The North Avenue Irregulars

"Generally, my congregation was behind me, especially the young people, though some individual members accused me of spending time on crime that I ought to have spent calling on the aged or getting new members. A few said this was not a proper activity for a minister, who should instead be devoting himself to spiritual matters, such as bazaars, bowling parties, and money-raising efforts for the church. Of deeper significance was the feeling that a minister should be soft and gentle. It offended some people to think of a minister of the Gospel as being tough and stubborn. I argued that Amos and other prophets had fought for social justice and rectitude in government, that John Calvin had involved himself in the life of the city of Geneva, and that the early Presbyterians in this nation had been so active in fighting for freedom from England that some Englishmen referred to the Revolution as the "Presbyterian War." (Chapter 3, page 52)