A)
Thursday, March 1, 1917.
RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE
THAT AXXrATi SKKMOX OX THE
MINISTRY.
The need for more preachers and
lor stronger preachers is felt in all
ie Churches. Two of the methods
bv which our Church seeks to co-.
operate with the Spirit of God in
( ailing men into the ministry is to
observe annually Vocation Day in all
our Sunday-schools and to require a
sermon once a year in every pulpit
on the Claims of the Christian Min
istry. Our Sunday-school authorities
have moved up the date of Vocation
day this year from the fourth Sun
day in September to the Sunday be
fore Easter, viz., April 1st, ami it is
to be observed in connection with
Decision Day.
The object of this notice is to re
quest that the day be properly em
phasized in all our Sunday-schools
and to suggest that this will be an
appropriate time to preach the an
nual sermon on the Claims of the
Christian Ministry. May we not
have a ringing call on this subject
from every pulpit in Southern Meth
odism? If Saul is hid among the
stuff, let us find and summon him
to his kingdom under divine guid
ance Civilization crumbles without
the Church and the Church lan
guishes without strong leadership.
Whnn did the world ever neel
worse than today an able and conse
crated ministry? We must all help
call the leaders of tomorrow.
The Department of Ministerial
Fuppl.v and Training, Atlanta, Ga.,
will send literature nn tho miniotrv
M lllltUtl J
free to all pastors who write for it.
R. H. BENNETT.
'RESOLUTIONS
Your committee appointed to
make some definite statement in re
gard to the duty of the pastor to the
unsaved, realizes that it is impos
sible to work out any hard and fast
system that will apply alike to all
charges. But we submit the follow
ing suggestions which we sincerely
trust may help at. least in some
measure.
First; we must be deeply con
scious of the fact that the one pur
pose of the Church and the ministry
of the Church is to lead the unsaved
to a knowledge of Christ as a sin
pardoning and personal Savior. No
matter how proficient and how well-
I equipped the minister may be other
wise, 11 lie tails at this vital point,
in so far as the mission of Christ is
concerned, his ministry is a total
and tragic failure.
ihe minister must, have
abiding, passionate love for the
sls of men. Love is the only suffi
cient torce to hold t.liA ministrv
tead v in this work. This love
nit1 come into his heart from God,
nrough Christ, by the agency cf the
,1()1.V Spirit. Christ. mir T.nrrl
Jtated most clearly and emphatical-
mat it was the love of the father
,llat brought Him into t7ifi unrlrl ami
"npellofi Him to lay down His life
11,1 otners.
T,J order to sustain a love of this
Mnfl. it will be
. . . jr iwi lilt.
minister to snpnf o n0f
U- i'w. u, t,i cat ituil Ul
. 4 me m earnest, importunate, inter
O t'V pra'er- We cannot love
W ' We Rhould without praying
ui in. as a means of help to
r ,. we would suggest the
llng of dovnti
fo'Olllll c, . "
V -must iurther that the pas
make the Wednesday evening
or service a sort of spiritual
namo or heatmg plant from which
, na'l radiate warmth for th nn-
ihnnf i. '"""iijersnip. uatiierin
f ,m"- him n ... ,
ijlp . - ""m ui men ana wo
r n who lovo God and their fellow-
Win l!," nj0V PraVin" '1
iwn l . ' 110 may kecn ,lis
10;irt on fire and do much to
keep up the spiritual temneraturo of
his Church.
In addition to this, it will be nec
essary to discover as many points of
contact between himself and the un
saved as possible. No pastor can do
all the work or even a large part of
it without the assistance of his
Church. The Church is his working
force and he must know how to or
ganize it to the very best advantage
in order to get results. We would
suggest a central committee of
something like twenty persons, so
selected as to have one in each sec
tion of town or the city. Every or
ganization of the Church should be
represented in the committee, so
that there will be no friction or
crossing of organizations. Then or
ganize a sub-committee in each sec
tion with the member of the central
committee in that part of the city
as chairman of the sub-committee.
By operating this method the minis
ter can keep in direct touch with his
entire membership at all times.
This will relieve him of a consid
erable amount of routine work and
tiius make it possible fr him to ex
pend his energy at the points where
he can make his work count for the
most in bringing the unsaved to
Christ. By using this plan, the en
tire Church membership can be visit
ed in a day any time that it is nec
essary. By modifying this plan, it
can be suited to the needs of any
charge in our Conference.
J. H. BUFFALOE,
S. E. MERCER,
E. B. CRAVEN
WASHINGTON I ) I STRICT.
In response to a call of the Pre
siding Elder, Rev. C. L. Read, the
preachers of the Washington Dis
trict met in Washington on the sev
enth and eighth of February for a
Conference. Fifteen of those as
signed to work in the district were
present for one or more of the ses
sions. It was a pleasure to have
with us Brother C. C. Brothers, one
of the superannuate members of
our Conference. It is doubtless
true that every one present enjoyed
both his prayer and testimony.
The opening session of the Con
ference was held on Wednesday
night, at which time Rev. W. A.
Stanbury, of Wilson, preached' to
us.
The morning and afternoon ses
sions were held in the district par
sonage. After devotional exercises
conducted by the presiding elder the
meeting was opened to testimonies
and brief reports from the charges
represented. The remainder of the
morning session and the afternoon
session were given to informal dis
cussions of questions pertaining to
the life and work of pastor and peo
ple. It was the sense of the meeting:
1. That we plan longer periods dur
ing which our revival meetings are
to continue, i. e., the individual
meeting, and that due emphasis be
placed upon sound conversion.
2. That we emphasize also the
great fundamentals of our faith:
sin, repentance, and faith.
3. That we endeavor to stimulate
and cultivate a higher order of reli
gious experience and life among our
people.
4. That we re-emphasize the po
sition of our Church and our gospel
with reference to worldliness.
5. That we endeavor to establish
the work of the Epworth League in
our district and offer it as a counter
attraction to our young people.
G. That we familiarize ourselves
with our Church schools, their mer
its and comparative values, to the
end that we may properly represent
them to our people.
7. That we endeavor to get our
full quota of new subscriDtions to
the Advocate by March 1.
S. That we should pray for each
other during the year.
The evening service was opened
with a love feast, which was con
ducted by Rev. S. T. Moyle, of
Farmville. At the conclusion of
this service our presiding elder
gave a brief report of the progress
of the work on the district during
the past year. Rev. R. C. Craven,
of Rocky Mount, then preached for
us and our Conference came to a
close.
It was with regret that we said
good-bye to our hosts and hostesses
on the morning following because
we were sure that we had been roy
ally entertained. As we turned our
faces toward our respective fields
of labor it was with the feeling
that it was well that we had come
personally and for a larger ser
vice in the Kingdom.
METHODISM IN LUMBERTOX.
If you will allow a man of an
other creed space in your paper, I
wish to give a few impressions of
the Methodism of Lumberton as
gained by a. casual observer during
a recent visit there. While we are
not so awfully old, yet we remember
the day when these devout followers
of Wesley who resided in Lumberton
worshiped in an old wooden build
ing, but that day has passed, no
longer are they ministered to by
the faithful circuit rider. But Meth
odism has kept abreast with the
times and today Lumberton Metho
dists have as their Church home one
of the most handsome brick buildings
in North Carolina. They have a
stationed preacher, Rev. W. B.
North, D.D., with a modern home,
the property of the Church. Dr.
North is a preacher of recognized
ability, an eminent theologian, a
zealous worker, a fearless preacher,
who rightly divides unto his flock
the Word of God.
The Sunday-school of Chestnut
Street M. E. Church, is an eye opener
here. The youth, the hope of the
next generation, are being instructed
and trained for the higher life. Not
only are the youth found here, but
the elder ones, too. None are pres
ent by proxy. All are present. It
is the whole Church studying to
gether the Word of God.
Mr. K. M. Barnes, Cashier of the
Planters' Bank and Trust Company,
is superintendent of this Sunday
school, and he is a live wire in Sunday-school
work. Under his ad
ministration the school has made
rapid strides along all lines. Lum
berton Methodism in Lumberton is
championed by some of the leading
men of Lumberton and Robeson
County. Among them we find A. E.
White, Lumberton's popular and ef
ficient mayor, J. A. Sharpe, editor
and proprietor of "the Robesonian",
the best weekly or semi-weekly pe
riodical published in North Carolina.
C. B. Townsend, President Planters'
Bank and Trust Company, II. E.
Stacy, prominent attorney, C. V.
Brown, Cashier of the National Bank
of Lumberton, the oldest banking in
stitution in Robeson, R. E. Lewis,
the present popular sheriff of the
County of Robeson, J. R. Poole, Su
perintendent of Public Instruction,
C. M. Fuller, the original horse and
mule king, and most popular live
stock dealer in this section of North
Carolina, G. M. Whitfield, whole
sale grocer and commission mer
chant, W. II. Humphry, ex-Clerk of
Superior Court, J. H. Floyd, owner
and proprietor of the Lumberton
Marble Works. With such a noble
band of consecrated Christian men,
whose first interest is the business
of their Kind, no modern prophet
Page Seven
can foretell the future of Method
ism in this section of the North Caro
lina Conference.
The first Sunday in March this
house will be formally dedicated to
God. Bishop Kilgo will preach the
dedication sermon. When we see the
achievements of this faithful band,
and view their great accomplish
ments as a member of another
creed, we can only say in the words
of another, "Oh, God, to us may
grace be given to follow in their
train."
FRED BROWNE.
JONES CIRCUIT.
We have for the past two days had
the pleasure of having Brother Hur
ley with us. Our Sunday School Con
ference was held Saturday and fairly
well attened. Brother Hurley's
earnest way of putting things surely
will bring a harvest.
The stewards raised the pastor's
salary one hundred dollars. Now,
if any one thinks our people of Jones
are going to be satisfied with any
thing less than a place among those
in the front rank, they are mistaken.
Listen again, the following breth
ren have recently remembered us in
a substantial (smoke house) way:
Jack Pearce, Major Craven Frank
Foy, Jonah Foy, Sheriff HargoH,
Will Dail, John Marquette, Joe Mooro
and the Meadows family. We not
only appreciate the gilts, but the
feelings that brought this giving.
May God bless the givers.
Brother Hurley preached three
times for us Sunday, and our people
appreciated it. They will anxiously
&wait his return trip, and he may
count on a full house to welcome
him.
May God bless our many friends
whom we have served and are serv
ing today.
C T. ROGERS.
It is not something we don't have
that the Lord demands of us, but
that we use what we have. Rev.
L. K. Smith.
"God sometimes tests our faith by
His delays. Oftcner, perhaps, Tie
rebukes our unbelief by answering
before we call."
THE PIANO OF SWEETEST TONE.
What makes it? What does it
cost? Where and how can it be ob
tained? All of these important questions
are answered, to the perfect satis
faction of those who have tried it,
by the catalogue of the Raleigh
Christian Advocate Piano Club.
For nearly half a century Ludden
& Bates, the Managers of the Club,
and one of the oldest, largest and
most reliable piano houses in the
country, have been studying the
problem of how to secure for their
patrons "The piano of sweetest tone"
at the lowest possible price. The
Club is their solution to this prob
lem, and you are cordially invited
to make it your solution by becom
ing a member of the Club. In plac
ing your order through the Club you
assume no obligation except for your
own purchase and yet you profit by
the combined purchasing power of
an army of one hundred buyers, thus
securing a much lower price than
if you acted alone. You will enjoy
many other advantages and conven
iences such as easy terms of payment
and perfect protection as to the
quality and durability of your piano.
Write for your copy of the Club
catalogue today. Address the Man
agers, Ludden & Bates, Raleigh
Christian Advocate Piano Club Dept.,
Atlanta, Ga.