Wichita District Advocate from Wichita, Kansas • 4

WIOIIITA DISTRICT ADVOCATE. 4 SKEUtJiHa JIL'ilrict gulcoraie. J. D. BOTKIN, Editor.

Wichita. District, Southwest Kansas Conference. Henqnarters at 15. X. Main Wichita, Kansas.

J. D. BOTKIN, Presiding Elder. drawing the line between preachers and pastors thus constituting two specialties apparent in every denomination of Christians. Let me say here what perhaps I should have said sooner: viz.

that in any profession a man may be a specialist in a sense that is legitimate and then again he may be such in a sense that will be a violation of the very spirit of his profession. In the latter case he might be more appropriately called an empiric. For one to profess to know his own speciality perfectly and yet not possess a respectable degree of knowledge in other departments of his profession is the present quackery. Now in dividing the regular ministry into preachers and pastors, I do not wish to be understood as defending empiricism. Whichever may be ones specialty he must put forth a respectable degree of effort and reach fair results in the other.

But evidently there are those who possess a genius for preaching and in this department can attain to their highest excellence, while trying never so hard in pastoral work they can not to any great extent. With others exactly the reverse is true. Without preaching ability that is an average they move actively in the pastoral work and succeed admirably in advancing the interests of the Redeemers Kingdom. Since therefore we find in our work abundant opportunity for the best efforts of these specialists, it is well that they exist. Thus far we have constituted our specialties chiefly with reference to the methods pursued and the means employed.

The evangelists work differs most from that of the regular ministry in the methods pursued; the specialty of the preacher from that of the pastor in the means employed. Now with the privilege of pursuing all reasonable methods and employing all divinely appointed means we may again divide the workers and works into classes and kinds w'ith reference to the results obtained. Perhaps I may succeed better in being understood in this particular by speaking primarily of the specialists and only by implication of the specialties. And first let me speak of those who are known as revivalists persons whose specialty is to bring about what are commonly called in the church revivals. These men.

if they prosess unusual ability as preachers, make use of their talents, if extraordinary pastors, avail themselves of all the opportunities thus afforded and by uniting their efforts in these directions they advance the work in the line of their specialty. Great numbers are gathered into the church and many of the membership previously irregular in their lives are emotionally aroused and for a time at least they sing that stanza (loBg since dismissed from the Methodist Hymn Book) beginning: Never more will I stray from my Savior away But will follow the Lamb till I die, But when this work is done these specialists are done. They continue to preach and visit the sick and do various other routine duties but without any very definite object or results. They do not possess ability in other directions equal to that displayed in gathering in the unsaved, this is their specialty. Now some of us may feel inclined at times to criticise some of the method employed by these revivalists, and indeed it seems a necessity that we should feel thus not that we do it, but feel thus in order to fit us for our own specialty, or perhaps rather it is the indication of our fitness for that specialty.

For one who has no individuality of his own, but can join in a promiscuous shout here and there with this man and that, in the use of this methods and that, has nothing sufficiently positive in his nature to do very active work in any line. But withal let us be careful in condemning such brethern, lest we be touching Gods annointed and doing His prophets harm. By the division of the workers last referred to I find another class of specialtists that for the want of a better term I shall call drill-masters. These are they who have a peculiar fitness to get every soldier in to line, everv member to work. They have fair success in ingathering themselves or they succeed some other man who is noted for this and they immediately set about to-organize their forces for service.

Thev preach like the preacher aud they visit like-jastor just as the revivalist did with the-specific object however of keeping the-church active. While the former is seeking the lost they are seeking to hold the saved. They are men of activity and inventive-genius. They know the dicipline. They organize societies aid bands and lycenms.

They work all the appliances-of the church. They increase the collections and the lists for periodicals. Thus, they leave for their successor a live busy church, which nine chances out of ten he-wiil be unable to hold. Now these drill-masters may or may not have any success in gathering great numbers. They may or may not succeed directly in lifting any one into a higher experience, but by their ceaseless activity they prevent their membership, from rusting out.

This is their specialty. And there is abundant room for God has providentially made the opening and has so created and constituted the man that they fit in at the right time and place. Besides these there is another class ofi specialists still that may be appropriately called teachers. Their speciality is to-take the church as they find it and lead the people up and out and on into green fields and beside still waters of experience in the-religious life. They preach and sing, and visit and pray to this end.

They may occasionally have some ingathering if they do it is the result of teaching. But this is not their specialty. In their own line they are eminently successful. For their own-work they are credited. As some men are born to be leaders, these are born to be teachers, their peculiar mental constitutioa fits them for it.

They are not only born for-this work but called to it. Dr. Steele, the-author of Mile Stone papers and one of the saintliest men of our times, a man acknowledged piety by all who know says of himself, I have long since concluded that God never called me to be a mis-sionary but go about to strengthen the saints. Such men are close students of their mental nature and operations. They study much to see the relation of certain emotional states, their causes, their results.

They study faith metaphysically as well. as-theoretically. Then they study the real states of their-people and discover their real wants long, before the people are themselves aware of them. And learning thus what is wanted, by the hungry souIb that compose their congregations, they study how to bring, them to the light without offending them. Then above all they are close students-of the word, not so much as theologions, nor-critics but with the view of getting at the deep spiritual significance.

They wish to. reconcile satisfactorily to their own minds and the minds of those committed to their spiritual oversight the seeming contradictions in the Scriptures, for instances they read Thou will keep him in perfect peace-whoae mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in and then elsewhere they observe that it is taught expressly or by implication that this life is one of warfare. Here is perfect peace promised and on thee other hand, constant war declared. With them this must be settled as that each will be made striking Thus by this threefold course of study this specialist is fitted for his specialty. And for these teachers I may say (as of the other: classes mentioned), there is abundant demand.

Now I think that these three classes will comprise all the regular And in conclusion I want to urge upon both the church and the ministry the importance of being content with GodS order. Brethren of the church dont try to make all your ministers into the same mold. If you have a revivalist be therewith content, he is in Gods order. If a drill-master, he also has his place. And if.

a teacher, God has equipped and. appointed him. Remember God holds the reins over men and reasons, and in His own good time the one you need will come. Dont render the efforts of one futile by so great anxiety for the services of avenue and Iinc street, on the west side, wus built and dedicated less than a year ago under the pastoral caro of Rev. N.

A. lortcr, and was at that time connected with llaysville circuit, of which Rev. Porter was then pastor. There were then less than twelve members, and as that part of the city was only sparcely settled, and their public services and Sunday school were being held in the little frame Bchool house, the only school house on the west side at that time. Most of the membership doubted the propriety of building a church at all, till the demands of such an enterprise should become more manifested.

This is not astonishing when we remember that it was then thought by the majority of both sides of the river, that West Wichita would never become prominent and popular as a business or residence part of the city. There were a few, however, who caught the inspiration of a coming boom, not only for the east side, but the west side also. The church was accordingly built and the society began to take on its share of the growth and prosperity that came upon the city at large. One after another new and large improvements began to take shape, elaborate and expensive residences were seen rising up everywhere, immigration to the West side increased the size of the congregation, till it was clear that Dodge Avenue M. E.

Church was no longer an experiment but an important fact. At the last session of the Annual Conference, which met in March, at Winfield, it was thought best to form another City charge by adding to Dodge Avenue an en terprise in North Wichita, east of the river, where another church building seems necessary. Accordingly, W. J. Tull, a member of Illinois Confernce, was transferred by Bishop Andrews, and placed in charge.

The society seeing it was impossible to secure a house, proceded at once to erect a parsonage, which was completed a few weeks ago, and is now occupied by the pastor and his family. It is a neat, comfortable, one-story house, substantially built upon a strong stone foundation. A few days ago the friends and members of the church presented the pastor with an elegant horse and buggy, to be used by him in his pastoral work. It was a most excellent and appropriate and is highly appreciated by the pastor and his family. This society has received encouragement and help from the East side societies, viz: First Church aud Emporia Avenue.

Especially do they feel indebted to Rev. R. E. Guthrie, of the First M. E.

Church, and formerly an honored member of the Illinois Conference. So now it seems that this church has wonderful possibilities. While it has been taking on a growth and vigor, far surpassing the expectations of its membership, the responsibilities have also enlarged. There are hundreds coming into the city from all parts of the world and many of these are settling on the West side; some bring letters and some do not, and many others never go to church. All these need the attention of the pastor and people of Dodge Avenue Church.

The children of the incoming strangers ought to be in our Sunday schools, and have founded in their hearts aud minds, themes and purposes, that, in after years shall take shape in great and good deeds. No part of the city has a brighter outlook than the west si and no church has a brighter outlook than Dodge Avenue M. E. Church. Already the congregations almost completely fill the church, and increasing constantly every service; and with the great improvements that are already on the ground and more coming, the end of an aggressive church vigor in the midst of such brilliant opportunities can not be estimated.

SPECIALTIES IN THE MINISTRY. BY REV. 0. A. EBRIGHT.

Part II. Again the regular work of the ministry may be divided into two departments by LITTLE THINGS. Too many of us ignore the little things about us and the little forces in society. A spendthrift is one who does not consider the importance of pennies, nickles and dimes. We recently asked a young man how many cigars he smokes in a day, aDd he said: Not less than six, and they cost me ten cents apiece.

What is ten cents? says the thoughtless young man. We reply, ten cents six times a day for three hundred and sixty-live days amounts to $219, or enough to buy a good library or a team. For ten years it amounts to $2,190, or enough to buy a farm. Millions of dollars are thus being squandered each year in nickle and dime transactions in the senseless, sickening, dirty, detestable tobacco habit. Many men fail in the mercantile business simply because they do not look after the details of trade.

He is a saccessfull merchant who is as careful to consummate a five cent transaction with a profit as one that involves fifty dollars. Men have become profound scholars by snatching spare miu-utes for study now and then from passing hours, while others equally well endowed by nature, losing sight of the value of minutes and even hours, refuse to study because days and weeks are not at their command, and so live and die in ignorance. He is a well developed, symmetrical Christian who is suitably impressed and properly influenced by the fact that human life and charaoter and duty are made up of little things. No man who claims to be a Christian would think of buying or selling a farm or a store on the Sabbath; but some do buy and sell cigars, candies and other small bills of goods on Gods holy day and thu3 as certainly violute the Sabbath law as if they bought or sold a railroad on that day. You will hardly find a professing Christian who would purposely destroy the good name of a brother at a single stroke, or set in motion those influences that wToul(l engulf him in speedy moral ruin; but some there are who will thoughtlessly drop a word or give the significant nod that may in time produce these results.

Whether therefore the work is accomplished suddenly by one fell swoop of defamation, or slowly and by detail through the ordinary law of slanderous insinuation, God who numbers our hairs and notes the sparrows fall brands the perpetrator as a murderer of character. The law of little things applies to the work of the minister. He may be a great preacher, an untiring pastoral visitor and a wise manager of the important enterprises of the church, and yet fail in soul winning and character building the two essential objects of the Gospel ministry. It is one thing to preach a great sermon so that all classes will hang entranced upon your lips, and it is quite another thing to understand and know how to meet the varied and multitudinous wants and aches of each individual member of your congregation to be touched with the feelings of the infirmities of humanity about you. Some preachers need to come down from their great tasks and learn to perform the little services that Sweeten individual lives and that enter into the formation of individual character.

There are a thousand little agencies lying about us, perhaps unobserved, that properly touched, would become as potent as the silent forces of nature. The successful minister is he who studies each man, woman and child under his care, and seeks by the methods best adapted to each individual case, to win that soul and develop that character. He who in his personal or ministerial life looks carefully after the little things can not fail of success. DODGE AVENUE M. E.

CHURCH, WICHITA. This is a new enterprise in Wichita Methodism. The church, at the corner of Dodge.