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Pastoral Ministry
together. The best way to hold them together is to induce them to
maintain a living connection with God, and to exert their influence
in seeking to draw others to Him.—
The Review and Herald, July 16,
1908
.
[264]
True representatives of Christ try to supply the place of the
minister they cannot have—Our religion requires self-denial, self-
sacrifice, at every step. Jesus came down from Heaven to teach us
how to live; and while on earth He went about doing good. Those
who are really representatives of Christ are working for the good of
others. They delight in advancing the cause of God both at home
and abroad. They are seen and heard, and their influence is felt, at
the prayer-meeting. They will try to supply the place of the minister,
whose labors they cannot have.—
The Review and Herald, September
6, 1881
.
A good overseer does not do the work, but keeps others work-
ing—The minister should not feel that it is his duty to do all the talking
and all the laboring and all the praying; but he should make it a part of
his work to educate workers in every church. Let different ones take
turns in leading the meetings, and in giving Bible readings, and in so
doing you will be calling into use the talents which God has given you,
and at the same time educating workers. I read of a man who had a
company of workmen over whom he placed an overseer, whose duty
it was to see that the work was done to the best advantage. One day
he came along to where his overseer, in charge of twelve men, was
digging a trench. He found the overseer down in the trench digging
away, with the sweat dropping from his brow; but the twelve men
were above, watching him in his labor. The overseer was called up
and asked what he was doing there. “I ordered you,” said the man, “to
keep twelve men at work; why have you not done this? There you
are, doing the work of one man, while twelve are idle. Here are your
wages.”—
The Review and Herald, November 6, 1888
.
Little companies are greatly weakened when efficient helpers
move to larger centers—From nearly all our churches in Michigan,
and, to some extent, from other states, our brethren and sisters have
been crowding into Battle Creek. Many of them were efficient helpers
in smaller churches, and their removal has greatly weakened those
little companies; in some cases the church has thus been completely
disorganized.—
Testimonies for the Church 5:184
.