NOTE. -- The writer hopes that the importance of the subject will be a sufficient apology for the length of this circular. It is one of those subjects that must be treated at cousiderable length in order to do it anything like justice. And though hastily written, it contains many arguments and facts bearing on the subject that ought to be in the possession of all our churches and young ministers.
Bethel Baptist Association, (KY)
CIRCULAR LETTER
ON MINISTERIAL EDUCATION
By W. W. Gardner
The Bethel Baptist Association to the Churches of which she is composed.
DEAR BRETHREN: -- The subject of our Annual Circular is MINISTERIAL EDUCATION, and we shall confine our present remarks to its Nature and Importance. Consider,
I. The NATURE of Ministerial Education.
What is Ministerial Education? In order to answer this question, it will be necessary first to define education itself. The term education means discipline, instruction, training: and it is derived from the Latin word educo, "to bring up, as a child, to instruct, to inform and enlighten the understanding, to instill into the mind principles of arts, science, morals, religion, and behavior." Webster: Education, therefore, pertains to the entire man, physical, intellectual, and moral, and embraces all the discipline, instruction, training, and knowledge which we receive from parents and teachers, experience and observation, reading and reflection. Hence it is evident that the whole of an education is not obtained in any school or college; much is derived from other sources, and still more depends upon our individual exertions after we pass from under the tuition of others. All that the best school or college can do, is to discipline, strengthen, and train our natural powers; to implant in the mind the principles of language, science, morals, religion, and manners, and to teach us how to study, and where to obtain useful knowledge. Such a course of instruction and training is of incalculable advantage, and lays the foundation for a complete and thorough education in after life.
Now ministerial education not only includes such discipline, instruction, and training, but also a theoretical, experimental, and practical knowledge of the word of God, together with a knowledge of the peculiar duties and responsibilities of the ministerial office. It consists essentially in that kind of instruction and training which fits a minister for the most extensive usefulness, however it may be obtained. The cultivation of the heart and the study of the Bible constitute the most important part of ministerial education. Yet all knowledge may be rendered subservient to the ministry, and the more learning a minister has the more useful he may be.
But it matters not how or where a minister obtains an education, so he has it. He may acquire it by personal effort and industry, without the aid of Schools or colleges, as many of our ablest and best ministers, both living and dead, have done, and such men are worthy of all praise. But as life is short and time precious, all who can, should avail themselves of the superior advantages afforded by our literary and theological institutions. If by such helps a man may acquire in three or five years, what would otherwise cost him double the time and labor, surely it is the part of wisdom, if not of duty, to avail himself of their aid, as far as it is in his power. We might travel from Russellville to New Orleans or New York on foot or horseback, but how much time and toil may be saved by the facilities of railroads?
There are degrees in ministerial education, as there are in ministerial talent. Our Lord has not prescribed the measure of education that his ministers must have in order to be eligible to the ministry, nor have men a right to do it. There was considerable diversity of mental cultivation, as well as of natural capacity, among the apostles and first ministers of Christ, and such diversity has existed among his true ministers from that day until the present, and will no doubt continue to exist. But he has made it the duty of all his ministers to make the best improvement they can of their time and talents, and to qualify themselves as thoroughly as possible for the ministry. This duty is plainly taught in the parable of the talents, Matt. xxi:14, 30; and the minister who neglects it, is guilty before that God to whom he must soon give an account of his stewardship.
"Knowledge is power." Other things being equal, the more thoroughly a minister is educated, the more successful he will be in the ministry. Education enables a man to do far more for the cause of Christ than he could do without it, and it is clearly our duty to prepare ourselves for the greatest possible usefulness. Hence we see the NATURE of Ministerial Education, or what it is.
Having briefly explained the Nature of Ministerial Education, we proceed to show,
II. The IMPORTANCE of Ministerial Education.
Its Importance may be argued from various considerations, among which are the following:
I. From the Nature of the Ministerial work.
The preaching of the Gospel is the great work of the ministry. As the ambassadors for Christ, ministers are commissioned to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, relying upon his promise, "and lo! I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Matt. xxviii:18, 20. They are required to explain, enforce, and defend the truth, and to declare the whole counsel of God, whether men will receive or reject it. It is tbeir special business to understand the Scriptures and teach sinners the way of salvation, and to beseech them in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God. See 2 Cor. v:20. This is the divinely appointed means of saving our lost world. "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." 1 Cor. i:21. Now as an ambassador is "a minister of the highest rank, employed by one prince or state at the court of another, to manage the public concerns of his own prince or state, and representing the power and dignity of his sovereign," none but men of the highest qualifications can discharge the functions of the office. They must be educated and intelligent men who understand the laws, interests, and rights of their prince or state, and are able to manage and defend them. But how much more important is it that the ambassadors of Christ, the Prince of Glory, slould be qualified for their higher office?
As shepherds under Christ, ministers of the Gospel are appointed to feed the flock of God, taking the oversight thereof willingly. They should lead them into the green pastures of his word and beside the still waters of his ordinances. They must feed the lambs of the flock especially, with the pure milk of the word. The weak must be strengthened, the distressed comforted, the ignorant instructed, the wandering reclaimed, the unruly warned. As it is written, "Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine." 2 Tim. iv:2. What wisdom, prudence, and knowledge do ministers need in order thus to teach and watch for souls as they that must soon give account to God?
The ministerial work is one of fearful magnitude. It concerns both time and eternity, and involves the glory of God and the everlasting weal or woe of countless millions of our race. In view of this, Paul says of himself and other ministers: "We are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savor of death unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?" 2 Cor. ii:15, 16. Compared with the ministry, all other avocations sink into utter insignificance.
Now as the ministerial work consists chiefly in preaching, teaching, and exhortation, and as it is fraught with such momentous consequences, how important is it that ministers should be thoroughly educated and trained for it. No vocation in life requires such mental and moral discipline -- none requires such knowledge, wisdom, and prudence as that of the ministry. But men must be taught themselves before they can teach others, and some measure of education is indispensably necessary in order to understand and explain the Scriptures. Hence we see the importance of Ministerial Education from the nature of the ministerial work.
We argue the Importance of Ministerial Education,
II. From the growing intelligence of the age.
This is pre-eminently an age of increasing intelligence. Men are literally running to and fro, and knowledge is being increased. At no period of the world has the progress of knowledge and intelligence been so rapid as at the present. The facilities for education are greater than they ever were before, and the means of intelligence are increasing from year to year. Our Common Schools and High Schools, Colleges and Theological Seminaries, Teachers and Text-books, are now more numerous and far better than those of preceeding generations; while Sabbath-schools, religious and miscellaneous books, newspapers, and periodicals, giving information on almost all subjects, are being multiplied beyond all precedent; and prophecy clearly teaches that the tide of improvement will continue to flow on with an ever widening and deepening stream until it disembogues itself into the ocean of Millennial glory and intelligence. With our present facilities and means, every child may be educated, aud every man and woman become intelligent. The importance of education is admitted by all, and parents generally intend to educate their children if they can do nothing more for them. The rising generation, therefore, is destined to be much better educated, and far more intelligent than any preceding generation; just as the present generation is far in advance of the past in education and intelligence.
Now our ministry must keep pace with the growing intelligence of the people. A higher standard of ministerial education is demanded now than was necessary thirty years ago, because the people are more intelligent, and the next generation will doubtless demand a still higher standard than the present. An educated people will and ought to have an educated ministry, and if we neglect to furnish such a ministry, many of our own children and youth will turn aside after those who do furnish it. The young constitute the larger proportion of every community, and are the most hopeful part of every congregation. They are all being educated, and our rising ministry must also be educated, in order to command the attention of this important class of their hearers. Aged ministers and those of established character and general intelligence, may be extensively useful among all classes without the advantages of early education, but young and inexperienced ministers must be liberally educated at present, in order to be as useful in their day and generation as older ministers have been without such advantages. Our fathers in the ministry were as far in advance of the people in general intelligence as our young ministers will be with the best education they can receive. It is important, therefore, that all our rising ministry should be liberally educated, and those who are unable to educate themselves, should be aided by our churches.
We argue the Importance of Minisiterial Education,
III. From the increasing demands upon our ministry.
Never since the days of the apostles has there been such pressing demands upon the time and attention of our ministry as there is at the present time, and they are increasing from year to year. These demands arise from various sources.
For instance, large and growing numbers are being converted and added to our churches annually, who demand constant instruction and training. We can only approximate to the aggregate number of our annual increase, as many of our baptisms are never reported. From the American Baptist Almanac and Annual Register for 1859, we learn that the total number of baptisms reported for the year in North America, was 77,080, besides those of Europe, Asia, and Africa, amounting to many thousands. What a demand is this upon the time and attention of our ministry! These babes in Christ must be fed with wisdom and knowledge, in order that they may grow in grace and become efficient and useful Christians.
Then again, our churches are annually increasing in number and intelligence. During the year 1859, we constituted 279 new churches in the United States, besides those constituted in other lands, making the total number of our churches in this country 12,371. These churches embody a vast amount of education and intelligence, and they demand an educated and intelligent ministry. They have a right to have such a ministry, for God says: "I will give you pastors according to mine heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." Jer. iii:15. Our ministers must be qualified to teach the most intelligent as well as the most illiterate of their hearers; and how can they teach others, except they first be taught themselves? It is also necessary that ministers prepare more thoroughly for the pulpit now than they formerly did, and hence it requires more time and labor to preach now than it did then.
Moreover, this is peculiarly an age of Christian activity and enterprise, and it demands an educated and working ministry to direct its movements. The spirit of missions awakened by WILLIAM CAREY and other Baptists of England, in 1792, has spread all over christendom, and Home and Foreign Missionary Societies, Bible, Tract, and Sabbath-school Societies, together with numerous other benevolent and humane societies, have sprung up as legitimate consequences. As the Baptists commenced the work of missions, both in England and America, so they have ever taken a leading part in all the great schemes of modern benevolence. In 1802, the Massachusetts Baptist Missionary Society was organized, the object of which was principally Home Missions. But the first Baptist Missionary Society exclusively for Foreign Missions in the United States, was formed in 1813, and $980.22 were raised the first year, Adoniram Judson and Luther Rice were then our only Foreign Missionaries from this country. But behold what God hath wrought! We are now supporting 44 missions, 192 stations, and 1254 out-stations. We have in our employ 480 regular missionaries and 538 native missionaries. We maintain 437 missionary churches, with a membership of 31,934, of whom 7,291 were baptized during the last year. With an aggregate membership in the United States of 1,020,442, our churches contributed to our various benevolent organizations during the past year $447,653.56, and including the contributions made to other benevolent purposes, our churches in this country contributed during the last financial year $500,000, which is nearly fifty cents to each member, besides the support of pastors, the establishment of colleges, schools, etc., amounting, no doubt, to a much larger sum.
Now all these great benevolent and educational enterprises have to be wisely managed and amply sustained, and this necessarily occupies much of the time and attention of our ministers, in addition to their pastoral and missionary labors. In an age of such activity and enterprise, and with such increasing demands upon them, it is often difficult for our ministers to command time to prepare for their pulpits, much less to educate themselves. It is all important, therefore, that our rising ministry should be educated before they enter upon the work fully, in order that they may be able to meet the demands upon them.
We argue the Importance of Ministerial Education,
IV. From the Example of our Savior.
Though none of the apostles and first evangelists of Christ, except Paul, appear to have enjoyed the advantages of a classical education, and consequently were regarded as "unlearned and ignorant men" by the Jewish "elders and scribes," (See Acts iv:5, 13;) still they were all educated ministers, in the true and Scriptural sense of the word. This is evident from their writings and published discourses, in which not a single mistake or grammatical error can be found, and which will ever remain the purest specimens of the languages in which they wrote and spoke. They were selected chiefly from the middle and humbler walks of society, as are most of Christ's ministers, and, in the Providence of God, they had received just that kind of physical, mental, and moral training which best fitted them for the work of the ministry. They were all men of vigorous intellect, good common sense, and sterling integrity, and possessed an intimate knowledge of men and things as they exist in real life. Hence they understood the workings of human nature, and knew how to reach men's hearts and move them to action. The whole course of their literary and theological training was eminently practical, and adapted to make them preachers for the people, and no doubt this was one great element of their success in the ministry, as it is of all useful ministers.
In addition to this, the apostles and evangelists were faithfully instructed and trained for three years by the Great Teacher himself, before they were permitted to go into all the world to preach the Gospel. While the Savior went about doing good, he daily taught them the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Never did ministers receive such a course of theological instruction and training as did these first ministers of Jesus. And as soon as they were sufficiently instructed, they were sent out from time to time to publish the glad tidings of salvation among the lost sheep of the house of Israel, in order that they might learn to preach by preaching as well as by study, just as we should do with our theological students as soon as they are capable of preaching.
But let it be borne in mind that all this was only preparatory to the ministry. These men were not suffered to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, until they were not only thus taught and trained, but also endued with power by the Holy Spirit to speak correctly in all the languages in which they should be called to preach. But the days of inspiration are passed. What was thus taught the apostles and first evangelists by the Savior and Holy Spirit, must be acquired by other ministers, as far as it may be necessary, by diligent and prayerful study, with the aid of such instruction and books as they may be able to command.
Hence we see that the Example of Christ in the selection and training of his apostles and first ministers, shows the importance of ministerial education. And his example, so far as it is imitable, is just as binding as his precepts.
We argue the Importance of Ministerial Education,
V. From the Teachings of Christ and his Apostles.
Our Lord teaches that it is the duty of every minister to prepare himself for preaching, and that he who neglects it, shall be chastised in some way according to his knowledge of his duty. Says He: "That servant who knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes." Luke xii:47, 48. According to the princjple here laid down, it is not only the duty, but also the interest of every minister to prepare himself for his work. As the farmer saves time in the end and does more work by grinding his sythe before he commences harvesting his grain, so the minister who has but fifteen years to preach will save time and do more good by spending three or five years in preparing for his work, than he could do without such preparation by devoting the whole time to the ministry. A minister may be quite as useful as he is capable of being, while acquiring an education, by preaching occasionally and laboring privately for the good of souls, as did the apostles and first ministers, while preparing for the ministry under the Great Teacher. The young man who has no heart to try to preach and do good while receiving his preparatory training, is not likely to do much after he is prepared. All should labor while it is day, for the night cometh.
The practice and teachings of the Apostles were in perfect accordance vvith the example and teachings of Christ on this subject. When churches had been established and pastors were to be ordained, the apostle Paul, in two of his epistles, specified the qualifications necessary for the ministry. See 1 Tim. iii:2, 7; Titus i:5, 9. No man can possess all the qualifications here specified without being liberally educated, especially in the Scriptures. Among these qualifications we find the following: "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." The phrase, "as he hath been taught," evidently implies that a man must have some instruction and training preparatory to the ministry; let it be obtained how or where it may. He must understand the Gospel in order to explain and enforce it. And the same apostle, in 2 Tim. ii:2, adds: "The things that thou has heard of me -- the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." Here Paul directs Timothy to teach faithful men the doctrines and truths which he had taught him, that they might be able to teach others also. The apostle not only instructed Timothy in theology before he entered the ministry, but also enjoined upon him the duty of contillued study and improvement. Says He, "Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." 1 Tim. iv:13. "Study to show thyself opproved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim. ii:15. "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear unto all." 1 Tim. iv:15.
Such is but a specimen of the Teachings of Christ and his Apostles, going to show the Importance of Ministerial Education.
Hence we see the IMPORTANCE of Ministerial Education: 1. From the Nature of the ministerial work; 2. From the growing intelligence of the age; 3. From the increasing demands upon our ministry; 4. From the Example of our Savior; and 5. From the Teachings of Christ and his Apostles.
Having briefly explained the Nature and shown the Importance of Ministerial Education, we close with a few practical REMARKS drawn from the subject.
We learn from this subject,
I. That it is the first duty of every minister to qualify himself as thoroughly as possible for the ministry;
This duty is enforced by all the considerations that show the importance of Ministerial Education, and it is both reasonable and Scriptural. No man is competent to teach others until he has been taught himself. And notwithstanding the Gentile world was perishing for want of Bible knowledge, still our Savior restricted the labors of his apostles and first ministers to the Jewish nation, until he had thoroughly taught and trained them for the ministry.
Other things being equal, the more thoroughly a man is qualified for the ministry, the more successful he will be. The fact that some good ministers of limited education have been extensively useful in their day and generation, in no sense militates against this position. Their success was attributable, under God, not to ignorance, but to their Bible knowledge and earnest piety, and doubtless these very men would have been far more useful with a better education. But our most successful, ministers, in all ages, have been educated men, in the true and Scriptural sense of the term. It is true, many of them were deprived of the advantages of a thorough Literary and Theological education, but by their energy and industry they educated themselves, and became able and useful ministers of Jesus Christ. They were men of "one Book," and they possessed deep piety and great practical wisdom. Hence, the wonderful success that attended their labors. Thus it was with many of our fathers in the ministry, such as our Wallers, Wilsons, Wardens, Rosses, and others, who rest from their labors; and thus it is with a large majority of our most useful ministers now in the field. They are self -educated men and a more efficient body of ministers cannot, be found in Christendom.
But shall our rising ministry be denied the advantages of a thorough literary and theological education, because others have been deprived of them? The measure of ministerial education which was adapted to the past generation, is not sufficient for the present, and tbat which is adapted to this generation will not answer for the next. Necessity is laid upon us. We must provide a ministry for the times. Our young ministers must be thoroughly educated and trained. And it is not only their first duty to prepare for the work, but also to avail themselves of the best facilities for obtaining an education in the shortest time, and to avoid every hindrance unti1 they are thoroughly qualified for tbe ministry.
We learn from this subject,
II. That it is both the duty and interest of our churches to aid needy young men in preparing for the ministry.
Not many of the sons of the wealthy enter the ministry. A large majority of our young ministers are poor, and must have assistance in order to enable them to prepare for the work. At this moment we have the names of fifteen young ministers who desire to enter Bethel College, but cannot for want of means, and no doubt there are scores of others in the Green River country in the same condition. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. All such young men should be assisted as far as they need it, and no farther. It is as clearly the duty of our churches to aid needy young men in preparing for the ministry, as it is to support their pastors. In bestowing ministerial gifts, Christ requires his churches to cultivate and employ tbem for his glory and the mutual good of themselves and others, and to the extent they neglect it, they sin against him and injure his cause. As the servants of the churchs for Jesus' sake, ministers are justly entitled to whatever assistance they may need to prepare themselves to serve them. The Old School Presbyterians aid all their young ministers that need it.
It is not only the duty but the interest of our churches thus to aid indigent young ministers. In what other way can our destitution be supplied and our churches furnished with suitable ministers? How much have we lost by neglecting this duty? The education of our rising ministry is the greatest work in which our churches can engage. Money expended in this way will do more good than in any other. It is at once promoting Home and Foreign Missions, and every interest of Zion. Who can estimate the good that one thoroughly educated and devoted minister will do? Let our pastors preach on this subject and enforce this duty. Let our churches engage in this great work without delay. And let our wealthy brethren and sisters especially, give of their abundance to this noble object, and thus preach through others.
We learn from this subject,
III. That our Literary awd Theological Institutions hold peculiar claims upon us as the best means of educating our rising niinistry.
No fixed standard of ministerial education, such as that of the Old School Presbyterian, has been established by Christ, nor should our churches ever adopt such a standard. It is both unscriptural and unwise, and would deprive us of many of our most useful ministers. Our course of preparatory training should ever be adapted to the age and circumstances of our ministers. It is not best that all should be encouraged to pass through a regular course of Literary and Theological instruction. For instance, if a man has sufficient education to speak his own language correctly, and is somewhat advanced in age, or has charge of a family, he should either take a partial course of Literary and theological instruction, or procure suitable books and study rheology under the direction of some competent and experienced pastor, and, in the meantime, preach and do all the good he can while qualifying himself for the ministry.
Thus Timothy and Titus studied Theology under Paul, and, after they entered the ministry, the apostle directed them to teach faithful men the same truths, that they might be able to teach others also. And thus, when we had but few Literary and Theological Institutions, many of our young ministers, both in England alid this country, studied under our fathers in the ministry. In this way our pastors may still render valuable service to the churches.
But in this age of increasing activity and intelligence, many of our young ministers need a more thorough course of Literary and Theological instruction and training than they can obtain themselves or by the aid of pastors. Our Colleges and Theological Schools, therefore, hold peculiar claims upon us as means to the accomplishment of this desirable end. They furnish the best facilities we have for giving our rising ministry a thorough education in the shortest time, and it is all important that they be qualified for the work as soon as possible, "for the harvest is great, but laborers are few." We have only 7,837 ordained ministers for 12,371 churches in the United States, or about one minister to every two churches, and a large number of these are either laboring as evangelists or teaching in our colleges and schools, while the Home and Foreign Missionary fields are almost boundless.
Under e:xisting circumstances, our Colleges and Theological Schools are essential to the thorough trainjng of our ministry, and if properly conducted and sustained, must be of incalcnlable benefit to the cause of Christ. Indeed, similar means for the education of ministers and teachers of religion have existed under all dispensations. In 1 Sam. :xi:x:18, and 2 Kings ii :3, 5, we read of the "schools or colleges of the prophets," at Naiath, at Bethel, and in the plains of Jericho, under Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha, the Prophets.
The Literary training of ministers should be the same as that of other young men, but great care and prudence should be exercised in their Theological training. None but sound Gospel preachers and experienced pastors should be employed to teach them, especially in the departments of BIBLICAL EXPOSITION AND PASTORAL THEOLOGY and the BIBLE, and the Bible alone, should be used as a TEXT-BOOK, and all other books used merely as helps. No Body of Divinity, however e:xcellent, should be adopted as a Te:xt-Book in any Baptist Theological School, for it necessarily tends to perpetuate error and to subordinate the word of God to the opinions of men., when the Bible is the only rule of our faith and practice.
We learn from this subject,
IV. That it is our bounden duty to pray for, search out, and encourage ministerial gifts.
Our Heavenly Father bestows ministerial gifts upon his people through the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ by the agency of the Holy Spirit. In proof of this, see Rom. xii:4, 8; 1 Cor. xii:4, 31; Eph. iv:4, 16. Hence we are taught and required to pray for such gifts, with the assurance that we shall receive them. On two occasions, first when our Savior sent out the twelve apostles, and afterwards the seventy evangelists, to preach among the people of Israel, he said unto his disciples: "The harvest truly is great, but laborers are few; pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest." See Matt. ix:35, 38; Luke xii:1, 2. This duty is just as binding upon us as it was upon the first disciples, and the same reasons still enforce it.
It is not only our duty to pray for ministerial gifts, but also to search them out and encourage them. No doubt there are many called to preach who shrink from the duty, and are lost to the churches for the want of being searched out and encouraged. Every pastor and every church member ought to seek opportunities to converse with young men on this subject, and where they give evidence of being called of God, encourage them to exercise their gifts.and prepare for the ministry. It is painfully true, that the harvest is still great, but the laborers few. We now have about 200 churches in Kentucky, and about 4,000 in the United States without pastors, besides the millions of the destitute and heathen who are ready to perish.
We learn from this subject,
V. That we have abundant reason to thank God and press forward in the work of Ministerial Education.
Considering the disadvantages under which we have labored and the opposition with which we have had to contend, our progress in the United States has been truly wonderful, especially during the last half century. In 1813 we had but two Colleges and no Theological Seminaries. Now we have 34 first class Colleges, most of which are amply endowed, and 15 Theological Schools, all well filled with students; besides several hundred Male and Female High Schools and Academies. Then we had but few thoroughly educated ministers, and they educated in Pedobaptist institutions. Now we have 7,837 ordained ministers, besides licentiates, many of whom are highly educated, and rank among the first ministers in the nation, while many others are able ministers of Jesus Christ, and all are useful in their respective fields.
Let us, then, thank God and take courage. Let us do what we can to give our rising ministry better advantages than we have enjoyed. Let all our spiritual gifts be cultivated and encouraged. Let our pastors and churches search out and send up their young ministers to be educated in our own institutions. Ministers for the South and West should be educated in the South and West, and ministers for Kentucky should be educated in Kentucky. "And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all forever. Amen." ============ [From Bethel Baptist Association Minutes, 1860, pp. 23-37. The document was provided by Philip duBarry, Addyston, OH. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
More Kentucky Circular Letters
Baptist History Homepage