The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-06
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

'NiA 6NtSA0CA III SPAhC VI IHc COiU WhNE.
 
 know that quite few people whose business was put in jeopardy by it at one time were loud in sheir criticisms about what they called it's pernicious activity but I think that in the long run even some of those who were bit terest in their condemnation of the stand 1t took against them will realize | that the pastors were standing for the
 best things for the community.
 
 I am sure that the general public would have scant interest in any body
 of preachers who would fail to ring a clear note for civic righteousness, and
 this has always been done by the Pas ], tors union, and that is why 1t has the influence it has in matters affecting
 have lived in several large cities. but
 know of none where the pastors have l more real power than here. Now. sthere must be a reason for this
 I attribute it to the fact that this city has never been in the hands of minis i ters who courted the. Iimelight. and in order to be in the papers were willing 1 to attempt all kinds of freak stunts. The mere sensationalist who goes be- fore the Pastors union has short shrift 1 but it is ever ready to listen to any proposal which has merit in it for the l uplift of the district
 
 , For years the Pastors union has been meeting in the basement of the First Methodist church, and on Monday the Christmas decorations were still in evil l dence, giving the meeting a holiday air. lone thing which appeals 10 me at the | monthly gatherings is the simplicity of ! the services. It is worth while to hear
 a lot of preachers open the session with
 a gospel hymn. Then some brother
 reads scripture lesson and makes
 short comment, to be followed by fer vent prayer. Then comes the reading,
 of the minutes of the last meeting, and ] g chance is given for new Or unfinished
 business, and then the programme of ] the day.
 |
 Chairman Broadly of the programme
 committee made the announcement that l during 1920 the chief topic of the ad- dresses would hang around the lives of ! the great American preachers. It will
 be the order to assign to some member l the name of one of our leading pull | piteers, and let him bring in a short | summary of his life and teachings. This | will no doubt not only prove drawing
 card, but will be interesting and in- forming.
 | The president of Howard college. Dr.
 C. H. Williams, was the speaker on pearance before the body. He made d profound impression on those who heard him. On my way out I acci- dentally heard Dr. John McNeill re. | mark that he would have hated to have ! had to follow him. This was indeed l high praise, for when John McNeill l feels that it would put him on his metal ! to follow any one it is both an admis- sion and compliment. Dr. Williams spoke on "The Pastor and the New Era
 l I liked to have forgotten something.
 for it would not be an orthodox pas
 tors union without collection being taken for something. It can always be ! said of it what the newspaper boys used
 10 say about the appearance of Brooks
 Lawrence at any church during the pro- I hibition campaign, and that was: The
 usual collection was taken" There is
 always some brother who has "held the l bag for some good cause who has to
 make up a small deficit. knowing full we'll that his brethren will chip in, for any of them are liable to be in the same fix at some day
 i l think I know something about the
 many calls which come on busy men in
 the marts of trade and in the profess sions, and particularly upon those who. | to use an expression l used to hear in my society days in Birmingham in ! speaking of the belles who always got ] to every social event, "she has a good stand thereby meaning that it would not be necessary to hire carriage to l get her to the dance. the show or the party, But when it comes to giving, no l set of men have more chances to give to things than do preachers, and what ] is more. none do it more cheerfully ac- ! cording to ability.
 l
 One of the big things promised the good people of Birmingham was the statement made by Dr.. George R. Stu art that he had received telegram l from Dr. Len c. Broughton that Dr. G. Campbell Morgan. the famous preacher
 and Bible expositor, was coming to America and would be available after a conference in Knoxville to be secured lfor 10 days if he thought it adyan- tageous. pr. Stuart. who never misses a chance to let his own people hear the pulpit stars even though they happen not to wear a Methodist crown, as was {, the case when he invited pr. John Me Neili some while back, immediately on
 his own motion wired back. "Send him along
 pr. stuart simply told the conference what he had done and that it would not be bound in any way for his expenses. yet he wished his brethren to share in ! the blessing which was sure to come