Chap. 26 - Self-Improvement - Christian Resource Centre (Bermuda)

Presidents to Sense Their Responsibilities --I have been shown that the presidents of our Conferences are not all doing their duty. They are not all becoming more and more efficient. Their experience is cheapened, and as they do not exercise their powers by taxing them, trusting in God to give them efficiency, their work is defective in every respect. The mere possession of qualifications is not enough; the ability must be diligently used.

Can nothing be devised to arouse the presidents of Conferences to a sense of their obligations? Would they could see that their position of trust only increases and intensifies their responsibility. If each president would feel the necessity of diligent improvement of his talents in devising ways and means for arousing ministers to work as they should, what a change would take place in every Conference.

Faithful service on the part of the Conference officers and the ministers, would relieve the president of the General Conference of a large share of taxing, wearing labour. Fidelity is wanting in a marked degree. Do these men consider that the solemn scrutiny of every man's work is soon to begin in heaven?

When the Master went away, He gave to every man in every age and in every generation, his work; and He says, to us all, "Occupy till I come." Have ministers thought how much is comprehended in those words? Verily there may be but a step between them and death. How stands the record of sacred trusts committed for wise improvement. Misused talents, wasted hours, neglected opportunities, duties left undone, sickly churches, the flock of God not strengthened by having their portion of that in due season.

What is to be done! Shall the president of the General Conference carry the burden of the neglects of presidents and ministers, and weep between the porch and the altar, crying, "Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach?" shall he feel that he is responsible for the deep sleep, the paralysis, that is upon the people of God?

If he works as he has done to arouse the careless and set in order the things that others have neglected, he will become unable to labour, and will go down to an untimely

grave.--Manuscript 8, 1892 (Nov. 25, 1892, Christ and Suffering)

More Thinking and Planning --"If the officers of a conference would bear successfully the burdens laid upon them, they must pray, they must believe, they must trust God to use them as His agents in keeping the churches of the conference in good working order. This is their part of the vineyard to cultivate. There must be far more personal responsibility, far more thinking and planning, far more mental power brought into the labour put forth for the Master. This would enlarge the capacity of the mind, and give keener perceptions as to what to do and how."-- Gospel Workers , p. 416.