Monday, March 06, 2006

Employment Opportunity?

The following advert originally appeared in Railton's "Heathen England, And What To Do For It" [1877]

Wanted always, for the Christian Mission Evangelistic Staff, Men and Women of God, anxious to devote their lives to the work of saving souls.

Whose character will bear any amount of investigation;

Who can talk to a crowd of people out of doors and in, so as to wound sinners’ hearts;

Who can lead a band of godly men and women to do anything likely to win souls;

Who are perfectly ready to speak, pray, visit, sit still, travel a hundred miles, or die at any moment;

Who have given up drink, tobacco, and finery for Christ’s sake, or are willing to give up anything and everything for Him;

Who are willing to be led and taught, and to be sent home again if they do not succeed.

THE FOLLOWING NEED NOT APPLY:

Persons whom “being out of employment, desire to give themselves entirely,” &c., &c.;

Who “do not think they can be expected” to exhaust all their strength in labouring day and night to save souls;

Who “if engaged will endeavour to give satisfaction to their employers;”

Who will take any notice of the fact that their “friends object” to their going or living anywhere or doing anything they are asked to do;

Who desire “light employment,” “find their work begin to tell on them,” &c., &c.;

Who “would like to know particulars as to salary, hours, home, &c. before engaging”;

Who “are sometimes troubled with doubts” about the nspiration of the Bible, the divinity of Christ, the Atonement, election, the possibility of falling from grace, eternal damnation, or the personality of the devil;

Who “having had considerable experience” in our kind of work, think they know how to do it.

Why doesn't the Candidates department do something with this little gem!

1 comment:

Matt Clifton said...

I read this when you first posted it, but wanted to comment; this quote is FABULOUS!
If you're ever looking for a planting team, why not stick your own version of this in Salvationist?

Matt
Future Fire