The Gospel Ministry-No. 5 by Arthur G. Daniells

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Aug 17, 1911

The Gospel Ministry—No. 5

By Arthur G. Daniells

(A synopsis of Bible studies given at the Philadelphia ministerial institute.)

By what should a minister be governed in selecting a city, town, or rural district in which to labor?

First, he should take into account the calls that may come. We have an illustration of this in the experience of the apostle Paul. On one occasion when he was endeavoring to go into the interior of Asia, he was prevented from going, and while in perplexity as to what he should do, a call for his services came from another place. Acts 16:6-10. The minister should as earnestly inquire of the Lord regarding his place of labor as he does regarding the message he delivers.

As far as possible, we should push into localities where the message has never been preached. We should not hang around the camp-fires too closely. We should avoid, as much as possible, building on the foundations of others. We all like the courageous, aggressive spirit of the apostle Paul. He says:—

“I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation: but as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.” Rom. 15:17-21.

This should be the program of those who are called to give the third angel's message to all the world in this generation.

In selecting a field a minister should take into account his qualifications as regards age, experience, ability, etc. There are places where many young preachers would not be qualified to work. As a rule, they should not be assigned to our old, experienced churches or to large cities, where the people are accustomed to hear able, experienced men. The young minister should seek the rural districts and the small towns. There he will be appreciated, and his efforts will have influence with the people. In the early days of our cause, when we did not work so much in the cities, our young men got their first experience in country schoolhouses, or in tent work in small towns. I believe that some of our young brethren are really hurt by being allowed to go into some of these larger places, and advertise themselves as evangelists from some prominent city. This leads the people to look for some able, experienced, public speaker, and to be disappointed when they see that the evangelist is a young inexperienced man. We should use great discretion in this matter of locating our young men. Again, some ministers have not the same kind of ability for public effort that other men have, and in some places they would not be appreciated. I do not believe we ought to put such men in these hard places where they will have to work against such great difficulties. We should place them where they will be able to work along the lines of least resistance for effectual service.

When we have selected our town, city, or country district, we must give heed to even smaller details; for instance, the hall in which we are to work. We should be careful to secure the best hall we can afford, situated in the best place possible. I do not mean by this that we should at all hazards rent the best halls in our cities; but we should secure the best we can manage. The results of our work will be influenced very largely by our location in a city, the purpose for which the hall is generally used, its surroundings, etc.

If the meetings are to be conducted in a tent instead of a hall, we should study just as carefully the location of the tent, and secure as good a spot as we can in the town. In the larger cities, we sometimes have great difficulty in securing a suitable location. It is not a matter of choice, oftentimes, but a matter of getting any place at all on which to pitch our tent. But the majority of our ministers are located in the States where it is not so difficult, and my counsel is, Secure the best place you can afford, in a clean, tidy neighborhood; and if possible, locate in the direction in which people usually go to public services. We should be careful, however, not to pitch our tent under the shadow of a church. I think it does not look well to do that. Endeavor to locate your tent far enough from any church building so that you will not in any way disturb the services, and where it will not appear as if you were crowding yourself in for the purpose of taking another minister's congregation. If it is absolutely necessary to pitch your tent in the immediate vicinity of a church, I would advise that you go to the pastor of the church and explain the situation, expressing regret for having to locate there.

It is better to pay a little more, and secure a good lot, than to choose a poor location simply for economy. There are many towns in which we have to pay nothing for a lot, but there are other places where we have to pay a good price for a suitable place. The cause of God deserves the best.

Preparation

First, see that the hall or schoolhouse is put in proper condition for a religious service. If possible, have a few nice plants or ferns on the stand. Put up some attractive, appropriate mottoes. See that the building is well lighted and well ventilated. All this preparation is essential. It is a duty to look after the minutest details, and see that they are all properly attended to.

When it comes to the matter of a tent, I would say, Have a good tent, good, comfortable seats, and good lights. It makes a great difference whether a tent is well lighted and cheery, or whether it is so dingy that people have to sit in semidarkness. And then, too, the very energy, and care, and thought that we put into these matters, make us more energetic and wide-awake in the preaching.

The ground around the tent should be cleared of all weeds, stones, briers, etc., so it will be a spot where the Lord can meet with the people.

Another very important thing is good music and plenty of hymn-books. It is good to get a congregation to singing. A great deal of the success of Mr. Sankey's work in revival meetings with Mr. Moody, was due to the fact that he got the people to join in the singing. In olden times the Lord had his people give much attention to singing in the sanctuary and temple service.

Securing and Holding an Audience

We must let the people know we are among them, and why we are there. Hence we must announce our meetings. There are several ways in which this may be done:—

First, through the public press; second, by invitation cards; third, by bulletin-boards; fourth, by our public efforts.

In the matter of advertising, we must be governed by the conditions prevailing where we are at work. In some places the paper seems of little value, and the invitation card is everything; in other places the invitation card is almost useless, and the paper is the thing.

In the case of the invitation card, it should be distributed by the minister and his coworker, rather than by boys who are hired for that purpose. There are places and conditions where it would not be best for the minister himself to distribute the cards.

Another point is this: Make the services very interesting and impressive. We

may spend large sums of money advertising, and put forth great efforts in making preparation; we may get everything in good order, and secure an audience, and then spoil it all after the people get there. Here is the point that we should give more study to than any other one in the matter of securing and holding an audience: We must study to make the service what it ought to be. Make it bright, cheerful, and impressive. Then when the people are impressed, they will do more and better advertising than we can possibly do. Even though the audience may be small, the sermon should be just as bright, cheerful, uplifting, and powerful as though hundreds were present. The way to get a large audience is to make the meetings good for the few who attend.

How can the services be made attractive?—First, give the people a cheerful welcome when they come. Of course, we must be governed by conditions in this matter. In some places the people come late, and it is difficult for the minister to do this. But in places where the people come early, the minister should be at the door to welcome them. All preparations for the service should be looked after before time for the people to arrive.

Another thing which is a great help in making a service cheerful is a song service of fifteen minutes before the meeting opens. If the minister is not so fortunate as to have an organist and a choir, he should endeavor to draw them from his congregation. Singing is a most important part of the service, and it should be well managed.

A. G. DANIELLS.