Relationships Within the Church
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the minister’s neglect should not dishearten you and lead you to excuse
yourselves for neglecting duty. There is the more need of energy and
fidelity on your part.—
Testimonies for the Church 5:281
.
Great care should be exercised in the selection of conference
presidents—The Lord has been pleased to present before me many
things in regard to the calling and labor of our ministers, especially
those who have been appointed as presidents of Conferences. Great
care should be exercised in the selection of men for these positions
of trust. There should be earnest prayer for divine enlightenment.
Those who are thus appointed as overseers of the flock should be
men of good repute, men who give evidence that they have not only a
knowledge of the Scriptures, but an experience in faith, in patience, that
in meekness they may instruct those who oppose the truth. They should
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be men of thorough integrity; not novices, but intelligent students of
the Word, able to teach others also, bringing from the treasure-house
things new and old,—men who in character, in words, in deportment,
will be an honor to the cause of Christ, teaching the truth, living the
truth, growing up to the full stature in Christ Jesus. This means the
development and strengthening of every faculty by exercise, that the
workers may become qualified to bear larger responsibilities as the
work increases.—
Gospel Workers, 232
.
Presidents may become too conservative and narrow in their
leadership—Elder M, as president of the _____ Conference, you have
shown by your general management that you are unworthy of the trust
reposed in you. You have shown that you are conservative, and that
your ideas are narrow. You have not done one half what you might
have done had you had the true spirit of the work. You might have
been far more capable and experienced than you now are; you might
have been far better prepared to manage successfully this sacred and
important mission a work which would have given you the strongest
claim to the general confidence of our people. But, like the other
ministering brethren in your state, you have failed to advance with the
opening providence of God; you have not shown that the Holy Spirit
was deeply impressing your heart, so that God could speak through
you to His people. If in this crisis you do anything to strengthen
doubt and distrust in the churches of your state, anything that will
prevent the people from engaging heartily in this work, God will hold
you responsible. Has God given you unmistakable evidence that the