p. 243, para. 1 | Untitled article

Untitled article

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, October 1, 1867.

In most of our modern churches, especially the more fashionable ones, about three-fourths of the members are honorary members. They seem to have no voice in any of the proceedings. They don’t attend prayer-meeting or Sabbath School, and feel under no obligations to be present at any religious service, except on fair days, and then as mere spectators. They don’t add life, or infuse love into the church—they are the honorary members. They are passengers in the Gospel ship; others may do crew-work, and watch for breakers, and guide the vessel, and ply the machinery. These honorary members bear no burdens, put forth no strength. Their names are on the register. They occupy the best rooms, and expect extra attentions, because they are honorary members. Ten thousand such names and presences in a church are forceless in the work of the evangelization of the world. The church is made weak by its over-polite attentions to the tastes and comforts of its honorary members.