Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-12-08
WHAT BUSINESS MEN
THINK OF PREACHERS
DIR. Lakeland Preached The Fifth of
the Series of Sermons Sunday
Night on What Business
Men Think of the
Church.
THE SUBJECT PROVED
TO BE A LIVE TOPIC
Some of the Business Men Have De-
cided Opinions About Preachers.
Some Pointed Questions
Put.

The large congregation in the. M
E. church, Sunday evening were ia
vored with a musical treat, when
Madame Ohlson-Solem sang Ferdin-
and Killers Prayer" Madam Solem
was at her best and sang this selec-
tion with sympathetic interpreta-
tion and depth of feeling which in
stantly captivated her audience. Dr..
Lakeland preached the fifth of the
Business Mems Series on what the
Business Men of Decorah think of
preachers. The sermon was as fol-
lows:
"The Business Men of Decorah
have decided opinions about preach
ers. 1t required some nerve to stay
in the game with missiles like the
following flying in the air:
Preachers walk around as though
they were haunted by vision of hell
fire. Why don't they scatter sun
shine?
Business men have live problems
ing on practical subjects.
THE church bangles out indivi-
dual salvation before my puny ego or
rather pays a preacher to do it. The
church watches my brothers perish
and trains the preacher to ignore
them.
"The churches suffer some injury
when preachers do those things
which gets the average man into
disrepute. The average minister ex-
poets great deal for nothing, wants
things at reduced prices, and has the
reputation of not paying hs debts.
Many preachers refuse to think
for themselves. They accept a mix
ture compounded by theologians and
swallow the whole without digesting
the same This rehashed is hard for
the average man to accept
again we will attempt to dodge
the issues raised, we even plead
guilty to a certain extent to the ac-
cusation Like priest-like people.
Beecher used to tell his janitor if
member of his congregation slept to
wake the preacher up.
1--WE would raise two warnings
however First that a preacher is
only a man and even though he be
a kingly man, he can never reach |
infallibility. The next warning is
that after you have put the minister
in the crucible, remember that the |
same tests and standards apply to
YOU for in no place does the Bible |
give two standards for clergy and |
laymen.
1--WE are told that a minister is a
man removed from the world That |
he doesn't know men, like business |
man. Some preachers may not but |
if he be a pastor and visit his peo-
pie he'll know more troubles, and |
problems than all the business men |
combined.
Concerning the crookedness and |
graft of preachers in accepting fees
and reduced prices If one will go
back to the beginning he will find
that business men practically forced |
this upon him and that it was but q
reasonable excuse for not paying him
a living wage Concerning debts, we
make this challenge that not l % of
the ministry run in debt WHERE
THEY ARE PAID BY THE MONTH,
and if they are not, the church and
not the ministry is to blame for the
debts. On the fee question suffer
a personal word. Only one-third of
the people outside the church ever
offer fee for ministers services
and over one-half of these are refus-
cd on the basis of poverty of the
donor. In no case has a fee been
asked or expected. If it be implied
that the minister is CRATER then we
retort, he is mighty poor tool at
the business for the average clergy ,
in the U. S. come to old age in want.
Business men demand above all
other essentials that a minister be
sincere and express his convictions {
not formulated doctrines. Some men
are so careful about not offending
people that Beecher used to say peO-
pie would leave there church ex-
claiming, what a charming view of .
hell A minister must be broad =
minded and tolerant enough to see ,
the good in other organisms and to
recognize that no man casting out L
devils is against Christ Absolute
fearlessness is a minister's best draw
ing card. Tell the truth absolutely
without regard of consequences.
People always flock to hear a John !
the Baptist but never to hear an q
apologist. p
"a minister must be a public SER .
want He must recognize that he )
can only serve God by serving men.
He will be respected only for his |
manhood and not by reason of his
office. He must be Shepherd and c
not an hireling. Men be vitality in =
terested in his program il it has
in it for the boys and girls
of today. n
s0Tbe minister has been moral LII