To-day we set sail for another annual voyage with THE CHURCH ADVOCATE. The duty of piloting the vessel out of the harbor into the open sea devolves upon the captain who has commanded her for over five years. Whether after the smoother waters of the calm summer are reached there will be a new assignment to the command is not for us to say. To drop our figure, as heretofore, we enter upon this new volume, being the fortieth, the same as if our editorial position had a life tenure. We shall write this introductory with an unknown future before us, but just as we would write it had we the assurance that our life should be prolonged and our official relation with the paper continued for three years to come. In fact our time as editor expired with the close of the last volume, but we have to continue our work until the meeting of the General Eldership toward the end of this month. Then we shall give an account of our stewardship, and the Eldership will determine who shall edit THE ADVOCATE thereafter.

      In this connection we desire to say that we love this work, and have never felt ourself more fully in our natural sphere and in a position congenial to our tastes, as we do in the editor chair. In this capacity, life being prolonged and health continued, we are willing to serve the Church. But as we do not now hold our position by our personal procurement, so do we not want it upon the condition that we must seek it. This position, as we understand it, is for service, not for any personal gratification. The man who sits in the editorial chair of THE ADVOCATE should do so by the free and uninfluenced judgment of the body. He should be elected because in the judgment of the body he is the best adapted for the position of all who might be presented for the suffrages of the Eldership. If the lot, thus cast uninfluenced and in the conscientious fear of the Lord, should fall upon another, we shall give God thanks therefor, believing that the only object of a choice of an editor is the selection of a man that can serve best in this position.

      With such views of the editorship we would hardly need to say that it shall be our constant aim as editor to make the paper in every way as good as we can make it. Our whole time, except, what may be required for recreation and to help forward some other general interests, will be devoted to our work. Hence, we have felt called upon to decline, as heretofore, to assume charge, even on alternate Sabbaths, of any other appointment, or of any continuous duty. We know that to reach the ideal of a religious paper it will require all our time, and abilities, and talents with which Providence has not blessed us. But we can do our best, and by diligence and assiduous application we may be able to do better this year than we did during last year.

      For sometime we have been revolving the question of additional changes and improvements in our mind. There are, however, but few that we can now see our way clear to announce. First of all, we have determined on a change in the paper. For several weeks past we have used the new kind of paper, and we believe it will give more general satisfaction. It is not of as fine a quality as what we had been using, but we have concluded after a fair trial that it will be more acceptable to our patrons.

      Another change which will gradually be made is the reduction in the amount of advertising. We expect to average a few more columns of reading matter each week during this year than we did last year, or more tan we did any preceding year. We should prefer if we could exclude all advertisements, except those of our own books, of the book stores, etc., but we are not yet in a financial position to do this. But if the interests of THE ADVOCATE are not needlessly meddled with, and if our brethren everywhere will do their full duty in supporting it in every way, the time will come ere long when we can exclude advertisements, and yet have something of a revenue.

      We intend also to start a new department with this issue, to be known as General Religious Summary. For this purpose we shall use about a column each week either on the editorial page or on the fifth page. In this department we purpose giving brief notes of religious matters of general interest both at home and abroad. It will be somewhat similar to our department of Current News on the last page.

      As to the general aim or object of the paper, that will remain unchanged. THE ADVOCATE is pre-eminently the organ of the Church of God. As such it is to be the exponent and defender of the doctrines of the Church. We do not deem it consistent with its declared object to publish what conflicts with the faith of the body. However, on points where differences of opinion prevail among us there is to be freedom of discussion. It is error, regarded and pronounced as such by the Church, which we cannot permit to be advocated or defended in our columns.

      Moreover, we shall strive more than ever to make THE ADVOCATE the CENTRAL PULPIT of the whole body. Much of the editorial matter will be similar to what the editor would preach from a local pulpit. We also ask that our brethren will supply us continually with first class communications of a similar character. We do not request them to write us sermons, or long disquisitions on theological subjects, but to develop into good, readable articles the various, wholesome, precious truths which they preach to their people, or, if laymen, which they hear from the pulpit or read in the Bible or in good books. We desire to have the conviction impressed upon all, that articles in a religious paper should be well and carefully written, and that to offer crude thoughts and insipid productions to the readers is justly considered unpardonable. Five of the departments of THE ADVOCATE will be in the main what the brethren choose to make them. These are, First page, Church Intelligence, Communications, Sabbath-school and Correspondence. Especially the first three are open to all who will write articles adapted to them. The family circle is also open, but thus far in our experience we have received nothing of that department that was original. Now, if the brethren wish to raise the standard of these departments they have the opportunity to do so. We think there is room for improvement, and hope some change for the better may become manifest during this year. While we are truly thankful for the labor of the brethren in this respect, we hope these suggestions will not be regarded as at all invidious.

      The department of Church Intelligence is perhaps the most generally read of any single department of the paper. We therefore renew out oft repeated request that reports of meetings and matters of general interest from all the circuits and stations of the different Elderships be sent to us in good season. But as our territory is constantly enlarging these reports should be brief, and should be confined to matters of general interest. The preachers should either write these reports themselves or appoint some one to do it for them. This is necessary to avoid duplicate reports.

      We must repeat our request that obituary notices should be made shorter, in general. This will give us more space for notices of the death of ministers, and prominent and widely known laymen. During the past year we were seriously crowded with long notices, so that at times we were two to three weeks behind time with them.

      We also renew our recommendation that all matters of a personal character be avoided. Local church troubles, and things of that character must not be reported through the paper; neither should anyone endeavor to take out a personal grudge by attacking a brother thus publicly. As to controversies, we shall keep our scissors ready of them. We are not at all opposed to discussions, in the better sense of the term. If a brother writes on any subject from which another feels moved to dissent, let him write up the contrary view. He can do so, and also refute the arguments of his opponent, without descending to personalities, or even without the formality of a reply. We shall ourself, doubtless, as in the past, write things which some may not endorse. If so, our columns are open for the most vigorous statement of contrary views. But as we shall not permit a brother to make a personal attack upon us, so shall we aim to guard also the rights of others.

      In all things we shall aim to do what is right, and just, and fair, and equitable, and what to us seems most for God's glory and the good of the cause. Keeping our eye single to such an end, with the helpful prayers of all, the guidance of the divine Spirit, and God's sustaining grace, we hope in some measure to reach the ideal set before us.

[The Church Advocate 40 (May 5, 1875): 4.]

      Christian H. Forney's "At the Helm Again" was first published in The Church Advocate, Vol. 40, No. 1 (May 5, 1875), p. 4. The electronic version has been transcribed from a copy of the article printed from a microfilmed edition of the newspaper held by the State Library of Pennsylvania. Thanks to Adams Memorial Library for arranging for the interlibrary loan, and to St. Vincent College Library for the use of its microfilm reader/printer.

      Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 28 May 1999.
Updated 13 July 2003.