Page:Psychology and preaching.djvu/320

 3&amp;lt;D2 PSYCHOLOGY AND PREACHING

applies also to pastors whose time is divided between dif ferent churches.

But another important distinction is to be noted between ministers serving in denominations centrally organized and those belonging to denominations organized on the principle of local church autonomy. Economically the position of these two classes is in principle the same, though the prin ciple applies differently in the two cases. In the centrally organized denominations the individual minister s imme diate responsibility is to the central or controlling officials to whom primarily he must look for employment; in the denominations organized on the principle of local autonomy he must look for employment primarily to the local congre gations. However, in the latter there are central officials of the general bodies who are called upon frequently to act as &quot; go-betweens,&quot; although they are not appointed for this purpose ; while in the centrally organized denominations the trend is toward giving the local congregations a larger in fluence in the selection and retention of their pastors. The principle, however it works in differently organized bodies, is that the individual minister is dependent for employment and economic welfare on some corporate body, whether it be a local congregation or a group of officials representing the denominational body, which officials are coming more and more to be merely the organs through which the local con gregations make their wishes known and effective.

Now, this situation usually exerts a potent influence in determining the habitual attitude and bearing of the minis ter ; and it is no wonder. The constant pressure of a power ful consideration like the necessity of providing bread and meat for oneself and one s family must profoundly influ ence ordinary human beings. That from time to time in human history rare personalities have appeared who have risen above this consideration only brings out in relief the fact that it is an all but universal influence and one of the most fundamental and potent that affects our human nature. It may be said that ministers should be superior to it; but

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