The Demand and the Supply of Increased Efficiency in the Negro Ministry / The American Negro Academy. Occasional Papers No. 13

by Jesse Edward Moorland

In order that we may cope with such conditions as those just mentioned, none can gainsay the great need of greater efficiency in the ministry, that we do not cut the tap-root of all our progress and become of none effect in the world. The wisest leaders of Japan to-day are deeply concerned about the propagation of Christian principles among the people. The recent past has changed a nation in a day, and while the people have taken on the ways of western civilization, the larger number of them have not accepted the principles which have made western civilization great, and these far-seeing prophets of the Sunrise kingdom well understand that their glory will be ephemeral unless they are able to plant their feet firmly upon the eternal Rock of Ages. As lightly as it may be regarded, there is a similar danger confronting the rising young race of colored men in this land. It is not reassuring that our strongest men, who are able to make their way through northern universities, have in some cases come out of these institutions with a shattered faith and are not found in places of leadership either as ministers or laymen, in our churches and other religious institutions. A man cannot excuse himself by saying that he spends his time during the week in the schoolroom, in the law office, or in the sickroom. The great men of the world and the great races and nations of the world have done all these things but did not leave the other undone. To meet this condition a larger number of efficient men must be led into the ministry.

In order that the supply may be commensurate with the demand, it is necessary to ask the question where and how shall we begin to meet the demand for an increased efficiency in the ministry? First, with Christian parents. It is interesting to note that Paul, in his second letter to his beloved son, Timothy, 1st chapter, 5th verse, makes use of these words: “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother, Lois, and thy mother, Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also,” and he thus shows his belief in spiritual heredity.

The foregoing passage teaches that we must not shut our eyes to the responsibility of Christian parents in this matter. Many of the great preachers of the world were consecrated to this service by godly mothers, in some cases before they were born, even as Hannah, Samuel’s mother, consecrated him to the Lord before his birth.

Forty years ago, it was a passion with many Christian parents to have at least one son enter the ministry, and yet I am sorry to say to-day I have many, many times made inquiry of ministers’ sons and have found very few of them who were willing to give even a respectful hearing to the claim of the ministry and few parents of such sons who seemed concerned about the matter.

The first remedy is to go back to first principles and let the people who claim to love the Lord and His Christ be willing to make an offering of the very flower of their families to this, the highest and noblest service ever given to man to perform.

Then our various churches must take a larger interest in leading the most promising young men into this great service. Some churches have done nobly at this and have stood by their spiritual sons by furnishing the means by which they might attend college and fit themselves for service, and have taken peculiar interest and pride in seeing them return to the mother church and in listening to them, and in bidding them God speed; but most of our churches, though able, have paid hardly any attention to this important phase of service at all, and many of our churches cannot mention a single successful minister who commands the respect of any large community because of his ability and power, which they have sent out. On the other hand, many times men are allowed to come into the ministry through our churches who are always calculated to do more injury than good,—men with no preparation and no chance of getting proper training.

God never calls a man to preach unless He also provides the way for him to make due preparation for that service. This is a principle which cannot successfully be disputed. When God called Moses He led him out of the land of Egypt, and he spent years and years communing with God under the canopy of heaven; and Paul spent three years somewhere in preparation for his great work, and even the Father’s own Son for thirty years was in preparation to do three years’ work.

It is a harmful thing to have a church full of inefficient, licensed preachers with no hope of ever entering actively into the ministry, but in most cases are just a worry of the flesh to a progressive pastor. When a man comes before a board for a license he ought to be given to understand that this license will be granted only on condition that he prepare himself intellectually as well as spiritually for the great work of the ministry, and when prepared that he will enter into the field which is white and ready and waiting for the reaper.

Possibly the Church has no larger opportunity for advancing the Lord’s kingdom than in just this phase of service. Sometimes a narrow-minded minister is to blame. He fails to encourage the promising young man for fear some day he will come back as a rival too much for him. I wish it were possible to utter these words with sufficient emphasis to arouse many of our dormant, sleeping churches to a sense of their duty.

One organization in our colleges has the largest opportunity over any other to help furnish an increased supply from our college men, and that is the Student Department of the Young Men’s Christian Association. Already the leader of this Department, Mr. John R. Mott, has written a book, “The Future Leadership of the Church,” published by the International Committee, 124 East 28th Street, New York. In this volume Mr. Mott takes up this whole question of the supply of leaders in our churches. Though a layman himself, for some years, he has been lecturing in the leading colleges of our land and calling the strong men (as only a true leader can call men) to consider the calling of the ministry, facing squarely all of the difficulties connected therewith, problems of faith, problems of training, and the problem of support, which is entirely too meagre to-day; but with a strong purpose he has been making an effort to lead some of the best and ablest men into this, the highest of all callings. The same thing is being done in many of our colored colleges by our colored International Secretaries; some time during the year the claim of the ministry is presented to the students. We feel sure that in due time results will be seen. Capable ministers among us and college professors also need covet the opportunity, in a larger way than they have been doing, to appear before bodies of students, to mingle with them, to impress them with the importance of at least considering this calling, in order that we may get the supply which is so greatly needed.