At my home in West Virginia
the process of being called to the ministry was a very interesting
one. Usually the "call" came when the individual was sitting in
church. Without warning the one called would fall upon the floor as
if struck by a bullet, ,and would be there for hours, speechless and
motionless. Then the news would spread all through the neighborhood
that this individual had received a "call." If he were inclined to
resist the summons, he would fall or be made to fall a second or third
time. In the end he always yielded to the call. While I wanted an
education badly, I confess that in my youth I had a fear that when I
had learned to read and write very well I would receive one of these
"calls"; but, for some reason, my call never came.
When we add the number of wholly ignorant men who preached or
"exhorted" to that of those who possessed something of an education,
it can be seen at a glance that the supply of ministers was large. In
fact, some time ago I knew a certain church that had a total
membership of about two hundred, and eighteen of that number were
ministers. But, I repeat, in many communities in the South the
character of the ministry is being improved, and I believe that within
the next two or three decades a very large proportion of the unworthy
ones will have disappeared.
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