DEAR BRETHREN:
      Perhaps no department of christian benevolence presents more claims upon the disciples of Christ and upon our churches, than that of filling the ranks of our ministry; constantly decreasing in number by death and by necessitated retirement from active service of worn-out veterans, who, like Christian warriors, having fought the good fight of faith are waiting for the victor's crown.

      The number of young men in course of preparation for the Baptist ministry, in proportion to the demand of our churches for pastors, to say nothing of the increasing demand for home evangelization and for foreign fields, is alarmingly small, and if not greatly increased, many of our pulpits will soon be without pastors, and our missionary fields already whitening for the harvest, will look to us in vain for reapers to garner their precious fruitage.

      That an able and efficient ministry is essential to a healthful growth of our churches and to their active co-operation for the extention of Christ's Kingdom on earth, few will deny, but it is to be feared that the means by which alone such a ministry may be secured and perpetuated, are not generally understood, or, at least, duly considered.

      We are too prone to look upon what we do for the support of the ministry, as acts of benevolence. Hence many speak of "giving" to their pastor or preacher, and of "paying" their physician - as if the one were an object of mere charity while the other is an acknowledged creditor. If the use of such language is only a habit, it is certainly a very bad one and should be corrected; if it is an exponent of a sentiment, it is derogatory to the dignity of the ministerial office, and calculated to degrade the position of a Christian minister in the esteem of the community in which he lives. Instead of recognizing these religious teachers and spiritual guides, as "laborers worthy of their hire" or wages, it presents them before the world as objects of charity, as having, at most, but a qualified claim upon those for whom they labor, for a support. And yet, it is a proposition too obvious by far to require demonstration, that the money paid for the maintainance of religions instruction among us, is, regarded as a mere business transaction, a more profitable investment than could possibly be made of the sum in any other form. It pays better than Government bonds or Bank stocks. Who can doubt that the depreciation which would result from the exclusion of an evangical ministry from the bounds of this Association, would constitute a fund, the interest of which would be more than sufficient to pay ample salaries to all the pastors of every denomination in the Association? To what but the laborers of an evangelical christain ministry do we look for the preservation of our dearest privileges, religious and social, as well as our civil and political rights? The truth is, we pay to our preacher much less than value for their services, regarding only the material benefits resulting from their labors. Let us, then, not grudgingly, but liberally pay those who labor for us in spiritual things, and thank God for the power of so doing.

      But whilst we recognize our pecuniary obligations to those whom we employ to labor for us, there is ample scope for the exercise of our benenolence in supplying tho apiritual wants of those less highly favored than ourselves.

      The world is our field; the gospel is to be proclaimed, by Christian men, to all nations. This is the instrumentality appointed by infinite wisdom for the accomplishment of the great work of christianizing the nations, of restoring our revolted race, to their rightful allegiance to the King of kings. When Jesus saw the multitudes "scattered as sheep having no shepherd," he said to his disciples, "the harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into the harvest." This injunction is as binding on us as it was on those to whom it was originally addressed; but it by no means exempts us from responsibility beyond earnest supplication that the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into the harvest. This prayer however sincerely uttered never took a missionary to Asia, or to Africa, or to the islands of the Pacific, where, tens of thousands have been converted from paganism to Christianity, if Christian men were called of God to carry the gospel to these distant lands, Christian men were also called of God to furnish the means of sending them thither and of sustaining them there. If they needed printing presses and paper and money in order to give the bible to the heathen in their own tongues, their Christian brethren in Europe and America were called of God to send them printing presses and paper aad money. And he who most fully recognizes his dependence on God for every temporal blessing, will, when he has uttered the petition, "Give us, this day, our daily bread," most faithfully employ the means God has placed, in his hands for procuring his daily food, so those who pray most fervently that the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into the harvest, contribute most cheerfully to prepare for their work those whom the Lord would call to his ministry such young men in our churches as would become, in our judgement, by suitable preparation, able and useful preachers of the Gospel; to search out and encourage such among us as seem to possess the requisite qualifications of personal piety and mental ability combined with an ardent desire to consecrate themselves to the service of Christ in whatever way they may be most useful; and to furnish the means to all such of qualifying themselves, so far as literary and theological culture may bo deemed necessary or desirable.

      Many a young convert, who would have joyfully availed himself of such means had they been furnished by our churches, has been deterred from faking even the, first step towards the ministry, by a consiousncss of his want of qualification for the sacred office, and of the means necessary to its attainment. Brethren, are we not verily guilty of turning a deaf ear to onr Lord's call to us to give freely of our substance to aid those of our brethren who are willing, and who we believe arc called by Him to the Christian ministry? Wherefore is it their duty to do or suffer more than, it is our duty to do or to suffer, in our Master's cause? Has he called us into his vineyard - some to bear the heat and burthen of the whole day, others of an hour, and others to consume, in idleness, the bounties of His providence? Are not all Christians stewards who must render an account of their stewardship at their Lord's coming?

      The first requisite towards the attainment of the object proposed, has been secured, and gratuitous instruction in everything pertaining to the preparatory training of our young brethren desiring to enter upon the work of the ministry has been provided. An agent is now in the field soliciting your contributions, for the purpose of defraying the necessary personal expenses of such young brethren. Through him God is CALLING on YOU to feed and clothe those whom He has CALLED to be standard bearers in the army of the Lord of Hosts. "Freely ye have received, freely give" - "it is more blessed to give than to receive."

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[From Elkhorn Bapitst Association Minutes, 1866, pp. 8-9. The document is from the association office, Lexington, KY. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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