DISCIPLE

by Donald Norbie       Today when one thinks of a church he immediately pictures a minister or a priest as the leader. People will ask, "Who is your minister?" or "...pastor?" And many are attracted to a church by the personality of the minister. If a church has problems the minister is blamed and a replacement is scouted.      A minister is a clergyman. The term clergy today, according to Webster, means "men ordained for religious service, as ministers, priests, rabbis, etc." A minister is "authorized to carry out the spiritual functions of a church, usually Protestant, conduct worship, administer sacraments, preach, etc.      For most people church and clergy go together like husband and wife. You cannot have the one without the other. Who will conduct the services, baptize and administer the Lord's Supper if there is no minister?      The question arises: Has this always been true?  ...

 by J. Norman Case   More than a century ago (1793), as a few earnest disciples were conferring together on the needs and claims of heathendom, one of them, Andrew Fuller said, “There is a gold mine in India, but it seems almost as deep as the heart of the earth. Who will venture to explore it?” Said William Carey, who was one of the number, “I will venture to go down, but remember that you must hold the ropes.”     In this great undertaking all true Christians can and should have a part. It is scarcely necessary to say that many are not themselves called to go forth to a foreign land. There are those who are chose and called to go forth to the fight, and those who are appointed to “tarry by the stuff.”  There are some who go down into the mine to find that which is infinitely more precious than gold, while others remain outside to “hold the ropes.” Both parts of the work are honourable and important; the one being necessary to the su...