Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-06
Reu. Frederic E. Pamp
my First Sermon"
~ wrote no sermon. | can recall the
little church. l see heupturned faces
ofh people ready to receaue the mes
sage OF the ietter-cdrrter preacher"

1
1t will perhaps be more difficult for me to
write of my first sermon than for most of the
preachers whose stories appear in this column.
My entrance into the ministry was not so clearly
defined step as with most ministers. 1t was
gradual development with me. began preaching
before entering theological seminary. My father
was pastor OF our church. | was consciously
Christian from earliest years. The nearest APP
proach to conversion in my life came at the age
of l9 years, when | dedicated my life to God.
Immediately / was drawn into the work of the
church, especially among the young people
began to lead their meetings and direct their
activities. My father never spoiled me by trying
to force me forward He knew, as he has since
told me- that the Lord would lead me into the
ministry, but he had confidence in God that He
would be able to care for that work.
About that time Billy" Sunday came to our
town-Princeton, Ill.-to hold revival. The
whole county was stirred. 1t provided some of
the young men OF the town who were Chris
tans with the proper atmosphere for Christian
work. We went to work after the meetings
closed and began services of religious nature in
hired storeroom. Later, when we had driven
the saloons from the town. we rented and
equipped one of the buildings vacated by no.
torious saloon and there we established real
Young Mems Christian association, not billiard
and pool hall, but room for Bible study and
preaching services for young men and reading
room in connection When summer came we
found plan to interest the new converts by open
air meetings. We hired hayrack, made a solid
platform on it with planks, borrowed an organ
from one OF the churches, engaged singers to
sing and ministers from the churches to give US
short sermons. We made it particularly clear to
them that we did not want them to be long
winded, for this was our meeting We did one
of these ministers one of the best turns that ever
happened to him. We broke him of habit that
he thought absolutely incurable with him. He
never before had spoken extemporaneously, but
now he simply had to. And he preached better
those ten minutes than ever before. He was
very thankful that the ice had been broken. At
these meetings we young men testified mad ex-
horted. We hauled this hayrack from one end
of town to the other. Princeton had north
end at the railroad station and south end around
the court house. We drove the town band out
OF commission, for we drew their crowd on Sat-
urday nights. Every Saturday evening we held
forth. So, you see, it is hard for me to define
what address can be styled with the dignity of my
first sermon
However, there is one address, which stands
out in relief to me, and l usually count it as
marking the epoch in my life of entering the min
istry OF Jesus Christ. All of the development
which | have related above led to a decision to
offer myself to God to be his minister. Because
of my fathers small salary he had been unable
to give me more than my high school education.
| had gone to work-three years in grocery
store and now for nearly FIVE years had carried
the mail sack as a letter carrier for Uncle Sam.
But now my decision was made. would go to
college and fit myself for the ministry.
One day the pastor of little Baptist church
out in the country about eight miles called on me
and asked me to occupy his pulpit one Sunday
when he was to be absent in another charge. This
man was the one we had trained by our open-ar
meetings to preach extemporaneously. After
some hesitation promised. The day came and
I drove out to fulfill the engagement. When l
look back now upon those first efforts of mine
to preach the Gospel | wonder at the courage |
had. I simply had no thought other than to tell
of Christ and His wonderful salvation.
wrote no sermon. In fact even now / write
very few, speaking almost entirely from notes
or extemporaneously, as is the custom in our
denomination. / had chosen Romans ST. as my
text | can recall the little church. / can see
the upturned faces of the people ready to receive
the message of the letter carrier-preacher. | dis
tincty remember the face OF an old saint OF God
whom knew quite well, splendid type of
American and Christian. | read my text of
had made-some preparation as to the line of treat
ment. But the spirit of God gave me rich meas
ure that day. There was joy in my heart that
TRANSPORTED all. | was led to speak of the justi-
fcation by faith whereby come into right rela
ton to God and Of the peace that through this
experience comes into the soul. The boy
preacher felt the power of the living word that
day and the congregation with him was melted
to tears. How heavenly this experience is only
those who have tasted it know. All the riches and
honors of earth could not buy moment of such
time. When the sermon-for / believe it de-
served that title-was concluded, they trooped
forward, those dear people, and told me of their
pleasure. Especially do l remember the old gen.
tleman mention before, who. with tears streaming
down his cheeks, thanked me with broken voice
for the blessing had brought him. So with my
effort ended drove home again, this experience
of mine having clinched my decision to enter
the ministry, and here l am, preaching the Cos
pei and not sorry that I took the step into this
lfe-calling, though it meant sacrifice of ambi-
tons. Why do so few Of the young men go into
the Gospel ministry? During the twenty years
our family has resided in Princeton, ILL.,, am the
only one who has gone from that town OF 1850
people into the Gospel ministry. My classmates
lawyers, doctors, teachers, business men. Here
am |, alone representing the ministry.
q ~