pastoral care in historical perspective - Bishopdale Theological ...

62 Tht Four Pastoral Fundion,
built-in lines of .:mthority ~nd responsibility bct.\'een the church and
government. Structurallr there was little distinction between concerns
for individual needs and concern s for the peace, order, and good morals
of the city. The aim of ind ividual growth tended to be subordinated to
claims of institutional maintenance. !\forcO\"cr, C enc\,:m church life was
harassed and threatened in ;I world full of turmoil and contention, and it
was not able to tolera te the a n~ic ty which accompanies any serious attempt
to make room for human failure in the intcrest not only of
humaneness but of healing and growth. CenCI-an Cah·joists we~ always
tempted to clamp down on situations when therapeutic interests called
for patience and :lexibillty. F ina l1~· . Gene"a tried to soke its disciplinary
dilemmas by baniihment, incarceration. and el'en burning.
The left wing of the Reforma tion. including the Congregationalists,
Baptists, Quakers, and, later. the \ 'Iethodists, laid stress on the mutual
usponsibility of the members of the church for each other's physical and
spiritual welfare. ~'l od c rn p ro t~ ta nti s m has often rightly been accused
of excessive ind i,~d ua ] i s m; howel·cr. at va rious times in the course of
history, all these left·win g grOllps have shown ~ lil'ely and serious interest
in open confession before either the en tire congrega tion or various groups
within the membership. The group. dler hearing the confession, would
then pool its wisdom and concern for the conection and restoration of
the erring brother. The early :\ lethodists were especially interested in this
form of group therapy. Out of the ir "classes" and "societies" certain
individuals were drawn together under "a more strictI}' remedial disci·
pline." Into the "b:lI11ds" were in,·ited "people who especially 'needed to
pour out their hearts' to one another .. .. Each member, begin ning
with the leader, was to con fess his fau lts and temptations and the state of
his soul, and to accept criticism. In Older to be admitted to the glOup
each had to declare his desire to be told all his fa ults, even if this should
'cut to the quick .' "$4
It was left·wing protestantism which was able br and large to mo,'C
beyond theoretical formulations o f a priesthood of all believers to a
reconciling ministry of pastoral calc pe rformed by the la it~ ·, as an integral
part of the formal life of the congregation. The following excerpts ale
taken from the records of [\Jount Tabor Baptist Church in Kentucky:
Th ild Sa tu rday in Ju l~' 1S03,
The Church met and after wOlship. proceeded to do business; 1st A
report was bro' ag~ in!t SiSler Alnett. for drinking too much, and it ap·
pears she is guilt)', we therefore. appoint Sistcrs Baugh, Philips, and
Clad, to cite her to our next meeting ....
$ ' John T. McNeill, A Hi.to..,· of tht CII't of Sollli ( :-': ~ .... Yo.\; : H up~ md
Row, Publish~ ' $, Jncorpomred. 1951 ]. p. 2i9. B!' pcrm'lSion.