132
Pastoral Ministry
Conduct a Bible class in connection with evangelistic meet-
ings—There is danger of passing too rapidly from point to point. Give
short lessons, and often. Your work is not only to preach, but to min-
ister. Personal effort for families and individuals should comprise a
large share of your labors. After you have opened to the people the
precious mines of truth, there is yet a great work to be done for those
who have become interested in the subjects presented. After a short
discourse, change the order of the exercises, and give opportunity for
all who desire it, to remain for an after-interview, or Bible class, where
they can ask questions upon subjects that trouble them. You will find
great success in coming close to the people in these Bible lessons. The
workers who labor in connection with the minister should make special
efforts patiently and kindly to lead inquirers to an understanding of the
truth. If you have not more than one to instruct, that one, thoroughly
convinced, will communicate the light to others. These testing truths
are of so great importance that they may be presented again and again,
and impressed upon the minds of the hearers. The decisions men reach
in regard to these things mean everything to them.—SpT-A7, 7.
Securing Interests
Do not leave until interests have decided, been baptized, and
gotten into a church—For years light has been given upon this point,
showing the necessity of following up an interest that has been raised,
and in no case leaving it until all have decided that lean toward the
truth and have experienced the conversion necessary for baptism and
united with some church or formed one themselves. There are no cir-
cumstances of sufficient importance to call a minister from an interest
created by the presentation of truth. Even sickness and death are of
less consequence than the salvation of souls for whom Christ made so
immense a sacrifice.—
Testimonies for the Church 2:540
.
[129]
Be a lamplighter, not just a torchbearer—In the place of having
one mammoth camp meeting, have several small camp meetings. And
when companies are raised up in the places where these meetings are
held, let a place of worship be built for them. We cannot do otherwise
here, so that labor shall not be lost. To do otherwise is too much
like carrying a torch through a district in the night. The places where
the torchbearer goes are light, but there are not many tapers kindled