The Minister's Relation to Denominational Policies

In the work of God on earth it has been divinely appointed that the min­istry shall set the pace for what the church has to do. Since the days of Moses this appears to have been the divine order; for the priest and min­ister are God's spokesmen, and are to receive their messages from the Lord. And it is equally true that the ambassador from heaven is not to have anything to do with matters of which the Lord has not approved, and which are designed alone by men. This was keenly sensed at the Spring Council which has just been held.

The minister is God's man to lead His people into fields of endeavor in building up the church on earth. The minister is responsible for the flock; he is the shepherd of the sheep, the servant of the Most High; and he must account for his stewardship and influence in building the church upon the sure foundation Christ Jesus. Not only in matters of faith and true doctrine is the minister to lead the flock of God, but also in service; so that each member of the church will unite in efforts with all other members, that unity and co-operation may be maintained. The church is to grow and increase its membership, carrying the gos­pel to all parts of the world. The command, "Go ye, therefore, and 'take Christians of all nations," is to be obeyed by the church as well as by the ministry; but the minister is to lead and direct the activities of the church, that there may be healthful growth during adver­sity as well as during prosperity.

In every religious denomination there must be a head, recognized by all as the highest authority under God in the church. As Sev­enth-day Adventists we have made this head the General Conference, which exercises au­thority in two ways: first, when delegates from all the world are in session, and enact legisla­tion, which then becomes the policy of the church in all the world; second, the Executive Committee, which acts for the General Con­ference between sessions under limitations called a Constitution and By-Laws. The actions of the Executive Committee are authoritative, and are as much church policy as the actions of the General Conference when in session, provided these actions are within the limits of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Gen­eral Conference.

Each church is a part of the General Confer­ence, just as each member of the church is a part of the church. In all church activities the minister is a representative of the General Conference policies, whether he is serving as pastor, evangelist, conference official, or in any other capacity. Therefore in our organization the minister represents the whole work wher­ever he may serve. He cannot say that he is merely to preach a sermon when the time ar­rives; he represents all phases of the work, stands for all departments, and is a leader in all church activities.

Departments are organized by the General Conference to help promote the cause in dif­ferent lines; but each department secretary is in duty bound to promote all branches of the work and to lend his influence to building up the work of the church in all phases while he acts as a special promoter of his particular de­partment. The minister is therefore a repre­sentative of every branch of the work. He represents the church, every department of the church, and all that the church is to do. To illustrate: It is not the business of the Sabbath School Department, as such, to look after the attendance at Sabbath school of each church member; but it is the duty of the minister to see that each church member attends the Sab­bath school and gets the benefit of the Bible study carried on by the church through the Sab­bath school. Thus it is in every department of church activity—the minister is the sponsor, the representative, of all the interests and ac­tivities of the church. This does not mean that he is to head up and directly administer each separate organization; rather he is to help organize the different departments of service, and encourage all to interest themselves in what is to be done.

Then, too, the minister is to be the trainer of men and women for service. He holds train­ing schools for separate branches of the work, showing each member just how he can serve well in the work that the member desires to enter. He counsels with the members as to how they can serve, and what particular work they can best do. He knows the membership, and is acquainted with the capacity of each member, so he advises and trains the membership for service, keeping in mind that each is to help the other.

There are times when it seems wise for the church to undertake special lines of service to meet a crisis such as we now face econom­ically, or to start an advance, or to accomplish a definite task. The minister is to lead in all such special movements and to organize his work so that each member of the church will do his part faithfully. He is the captain of the church activities, with lieutenants and ser­geants under him, to act promptly and effi­ciently. This must be sensed at the present hour.

The policies recommended by the conference leaders become his policies, and he is the man on whom the conference officials depend to make any plan effective in the section or church where he may be located. Thus the minister should always be a leader and organizer, and help the church to participate in all plans, usual or emergency, that may be necessary to advance the work of God.

Since the minister is responsible for the ac­tivities of the church or churches where he is working, he will ever welcome other men in council, and make way for secretaries of departments to assist him in promoting the work which the secretary may represent. The secretary cannot do the minister's work, for the secretary represents the entire field, while the minister represents a local church or churches.

But the secretary or visiting minister can greatly help the local pastor in bringing his membership to fulfill their entire task in any service under promotion at any special time.

It is the privilege of every minister to see that the church membership are faithful in tithe paying, Sabbath school attendance and offerings, Harvest Ingathering, and all other offerings which make possible the support of missions. A church will almost always follow the lead and example set by the minister. If he is faithful in his many duties, so will be the church. When the minister is indifferent, the church will lag behind. If the minister pays tithe and preaches tithing, the church will be faithful in tithe paying; if the minister attends Sabbath school, so will the church membership; if the minister supports every offering, so will the church. In fact, the church in its activities will be gauged by the minister and his activities. If you know well the min­ister, you may know the church. One is like the other. "Like people, like priest" is as true today as when Hosea wrote the• words.

The ministry constitutes the true key to the present situation in the church. To know the ministry is to know the church. One minister stated at the recent Spring Council that he knew personally one section of fifteen churches that do not pay tithe, nor do they give liberally to mission funds. Where lies the fault?—In the ministry that raised up those churches. New England has ever borne the marks of those men who, early in our church history, laid the foundation of our work in that area. From the first the New England folk have led in liberalities in our work.

Much depends upon the ministry in these trying days. Their responsibilities are stagger­ing to human wisdom, and can be successfully met only by the utmost consecration and a firm reliance on divine help. Loyalty is to be our watchword today. It is today the minister's privilege to say, with Paul, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

I. H. E.