The Ohio Independent Baptist, November 1961

\\ I JI -------------------------------------------------~ THAT MAG IC WORD– ''tv\l SSI ONS'' '\ h n \\ 11. nl .lrt 1 , uled t(> In li 1 1n 1-91. u \ I ," 1 u1 .1n hl·roi er.t of ,,( rli c,an ela l .on th.1t ~l )n turn<. I .. ~- f 1ng int dn11ration.• nd lifted n11s •1 ••1tt th <.'1,111 f n1.1~i or pt.rh.1p~ ,, , l\ L' td , ~ll "" " 1~he ,·t.~n ,, orJ. lll \ ll,. t , U p \ I . H [1, () f S( f .lO ~ C l.1 n JS • nu . tt)L~l hes heart, ,, 1th tl1e th( t1 ~l1c r-'~ r h n~ n11llions. open poc.J...er ~ ,.k ;.1 , n11.1thv ,, 1th ~1cr1t1c1al m1 - · \'\n.1 lt ,. "}1.11 l'"·n...!e" ( hr1 c1 .. 1n ) oung people tl lt:.1, t al! .1.nd tollo,, hr1 t. and rall1e Ott 1111~1 .. n~ ... 1£ ,,p men co study and pray \\ t e L) ... e in the po,, er thac has be– on1t. 1 '-'L aceu ,, ch the ,, ord, tor our t"L'U h eu ra!!.tn ,, orld can use more mis- 0nar1L· · anJ n1ore mi 1ona1y prayer .1nd ~1tc . but ,, hat about the thousands of • tor~0tten m 1onar1e ,, ho are pastoring ou:- LhUrLhe here at hon1e? If missionary n1e-an ·enc one," are nor these servants l. t Chr1 t c.alled by his pirit and sent? Jest:~ said, "The f 1eld 1s the \\'Orld." By "hat rule of 1nterpretation have v.r•e the right co ay that only men and women who en·e under mission boards are mission– aries? \~-he.e can "e find instruaions 10 the Bible for mission boards? \\FT e are nor against mission boards, but for them. W e believe 1r is in the interes ts of good order for churches co band co- ... gecher and appoint men to oversee their m1 1ona.ry interests. Yet we must remem– ber that local churches have criprural a.u chor1ty and missionary organizations do not, and chac f aa should make our pas– to rs more important and no t less. Why should there be a minimum salary for m1ss1onaries and none for pastors? Why should a small church pride icself on its missionary giv:ing v.·hile it is starving its pastor? D oes not charity begin at home? One missionary agency will not send out a m1ss1onary couple unless they have 250 m onthly support and 30 excra for each child. \Ve are not saying that is too much for home missionaries, who have to furnish their O\\ n house and utilities, and car expense, but a real minimum; but the point 1s chat some pastors of self-suppon– ing churches gee less Laboring men Strike for higher wages, claiming char they need more than their .. 60 to -100 take-home a v. 1 eek ro live. It is crue rhac they have their own rent or hoL se payments to meet, and 10 large c1t1es such expenses are rerr1fre; but we ha,·e to remember that pastors have to pay their income taJCes out of what they re– ceive social security, and health insurance. They also have co dress better and usually spend more on gasoline. We are not pleading for the pastors of our city church– es. for unless their churches are small, the}' are usually v.·ell paid. In some cases ass1scanr pastors do have a struggle, but some of chem are v.·ell paid also. Of course. if these ciry pastors got overtime for the long hours the)~ put in , the best paid " 'ould gee more yet. We are concern– ed no"' "'ith pastors thac get S45 co $50 a \\ eek and parsonage and no more, and for some " 'ith children \\ 1 ho are struggling with 60 a " 'eek. Something ought to be done ro help these sacrificial servants of Christ face the "Torld vlich their heads up. They have cn<>ug l1 hurdcn tc> be.tr f()r their pct>( le tC) ht,t.• to \Vc>rry O\lr l)ill5 .1ls<> If their hurt hl.., c.1 nnc)t ,1d<:c1u .1 tel} su 1)110J t them, scrc>n.~ c. l1url hts re.1rl)} .s hou Il l consider thcn1 ,1.., n11s 1on.1r1cs ,1nd },el1J . 1 'hc1r very \)tter 1111ght stimt1t1te tl1tse 10,1,. ~Ytty1 ng c. ht1rc. he, tc) Jo better an<l n1ect the need PRAY FOR A NEW EDITOR! After four a nd a half years of edit– ing the Ohio Independent Bap tist, the feeling grev.• tha t a change would be good for the magazine. In our first t,vo years \\'e added 600 names to che mailing list and it is still 400 above the number when we took the work. l f another man can add the same num– ber ro the list in his first two years, or more, a nd keep them and go on to the 2,500 we need co pay the print– ing a n<l mailing costs, we will know that the leadi ng to resign was from the Lord . We will conti nue until J a nuary firs t, so please continue to send news and a rticles to 586 Maple t., Fostoria, Ohio, unt il then . In the meantime get as many subscriptions in your church as you can, so we can greet a new editor with bright p rospeccs! Pray for ou r new chairman, Dr. H oward G . Young, 450 Third Sr., Gallipolis, and for the other members of the Counci l of Ten , that they may be divinely guid– ed in their search for another man. Your past editor also desir es p rayer, that he might be kept busy in the service of his Lord. H e is open to a pastorate, but until the Lord opens such a door, he will appreciate oppor– tunities to do Bible conference and evan– gelistic work, serve as an interim pastor, or do Sunday supply work. Already the Lord seems to be open– ing doors-and without any effort o n ou r part. O ct . 2-6 we held a Bible conference at the A ch or Baptisr Church o f Negley, where Ralph C. Gibson is pastor. It is a small, part-time church, but the Lord blessed with good atten– dance, two professions of faith , and m any re-ded ications. One night half of the audience came from Cannellton Baptise Church , over the line in Pen– nsylvania - Bro ther Gibso n 's other charge; a nd now a call has come for an eight day revival there N ov. 5-12. At Negley, in the hill country south of Y oungstown, we were reminded of the five years we had spent in similar work in West Virginia, and felt the joy and challenge of being back in it a.gain. Of cour se, hills do no t matter– it is the spiritual need of our state that presents the real challenge. We would like to do our part in bringing revival to our s tate and na tion! themselves . Certainly aid sh ould n ot be given rhe pastor without an u nderstand ing with the local church that it will adopt tithing, adjust its miss ionary budget, or in some v.r•ay do its very best to support itself. We are not advocating help for selfish churches that v. 1 ill no t help them– selves. () \ ' 'J l'l ) l (' I , J ~) 6 ] There is ano lhc1 \Vay in ,vhich aid ro a needy 1>as to r mig l1t be ccJu r lcd with missionary \Vork in a near 1,v co1nmu ni cy. ·rhc large churcl1 would hclr) the s1nall church and its 1)astor to start a work that mig ht dc.:vclop into a two church r>ari sh. In these days of good roads there is no reason why one man cannot oastor two small churches anc..l preach a t one ac 9 · 30 a . m ., and at rhe o ther at 11 a .m . He would very likely continue to g ive the l a rger church where he lJved the evening service, but cou ld hold prayer meeting in one on Wednesday and 1n the o ther on Thursday. Once the second church was organized, it could assume enough of the pastor 's support so tha t outside aid could be withdrawn. We are not saying this arrangement is ideal, but it does help us co multiply churches in needy areas and will save the small country churches we already have. Outside of the Elyria-Cle\.1eland area, our country and village churches a.re few and fa r apart. Pastors who have given up good secular jobs and answered t he call co pasto r small churches are true missionaries. Lee us treat them as such and help them to spend all their time in spirimal labor. I t is a waste of spiritual training and devotion for a pastor to wor k for his living. It is not a disgrace for him to be will ing to do it, for he follows in the train of the Aoostle Paul • hue it migh t be a disgrace for the rest of us to allow him to do it, w hen he should be set free to spend all his time in the service of God. H e is a missiona.ry – lec him in on some of the magic of th.at word! IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE By H enry W . Tiffany I t is s trange, yet it is true, that in the twentieth century it needs to be emphasiz– ed and proclaimed more than ever that people are the m ost impo rtant realities in the world . They are m ore important than machinery, organizations, education or so– cial reform. Research is important, so is re-organization in m any realms, for people determine the use made of them and the direction of the movements. The members o f the church are more imponant than rituals, liturgies, systems of government, the size of the choir or the character o f the music. These are impor– tant, but the people o f the church are more important. Therefore the church program should center on enabling men, women a nd children to find God and experience fellowship with him in worship and work, both within and without the church. Personal relationships were never more important and the biggest thrill and high– est joy , next to finding G od for ourselves in Christ, is to bring others into a trust– ing, lovi ng and vital relatio nship with God . H ave \"\'e discovered this joy and are v.•e doing our best to sh ow the imponance of peocle? Marvelous changes are made in ind ividual s and wondrous v1cco r1es won wr.en rhe members of the che r ch are dedicate:! co the ministry of reconciliation by words and actions. - From The Watchman-Examiner