishes. His
father and grandfather, he tells US,
we're Methodist preachers. and his
natural bent would have been toward
that fold, but he found. during his
seminary days that the Methodist
Organization" hampered the freedom
which he sought and seemed to find
in the denomination he later Joined.
But here also the system" inter-
vened. We read:
Some of the pastoral tasks came
natural to me. was at my best in
4 them Others were anything but
natural. and made il my task to ex-
ercise these that might be an all
around. good minister Being unmar-
ried could live with my work, and
that truly did. and no one ever
guessed that many times smiled with
a false enjoyment, But l was learn.
ing slowly that there is a traditional
system. as strong as stone wall,
and far more for. lidabIe than the
Methodist organism. which gradually
forces a minister into a certain rut.
Unconsciously it walls him in; his
vision. which was large, is stifled, and
he will fight in vain, If he fights at all,
for freedom. And the very people
who condemn the minister for his
narrow life are the ones who perpet-
uate the system.
81 am not complaining about the
remuneration of my profession.
will leave that for others who have
felt the pinch Of poverty more than
have. You have done nobly in finan
cling our church, and have paid me lib
orally. My complaint is against the
system which makes the minister,
when publicly spoken Of superman;
when privately spoken of, weakling.
have tried to believe that this isn't
so. but 1t is. and even in this village
and in this church people by their
conception of the ministry have made
the minister a small man. He has
been banqueted and feasted, and peo-
Pile have prayed that he might be
guided Alright. but seldom has he been
considered as the first creation Of
God. man
IT didn't think Of these things at
first thought that the trouble was
in the ministers themselves. and that
the comments which came to my boy
ish ears were justified, But I have
come to see that many big ministers
have unconariUdsly fallen victims to
the system a minister owes his pc.
sition to popularity and popularity
with the average congregation can be
bought only at the price of con-
science. We compromise our big
tasks with popularity and we prosti-
tute our manhood upon its altar.
These thoughts came to me the more
forcibly when contemplated matrt-
mony A minister's wife is usually of
interest to the whole church. A mer-
chant has not got to choose mate
who knows his business; neither does
4 doctor have to choose wife who is
interested in the practice Of medicine.
I1ul ii hllltloltl GbOpGS az q
wife one who is not only interested in
the work of the church, but one who
is willing to make the sacrifice of a
home that the church may have first
pace, Perhaps this isn't unjust.
There may be women who are
equipped for such work and who
would willingly take it UP, but the
sacrifice of personality demanded BY
the system of thu minister's wife ia
so great that ! could not ask any
woman. particularly the one have in
mind, 10 make it. All I have a right
TO ask of any woman is to help me
to make home,
Tho last reason | suggest to yor
for leaving your church is spiritua
one, The thought of these othel
things mentioned have strangled tbs
spiritual freeness which used to en-
10y TO myself my sermons no Ions
Ell sound as sermons having author
ity. They are crowded and pinchet
= to please. and compromise rathel
: than condemn and inspire hav;
q compromised with my conscience anI
= have compromised with my intel
!. lect There is always wide chasn
between my genuine thoughts AM
h. my words The virtue of an elocu
Il ZIONIST may deceive the congregation
80 but it cannot deceive oneself.
,r 81 believed that l was called Il
IS preach. Perhaps God called me 4
preach for few years and then to g
C. elsewhere Anyway am going
lie want freer conscience and o free
n life. honestly believe that my lif
m will be efficient
IS 81 am writing at length that yo1
is may see my attitude and that It ma
be, as have all my acts III your CON
a munity been, open and frank "-Fror
IS, the Literary Digest,
ee