one chief function of a pastor is to develop and utilize the spiritual, mental, and social forces of the church. there is in every congregation much latent force, which needs to be developed, alike for the growth and usefulness of those who possess it and for the results it might secure for the church and the world. the minister is, in this respect, a general to whom troops are entrusted; his work is to train and organize and lead. the troops are to fight: he is to inspire and direct the battle. some hardworking pastors take on themselves burdens which it were far better to lay on the people—better for the pastor, in leaving him free for other work, and better for the members, in calling out their gifts. indeed, one of the strongest bonds which bind a church together is the consciousness of being mutual workers, each having a post of duty and [p. 103] a share of responsibility. no member should be left in a purely receptive attitude—a mere attendant and listener—but each should have a place and a work assigned him. that church attains the truest and highest growth in which every member is a worker under the stimulus of a consciousness of responsibility and of a useful sphere of activity. much of the imperfection of church-life is due either to the fact that this latent force is undeveloped, or, if developed, is misdirected. here i suggest:
1. a pastor should carefully study his people with the view of ascertaining and utilizing their special aptitudes and gifts. the prayer-room, the sunday-school, the teachers’ meeting, and the pastoral visit all afford constant opportunities for this. one may show aptitude for teaching and may be entrusted with a sunday-school class. another has the weight of character and the tact of leadership which fit him for conducting a neighborhood prayer-meeting. another has the solid judgment and clear discernment of character which will make him useful on a committee of discipline or finance. another, though possibly not marked in exhortation or prayer, may have social qualities such as admirably qualify him for managing the details and arrangements of the social gatherings of the congregation. a pastor who will constantly act on the motto, a place and a work for every member, and will press this motto on those who conduct the different departments of work in his church, will soon find himself at the head of an active, living, and ordinarily happy people while yet he is not personally overburdened with the details of church-work. in some instances of eminent pastoral success, the chief secret has been in this power of developing and utilizing the gifts of the church.
2. the organization of associations within the congregation for different departments of work is another means [p. 104] of developing and utilizing the spiritual forces in the church. i have spoken in another place of literary and missionary organizations, but i may here add that an association for christian work composed of young men in a church, and a similar one for young ladies, may often prove of great value—the one to act among young men, to attract and hold them to the church; the other for like service among young women. to such associations might be entrusted also mission sunday-schools and distinct spheres of missionary effort. in a large congregation it is often desirable to organize committees for the care of the sick and the poor, and the visitation of strangers needing to be invited and welcomed to the congregation, and of erring and sinning ones needing to be won back to holiness and the church of god. in most places it is useful to have committees for the general visitation of the field occupied by the church, each committee being entrusted with a distinct district in it and made responsible for its cultivation. in neighborhoods remote from the church much good is often secured in local prayer-meetings placed under the supervision of some judicious person. a thoughtful pastor, thoroughly supervising his field, will find constant work, and manifold forms of it, in which he can utilize either individuals or organizations in his church; and in doing this there is a double blessing—that which comes to the workers, in making them larger and happier christians, and that which comes to those for whom they labor. two things, however, are here to be observed: (1.) organizations should not be so multiplied as to conflict with the general meetings of the church or with each other. each should subordinate its arrangements to those of the church, and each should have its own separate, distinctly-marked sphere. (2.) they should be kept under the pastor’s supervision and subject to [p. 105] his guidance. it will be readily seen that this supposes care and tact on the part of the minister.
3. it is important that in this development of the forces in a church the pastor should mark those cases among the young in which special promise of intellectual ability appears and should inspire and direct them toward a higher education. intellect is a gift of god: it is criminal to leave it undeveloped. be thoroughly alive to this fact and impress it on the people. you will see young men and young women in your congregation who might, with adequate intellectual culture, occupy positions of power in life, and carrying into those positions a christian character as well as a cultivated intellect might exert a wide and beneficent influence for christ in the world. it seems to me one of the highest duties of a pastor to foster in such minds a desire and purpose for an education, and to facilitate in every possible way the attainment of that end. he should perpetually stimulate the people to a larger and higher intelligence, and never be satisfied unless numbers of the youth of his church are in higher institutions of learning. a failure to develop his people intellectually is a discredit to any minister.
4. another important end to be secured is the development of ministerial gifts. the prayer-meeting, the sunday-school, and the general work of the church will commonly, but not always, make these manifest. sometimes a very diffident young man may possess them, but only encouragement will develop them. a pastor should be on the watch and should take occasion to call out the latent power. a few kindly words of encouragement have often developed a man of ultimately wide usefulness. besides this class, there is much talent in the church that could be utilized in lay-preaching, where men of good speaking and spiritual knowledge, without relinquishing [p. 106] business pursuits, might be employed at destitute points to proclaim the gospel. a pastor’s care is needed in seeking out and setting at work these gifts for lay-preaching, and thus multiplying the agencies for evangelization around him.
