The Coolidge examiner., 1938-09-15
as possibly the nOblest of them all
MONEY

IHONy WlJH our IlneS. II ODJeClS
and goal are not money or mater
ial gain. Aside from obtaining, n
living from his labors a minister
is not supposed to concern himself
with material gain. | can see no
reason why he should not, but he
is not supposed to.
THERE is no more reason why a
minister should not have money
and property than any other pro
fessional man. but usually the peo-
pie see to if that he doesn't receive
enough to put him on easy street.
! And if a minister attempts to
pursue some course that would
bring him financial return along
with his work he is considered
mercenary and insincere.
ANY ohter man can bargain,
trade. sell, speculate-but the same
people who approve his doing so
would frown disapproval on the
minister for doing So Consequent
ly he travels a lone road.
DONATIONS
The prestige of the ministry is
further damaged because of the
fact that his support has been
placed on a donation" basis Peo-
pie pay for the services of a law
yer. doctor, merchant, teacher, la
borer. usually without too much
bubble. What they contribute to
the support of the minister is often
done grudgingly. The reason IS
possibly that they feel they are pay
ing for something they cannot see.
II CAN SEE ? earl put money into.
I can see grocers, dry-goods,
child saved from a fever, benefits
of a case won at law. | can see a
field ripe unto harve from n"
summers labors.
BUT WHAT THE MINIS ER
does and gives is invisible 50 far
as Immediate or tangible evidence
is concerned. The harvest of what
he does to any individual, may be
reaped in other fields-in fact is
always reaped there.
A MANAGER may consider the
minister an dchurch trivial as ne
looks over his organization of EN-
mplovees and the business they do
but he has no way to measure
/ tho degree of loyalty, honesty
truthfulness. dependability and the
will to work well, or the conscience
of his employees which have been
emplanted in their minds as the
/ direct. result of religious teaching.
A FACTORY OWNER considers
himself a producer and is able to
point at the end of each days
work. to the output of his employ
ees. But | contend that as a min
| lister | too am a producer and that
I am placing on the market OF
human effort The spiritual com
modities which are foundational 70
the success of any business man.
OUR WHOLE COMMERCIAL, in
dustrial. social and productive sy-
stems are made possible only be-
cause men deal with one another
with integrity, faith, skill honesty,
truthfulness. loyalty, trust-These
are the products of the ministry
and the church.
grant you that the church does
NOT do all the producing of these
qualities but directly or indirectly
they are the results of the program
of the church in the world. That
institution is the chief champion
of such products. And as much as
the church and the ministry are
critized and slurred, these things
produced and promoted by them,
are indispensable in the present
day life of society.
That being true, has the public
any right to feel that money con-
J tributed for such purposes is a do
nation a sort of charity donation
TO ease ones conscience?
The trouble is that Mr. General
Public has thought about religion
but he hasn't thought much.
We fall into habit of condemn
ing a thing or holding a prejuice
against a thing with never an at
tempt to analyse the reasons why
if any
CORRALED
THE PROFESSION of the min
lister differs from others, also, in
another requirement on the part of
the people
A lawyer, merchant, farmer,
businessman may conduct his busi-