Arkansas State press., 1955-04-08
Bigger : Better Pastors and Churches
BY S. S. Taylor

Recently young who attends church regularly
and often takes voluntary leading part in mecon-
sumng uneompensaed church activities, said
There is lag in my spiritual life, My spiritual needs
and desires have been unfed so long until sometimes shud-
der at the thought of il"
The young woman.s experience proves nothing but
suggests illustrates Nearly every type institution
today except average Dapdaed
and firetrap hotels and roaming houses and
poorly schools of all types various halls
attract the crowds for which they built and in the
of private profttang enterprises income and net
profit the promoter Only the the average church
does the general atmosphere of large patronage and rich re-
fall down.
Despite the fact that this nation claims to be Christian
numbers among its founders the band religious
thusiaSs who here God according their
conscience despite the fact that the constitution of Arkansas
makes belief in Supreme Being essential of citizenship
despite requiring Sunday observance
enpng religious enterprises from taxes and
protecting religious gatherings disturbance despite
the eminent responsibility the church social institution
STILL half the population of this popuous nation does
belong church. and still larger proportion does
church
The leadership of the church poor, in general In all
except very of the than 200 denominations any
who has finished the first grade and says THE Lord has
called me- in loud voice, may become minister.
The ancient Hebrew priest had the best training his time
afforded His qualifications almost standardized
those OF the presenday MD But not so the modern priest in
the modern protestant church Ministerial alliances contain
barely tenth of the professional The whole
is too poorly trained to enjoy participation such body
too poorly paid to have the time for it.
The ancient Hebrew priest only of the best
trained he also of the best compensated public
wants of his nation His food his living his prestly robes
provided by the church, and of quality reflect
the majesty and splendor of powerful God The modern
protestant priest be not only educated professionally
lerate but also ragged lifted and part-time He only
lacks rich robe for elaborate service imposing
pie but barely able decent everyday clothes
depends on his professional salary
Bishop Robert E. Jones, prelate of outstanding stature
and acmen said to assembly Of minister's "A you
who called by God raise your hands, up
all the The bishop the group silence
for moment then said There's I'm
God has much have, and wouldn't call
The shortage of qualified men in the pulpit is reflected in
the nature and equipment of the religious The
church is small in membership weak in finance poor
equipment and low in its standards Negro
in Little Rock has anything like adequate
men for anything except listening Sunday The
ordinary provision is platform and for preaching
with specific training hard benches
Tor a small group to doze out the Sunday
Multiplicity of congregations adds to the trouble With
more than hundred Negro churches in Little Rock the
gregaon which gets its due share the Negroes
limited to hundred fewer Where the OF
the people limited church with
finds it hard properly finance proper program Such
church does not the properly
and effective program which necessity costly
Such church parttme pastor church work
for nothing and feed himself his family by the sweat of
his brow Such church needs with similar
to acquire the size and the prosecute proper pro-
gram.
A professional ministry, full pews,4 a program to
meet modern conditions and needs the challenge
church today A fully sincere fully trained ul-time and
fulpad pastor requisite first three
ne is not the last Churches which hold this
hold the respect of the community and there small
group may exist which is wealthy; but the average small
group is as it is small 1t pay competent
leader finance adequate program Ii should ioin with
other and seek the supervision guidance large
and successful church should add something to the
community in which stands Ii not it has no excuse
for existence.