To the Churches of the Elkhorn Association,We are grateful to our Heavenly Father for the mercies of another year, and avail ourselves of the opportunity of sending a few words of greeting to you. May the Divine Spirit lead us to a wise consideration of the pastoral relation — how it may be made more permanent, and therefore bring more of blessing to all. We cannot avoid the conclusion that there is an increasing tendency to short pastorates, and that this must prove an element of weakness, both to our churches and pastors. We therefore hope to secure your attention to this subject, and present some thoughts which, with the blessing of God, may arrest this tendency, and strengthen the existing bonds between pastors and churches.
First. It is essential to have a just estimate of the importance of the pastoral relation, both by churches and those that minister to them. The office is of divine appointment. Among the gifts of the Ascended One are "pastors" "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God which He has purchased with His own blood." To the scattered sheep of Isreal God, in His covenant mercies, hath promised "to give pastors according to mine own heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." He describes himself as the model prophet. "I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick." To feed the flock, to build up the believer and point the lost to a Savior who came to seek and to save the lost, are the first, great, all-comprehending duties of a pastor. If courage and patience and training were necessary to the shepherd who watched his flocks beneath Syrian skies, or on Judean hills, much more so in the character of him who watches for souls in any field. The pastor should himself recognize the greatness of his calling, until with uplifted heart he exclaims, who is sufficient for these things, and girded with grace and strength he goes with holy zeal to his chosen field of labor. No life of easy self-indulgence should steal away his manhood. No cautious and wary inspection about easy fields should tamper with his zeal. No strongholds of surrounding sin should lift its Ninneveh proportions to make the spirit shirk from its attack. No dark and cloudy day should make his feet lag upon the mountains of Israel. However dark and unpromising, if God calls we should bare our arms and gird as for the toil.
Surely there is a duty upon churches to receive such in love for their own sakes, and more, much more, for the Master's. Shall we regard such men as hirelings, who passeth to the close of their year to be turned adrift as fancy or folly may dictate. Let churches, in securing the shepherd, pray that a divinely chosen man may be given them. Who hears now of days of solemn fasting and prayer, among the pastorless churches. The tastes some times of the ungodly have been more consulted than the calm, quiet judgement of the substantial body of the membership. Let pastors or ministers and churches realize something of the
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importance of what a pastor should be — will be, for weal or for woe, and higher and better views will prevail. Then will ministers realize,
"Tis not a cause of small import The pastor's care demands, But what might fill an angel's heart And filled a Savior's hands." Then wil! the church pray, "The Shepherd of thy people bless, Gird him with thy own holiness, In duty may his pleasure be, His glory in his zeal for Thee." If such be the importance of this relation, then,
Secondly — Due care and thought should be taken in the settlement of a pastor. As in the marriage relation, so in this, there should be mutual acquaintance, confidence and esteem. The great Shepherd says: "I know my sheep, and am known of mine." No hasty, ill-assorted union which when made only shows the folly of the parties, but one which has the Divine hand guiding and blessing. Ministers should look at the field — its encouragements and discouragements, his fitness for the wants of God's people. Churches should know something more than what is furnished by a trial sermon — showy pretentiousness and huge self-asertiou may often stand with unblushing front, while modest merit is abashed at such a trial. The willow grows up gracefully and quickly — the sturdy oak gathers strengrh slowly. The one is made into baskets, the other rides the waves in slowly acquired but certain strength.
Let there be candor and prayerfulness exercised in the settlement of a man as pastor, and then may we hope that our pastorates shall not be the poor, feeble shifting things they are found too frequently to be. The added years will strengthen the bond, bringing blessings upon pastors and churches, giving efficiency and trustfulness to both.
Thirdly. Co-operation. The pastor is not to furnish recondite speculation, but with the Master's Spirit to work — to go about doing good — to warn them that are unruly, "comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all." He is himself to be a pattern to the believers — not merely to point out, but to lead the way. Terrible the reckoning of the unfaithful or idle shepherd, who cares not for the perishing or those that have been already folded. If pastors are to work, not merely wish or complain, so are churches to be co-workers, striving together not merely for the faith of the gospel but for the works of the gospel. Christians may admire the talent and rejoice in the ability of the minister which secures attention, but the holiest zeal and the highest gifts needs the aid of the body of believers.
If a pastor is anything of what he should be, rest assured that there is that in his ministrations which may be a blessing to you. Work from love to Jesus with your pastor, and you will love him too. Mutual labors will bind hearts together. In the Sunday-school, prayer-meeting, the Lord's day worship, in all the labors which are undertaken for Christ, join with your pastor, and you will be amazed that you ever stood with cold, distrusteful gaze upon him. The joy of a common success, yea, even the sorrow of common defeat, will make your hearts one. The pastor, instead of being the weary, burdened, dispirited man, will joy and rejoice with you all. Instead of timidly looking out for new places in which to labor, he will, with the noble heroism of the daughter of Moab, say, this people shall be my people, where thou livest I will live. Fourthly. Mutual forbearance. Pastors are men, not angels — with many faults and painfully felt infirmities. We should learn to esteem them. Thank God for the good and helping them in their warfare against the sin that cleaveth to them. There should be no screening of guilt, no conniving at their sins; but there should be no magnifying of trifles, no spitefulness that delights to parade in the garish light of day the weakness of a good man who is trying to serve his generation. No petty intermeddling with persons and things that should be
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protected by the sacred sanctities of home life. In the same spirit pastors should remember that a greater than they bore the contradiction of Simon against himself. That there brethren are like themselves — men of like passions and infirmities — and what becomes of their work as helpers, if quickness to take offence prevails. If, instead of helpful, loving words and deeds, to the weak and erring, we bring words hot asjuniper coals, and discourage and alienate. Let us sit at the feet of Jesus and learn forbearance and patience. Oh brother! look up at the throne from which He looks down and sees all — all our unkindness and coldness of our poor lives, and yet with pierced hands claim them by His intercession as mine — and then go and deal harshly, coldly with the dear ones whom he has redeemed. Let mutual kindness and conciliation mark our conduct.Then will the very exercise of this forbearance heighten each other's esteem. These links, forged out of the trials of our common life and labors, will bind our hearts, and the blessing of Him who walketh in the midst of the golden candlesticks, and holdeth the stars in His hand, will be upon us. Then will He return to us, as in the days of old, and himself feed the flock of his heritage.
============ [From Elkhorn Baptist Association (KY) Minutes, 1873, pp. 11-13. The document is from the original at the Elkhorn Baptist Association office, Lexington, KY. — Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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