PROBLEMS

     There are and always have been problems connected with the maintenance of class-meetings which are more or less difficult, though never impossible of solution. As we have already had occasion to note, Mr. Wesley himself had to deal with questions that were perplexing and embarrassing in the institution and development of this feature of his work. Problems similar and dissimilar to those which occupied Mr. Wesley's attention have arisen in connection with class-meeting history in every generation since. Many of the present-day problems are principally of a local character, while others are more or less the occasions of general embarrassment. Only those of a more general character will be considered here. They are as follows:

     1. How may pastors be brought into more constant and helpful touch with the class-meeting? We have already observed that the class-meeting can never be made to serve the end for which it was instituted without the hearty support of the pastors. But in the practical working of the Methodist economy today we are face to face with the fact that many pastors are seriously derelict regarding this matter. Some of them have never appreciated the importance of this means of grace; and others, who have for a time striven to make it what it ought to be, have yielded too easily to discouragement, and seem finally to have become altogether pessimistic regarding it. Making allowance for some whose circuit work is so arranged that they cannot give the class-meeting the personal attention they would be glad to give it if they could, we suspect pastoral delinquency in this matter is generally due either to a lack of religious experience or to lack of sympathy with the economy and polity of Methodism. If such pastors as are indifferent through lack of spirituality would be honest enough to fulfill their duty in attending the class-meeting, and seeking to make it what it was designed to be, this itself would very likely be a means of quickening them into spiritual life, and so of making them not only more helpful to the class, but also more helpful to the church as a whole. This is the end to be sought in all such cases, and if sought properly no doubt the end could in many cases be realized.

     With reference to that class of preachers who are indifferent through disbelieving in Methodism, or in this particular part of it, Bishop Vincent, as quoted by Goodell, says: "The pastor must believe in the class-meeting, its possibilities and the secret of its efficiency. He must accept the teaching of the Discipline ... If he does not have this measure of faith in the class, he should seek a place in the ministry outside of Methodism. Our success imperatively demands the acceptance and appreciation of the Methodist theory on the subject of class-meetings. We should hold conferences with and give systematic instruction to the class-leaders, expounding the Discipline and lecturing to them on such subjects as 'The Care of Souls,' 'The Use of the Bible in Spiritual Guidance,' 'The Ways of the Spirit in the Inner Life,' etc., etc. The pastor should cultivate a class enthusiasm, visiting each class occasionally, inviting them to his own house, administering to each class at least once a year the holy sacrament, and using that opportunity for exhorting them to a more perfect consecration of themselves, their children and their property to the service of God." ^[1]

     In order that the pastor may feel wholly unembarrassed in fulfilling such ministries as these to the leaders and their classes, it would be well for all leaders to cultivate the most confidential relations with their pastors respecting all that pertains to the interests of their classes, and most cordially invite their aid in the respects indicated by Bishop Vincent. Such invitations, especially if seconded by the class-members, would seldom be declined. We have known instances, be it said with regret, where such invitations were not only not given, but where leaders have assumed that the pastor's presence in the class was almost a matter to be regarded with suspicion, and have pursued a course not designed to make the pastor feel very welcome. This is a serious error of judgment on the leader's part to say the least.

     2. The next problem of the class-meeting has respect to securing competent leaders, and increasing their efficiency after they have been placed in office. Right here let it be said, the ideal leader has never yet appeared, any more than the ideal preacher has appeared, except in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. There have, however, been multitudes of good and efficient leaders, many of whom have been developed from unpromising beginnings. God always has some one somewhere to fill these responsible positions. The pastors and the members need much spiritual discernment in order that they ascertain God's mind in such matters. Perfection should not be demanded, but goodness, piety, consecration and common sense should. Probably there is no society where a few may not be found having these qualities to recommend them. Of the first class-leaders, who were objected to by some as incompetent, Wesley said, "God has blessed their labors in spite of their incompetency." He can do the same still. Let pastors and members unite in seeking "holy men of God," who combine with their religion sound judgment and a cheerful, winning manner, to fill these important offices; and then let pastors and members combine to support them in their work, and to furnish whatever will serve to develop them and increase their efficiency, and under these conditions even such among them as the world calls "unlearned and ignorant men" will prove efficient in a surprising degree. The history of Methodism abounds with instances confirmatory of this statement.

     It would be especially helpful in developing able class-leaders in all branches of Methodism if the church at large would do what in some cases has been done:-- provide through its general conference, the same as for its local and traveling preachers, a course of study carefully adapted to instructing, inspiring and strengthening its class-leaders for their peculiar and responsible calling. Then, for the benefit of such as might not otherwise be able to command the books of such a course, the individual societies and circuits could maintain at trifling expense a small but choice class-leader's library, from which each leader could draw without cost to himself, if necessary.

     3. Another problem of no small importance and perplexity is how to secure the desired co-operation of the members in maintaining class-meeting interest. Two things are absolutely necessary on the part of members in order to the efficiency of any class-meeting; punctual attendance, and enthusiasm for the class and the cause it represents. Neither pastor nor leader, nor yet pastor and leader together, can make a class-meeting a success without practical interest and enthusiasm on the part of the members. They should be able, however, to awaken interest and inspire enthusiasm among the members. One reason why many members stay away from class is that they find nothing attractive, inspiring and helpful when they go. If they go at all, they go from principle only. It is to them a weariness of the flesh, and more a depression than an enlivening of the spirits. The spiritual atmosphere is oppressive, and oftentimes the natural atmosphere is even more unbearable. The service is monotonous and perfunctory from start to finish. Leader and members both seem relieved when it is over, as some little children are relieved and happy when their morning or evening prayers are ended. These things ought not so to be, Such conditions may and should be overcome.

     The personnel of the leader has much to do with awakening and sustaining interest in the class-meeting on the part of the members. If he is personally agreeable and winning, a man whose presence inspires enthusiasm and good cheer, and whose passion for the welfare of all is a consuming flame, he will seldom find himself at class alone, or with half or two-thirds of his members absent. A benignant appearing, elderly gentleman was about to start a Sunday School in a neglected part of a certain city. He made arrangements as to location, room, helpers, etc., and then went out to look up scholars. Coming upon a group of neglected and rude appearing boys he addressed them kindly, told them of his purpose to start a Sunday School and said: "You will come, won't you boys?" "Nope," was their prompt reply. "But we're going to have fine music and singing, and we want you to attend. Now you'll come, will you not?" "Nope," they again replied. The old gentleman tried with several other inducements to secure their promise of attendance, but in vain. He turned away sad and a little discouraged, when one of the boys called after him: "Say, mister!" Turning to see what was wanted, he was surprised to hear the question, "Are you going to be there?" "I am," he replied. "Then we'll come," said the boys. There was something about the old gentleman himself so winning that it captivated every one of those rude boys, where promises of all other kinds of attractions failed. It was his kindly look and manner, and his deep personal interest in their welfare, that won them. And is there not an important practical lesson for every class-leader in this little story?

     One way to secure the attendance and interest of members is to take a deep personal interest in them. Call on them and converse and pray with them in a pleasant, genial and helpful way. Invite and urge them to come to the aid of yourself and the rest of the class in the matter of building up a strong class and making it a powerful factor of the church in reviving and supporting the work of God. Do not be easily discouraged, but repeat the experiment often if necessary, in the meantime praying much for the delinquent ones. Forbear threatening and fault-finding in all your visitations, and so deport yourself as to leave a sense of blessing behind you when you have departed. Make the delinquents feel that you are deeply interested in them (something you can by no means do unless your interest in them is genuine and deep), and that you need their co-operation greatly in order that you may properly serve the welfare of the church and work of God in the office you have been called to fill. A few months of this kind of patient, persistent, prayerful effort, and the leader will be surprised at his own spiritual improvement and at the new hold he has acquired upon his members, and the new interest he has awakened in his class-meeting exercises.

     Then, too, the leader who would sustain interest in the class-meeting must make its exercises spiritually attractive and helpful to those who attend. Set out your dish of honey and the bees will soon be present to lade themselves with its sweetness. Lead the way to green, sweet pastures, and the sheep will instinctively follow you thither. Make every class-meeting an exhilarating feast of divine love and holy joy, and neither pressing work, engaging company, bodily weariness nor inclement weather will often keep your members from this precious means of grace. People seldom tire of going where they get something of real worth. But to give one's members something worth going after fifty-two times in the year will require much thought, reading, prayer and conference with spiritually-minded people, as also repeated anointings with the Holy Spirit, on the leader's part, and will also require versatility, and freedom from all monotonous, humdrum and stereotyped methods of leading and measures for sustaining and promoting interest. It will be specially helpful in the way of securing constant co-operation for the leader to regard his class as an organization for Christian work, and to exercise a wise generalship over it in this respect, giving everybody something to do for others and in the interest of the general work of God, and helping to train them for efficiency in the respective lines of work assigned them.

     Moreover, the wise leader will always seek to associate his pastor with him in all these efforts to awaken and sustain interest among his members in the class-meeting. It often works well for pastor and leader to visit the members of each class together, in endeavoring to awaken fresh interest in the class-meeting exercises and to secure more uniform and punctual attendance. If this be done in a spirit of true enthusiasm, that enthusiasm will be likely to spread like a contagion among the members visited. As fire is kindled from fire, so enthusiasm must be kindled from enthusiasm. Moreover, it is written in our Lord's own words, "That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 18:19). As they go about this work let the pastor and leader plead the divine promise, and see if God will not fulfill it unto them most graciously in the revival of interest and co-operation among their members relative to the class-meeting and all other interests of the work of God

     4. Another problem, and one of no little perplexity in some places, grows out of the existence of conflicting views and preferences among members as to the character of the class-meeting exercise. There are those in most societies, and in some societies they are not a few, who are opposed to any deviation in methods and measures from the customs of the most primitive days of class-meeting history. In extreme devotion to the antiquity of modes and customs in religion, they would retain the old and reject the new, however ill-adapted the one and well-adapted the other might be to changed conditions and circumstances. Such must in patience be taught the lesson conveyed by Lowell when he wrote:

"New occasions teach new duties,

Time makes ancient good uncouth;

He must upward still and onward

Who would keep abreast of truth."

     Others are equally as impatient of all that is not strictly "modern," "up to date," etc. They would banish from the class-meeting all semblance of its primitive character, and make it strictly an elite, twentieth-century affair. A judicious leader will side with neither of these classes, but will endeavor with sanctified tact to keep his class-meeting conformed to all that is essential to spiritual effectiveness and adapted to modern conditions and needs.

     . A final problem to be considered relates to fixing upon a suitable time for holding the class-meeting service. Churches are more complex in their organization than they were before the days of Sunday Schools, Young People's Meetings, Missionary Societies, etc., and these multiplied organizations must each and all have their own set time for assembling and doing the work for which they came into being. The tendency is for them to encroach upon the time of one another. Because of this tendency sometimes one of these divisions of the church organization suffers and sometimes another. Sometimes the class-meeting is practically crowded out, and sometimes the Sunday School has to be deprived of all chance to live and grow. Now, there is no one unvarying rule for the solution of such problems as these. As a rule the pastor and officials of the church can, with a little deliberation, fix upon the relative importance of these various interests, and advise an order for the weekly sessions of each subordinate organization, such as will best serve the interests of the whole work and commend itself to the acceptance of the church or society as a whole.

     When such an order has been arranged and the majority of the society have accepted it, it is not becoming for the few who might prefer a different order to set themselves in opposition to it and either make trouble or become indifferent or disaffected, simply because their convenience and preference were not consulted and allowed to weigh over the opinions and wishes of the majority. All should be ready, willing and glad to make any concession of personal preference or interest in their power for what the majority of the brethren judge to be for the best interests of the work of God as a whole. When a member will not attend class, who could, simply because the class-meeting is held before preaching, after preaching, Sunday morning, Sunday noon, Sunday night, or on a week night, while he or she would prefer it to be held some other time, that member is more distinguished for self-will and obstinacy than for grace and saintliness. A better way is to observe the law of self-denying, brotherly love. "Let us, therefore, follow after the things which make for peace, and the things wherewith one may edify another" (Rom. 14:19).

1 The Drill-Master of Methodism, pp. 51-52.