S. D. BAPTIST PASTORS by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 23, 1869

S. D. BAPTIST PASTORS.

By Editor

Our readers will recollect a note from Eld. N. V. Hull, which we published with remarks, under this head in REVIEW of March 2, 1869. On this the Sabbath Recorder of March 11, makes some comments, which we lay before our readers, that they may have the benefits of its statements. After quoting what appeared in the REVIEW, the Recorder says:—

“The foregoing, which we copy from the ADVENT REVIEW AND SABBATH HERALD of March 2, is liable to give a false impression, for the want of a careful use, or interpretation, of terms. The Seventh-day Baptist preacher who “supplies the pulpit” of the First-day Baptist church at Hopkinton City, does not act as a “pastor” of that church; he simply preaches for them on Sundays, and when they require strictly-pastoral work, such as administering the Lord’s Supper, a First-day Baptist preacher, who is in fellowship with the church, is called upon to administer.

“Eld. Hull is undoubtedly correct in his statement, that it has not been common for Sabbath-keeping ministers to take the “pastoral charge” of Sabbath-breaking churches, in this country. In England, however, the practice has been different. For instance, among the prominent preachers connected with our Sabbath-keeping churches in that country, were the four generations of Stennetts—Edward Stennett, his son Joseph Stennett, his grand son Joseph Stennett, D. D., and his great-grandson Samuel Stennett, D. D. The first two of these were pastors of Sabbath-keeping churches, and their connection with First-day Baptist churches was simply that of preachers, in which capacity their services were highly prized, although they declined to take the “pastoral charge” of such churches. The last two, however, appear to have taken the “pastoral charge” of the Little Wild Street Baptist church in London, making that their principal care, while they preached regularly on Sabbaths to a Sabbath-keeping church. Reference is made to this matter in the Seventh-day Baptist Manual, page 38, where, in speaking of the influences which have contributed to weaken the Sabbath-keeping churches of England, it is said: “From an early period it was the practice of Sabbatarian preachers, and pastors of churches observing the seventh-day, to accept also the pastoral care of churches observing the first-day—thus attempting at one time to serve two masters, and practically proclaiming a low estimate of the doctrine with which, as Sabbatarians, they were identified.”