Develop Church Talent

New Testament ministers were not to settle over one church—The minister should develop the talent in the church, that meetings may be profitably kept up. Timothy was commanded to go from church to church, as one who should do this kind of work, and build up the churches in the most holy faith. He was to do the work of an evangelist, and this is an even more important work than that of the ministers. He was to preach the Word, but he was not to be settled over one church.—The Review and Herald, September 28, 1897.PaM 263.3

Hold little companies together by helping them become soul winners—There are many who have never heard from the Word the reasons for our faith; and yet some of our ministers feel a burden to hover over little companies of believers in an effort to hold them 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.PaM 263.4

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.PaM 264.1

A good overseer does not do the work, but keeps others working—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.PaM 264.2

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.PaM 264.3