Chapter 22—Education by Ministers and Church
Officers
Those who go forth as ministers have a solemn responsibility de-
volving upon them which is strangely neglected. Some enjoy preach-
ing, but they do not give personal labor to the churches. There is
great need of instruction concerning the obligations and duties to God,
especially in regard to paying an honest tithe. Our ministers would
feel sadly aggrieved if they were not promptly paid for their labor; but
will they consider that there must be meat in the treasure house of God
wherewith to sustain the laborers? If they fail to do their whole duty
in educating the people to be faithful in paying to God His own, there
will be a shortage of means in the treasury to carry forward the Lord’s
work.
The overseer of the flock of God should faithfully discharge his
duty. If he takes the position that because this is not pleasant to him,
he will leave it for someone else to do, he is not a faithful worker.
Let him read in Malachi the words of the Lord charging the people
with robbery toward God in withholding the tithes. The mighty God
declares, “Ye are cursed with a curse.”
Malachi 3:9
. When the one
who ministers in word and doctrine sees the people pursuing a course
that will bring this curse upon them, how can he neglect his duty to
give them instruction and warning? Every church member should be
taught to be faithful in paying an honest tithe.—
Testimonies for the
Church 9:250, 251
.
Instructing New Converts
A laborer should never leave some portion of the work undone be-
cause it is not agreeable to perform, thinking that the minister coming
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next will do it for him. When this is the case, if a second minister
follows the first, and presents the claims that God has upon His people,
some draw back, saying, “The minister who brought us the truth did
not mention these things.” And they become offended because of the
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