Why not send Bible instructors to the Seminary. The conferences send their ministers, and if they have a capable church school teacher, they send her to summer school to increase her efficiency. The church school teacher deals with the minds of children, who have no distinct prejudice against learning the things she teaches, whereas the Bible instructor must deal with mature minds, intellectual minds, stagnant minds, and oftentimes, prejudiced minds. Her work, just as the teacher's and the minister's, is a work for eternity. So why not do everything possible to help her become more efficient in her task of dealing with souls?
To present the message publicly is the task of the minister, but here the work is only begun. The real work, that of getting the decision, must be done in the home. In the following quotation we see the importance of the Bible instructor's work in connection with that of the ministry.
"Of equal importance with special public efforts, is house-to-house work in the homes of the people. As the result of the presentation of truth in large congregations, a spirit of inquiry is awakened ; and it is specially important that this interest be followed up by personal labor."—Review and Herald, Feb. 21, 1907.
More than once I have heard an evangelist say that the success of his labors was largely due to the work of the Bible instructor. On the other hand, I am sure that no Bible instructor would want to carry on her task apart from public ministry. This is as it should be. Although the Bible instructor cannot do the personal work which the minister should do, neither can he do all the personal work that should be done. His efforts will not be successful without personal work in connection with the public presentation of truth. Therefore, does not this condition speak eloquently of the need of more Bible instructors ? Yes, and it also calls for more efficient Bible instructors, and one of the best places to learn efficiency is at the Theological Seminary.
You may say, "Our Bible instructors were trained in Seventh-day Adventist schools, and they have a good background of knowledge. They can meet all the questions that arise, so why send them to the Seminary?" Yes, they were trained in Seventh-day Adventist schools. Our ministers were, too, were they not? But do they not feel the need of keeping themselves up to date? We all feel the need of renewing and reviving our fund of knowledge with new thoughts, new illustrations, new material, new methods. The Bible instructor constantly has to meet strange beliefs and the same old arguments against the truth that the minister has to answer, and it is even more difficult for her, for she meets them in the homes, where there is more opportunity for the people to ask questions. She must be able to answer and clearly refute all arguments and isms, so as to build confidence in the message preached from the pulpit.
The argument that the minister should be sent to the Seminary is also true, in the same proportion, for the Bible instructor. If she does not have the background of education in our own schools, then surely she is due the privilege of studying under godly instructors the truths she is to present.
Thus will she acquire that wider, broader view of the message which one needs in order to teach it to others. She needs that background of denominational history and interpretation which one does not easily pick up by himself, and which is most readily obtained in association and study in our schools. The denomination would scarcely think of permitting a man to enter the ministry as a regular minister without some background of training or experience, but our conference will often take women on as Bible instructors, not seeming to realize that they need training.
This training cannot be gained in the spare time allotted to the Bible instructor for her private devotions. It takes that widening, broadening experience that comes only as one discusses these things with others, guided wisely in group study by an instructor who thoroughly knows the facts of the subject. We do not expect interested people to study all the points of this message for themselves ; nor do we expect our preachers to prepare themselves for the ministry by their own private studies. Neither should we expect as much of the Bible instructor.
Native ability and consecration are essentials for the instructor, but this is not enough. She must have, along with her zeal to win souls, a fund of knowledge and a background of training that will enable her to go about her work in a way that will bring results. She is not to be merely a bell ringer. She is to deal with .the souls that the minister hopes to baptize at the close of his effort,
"The manner in which the truth is presented often has much to do in determining whether it will be accepted, or rejected. All who labor in the great cause of reform should study to become efficient workmen, that they may accomplish the greatest possible amount of good, and not detract from the force of the truth by their own deficiencies."—Gospel Workers, pp. 90, 91.
When we think of the work of the Bible instructor in this light, and recognize its true importance to the success of the ministry, we shall put forth a :greater effort not only to prepare the instructor for her work, but to help her keep abreast of the times and trends by giving her every opportunity afforded the ministry. This will not only make for greater efficiency but be a source of encouragement to those capable young women who should be entering this field of service.
