From the Elder's Pen  "A New Breed Of Preachers" 12/16/01 Past/Future Articles

 The picture of a long-haired denominational minister appeared in a Memphis newspaper some time back.  He works with students upon a large Mid-South University campus.  The accompanying article quotes him as saying, “I smoke, drink, don’t condemn drugs and don’t save souls but I relate to the young people.”  He confessed that he had “dabbled” in drugs.  He is not interested in carrying a Bible or sneaking in salvation as he relates to young people.  He maintains that people do not have “to concentrate on that black book (the Bible) to reach God.”  He believes “that the beauty and love of God’s world can be seen in the comments and experiences of a nine-year-old child more easily than reading from the Bible.”  He prefers to be a humanitarian minister rather than a soul saver.  Is this what the liberals among us would have us fellowship?  Is this to be the beginning of a new breed of preachers?
 What a contrast to Paul.  Paul said it was a shame for a man to wear long hair (I Cor. 11:14).  Were Paul here today he would not wear long hair.  He would not smoke.  He would not drink.  He would solidly and soundly condemn the whole nefarious world of drug addition.  We may be sure that his love for saving souls would be equal to the devotion he felt toward this in the first century.  If anything it would be greater now for there are possibly ten or twelve times as many people living today as lived in the first century (See I Cor. 11:1; 9:19-27).
 Of so-called college ministries are going to participate in youthful transgression and never teach against such participation, what purpose exists for a college ministry in the first place?  Young people on college campuses do not need any counsel from so-called preachers on how to sin.  All of us are too well trained in that department as it already is.  We all need instruction and inspiration directed at getting us out of the sinning business.  Here is a clear-cut example of the end result when people lose sight of souls and turn from truth.  Sin is the problem with the college youth of our land as indeed it is with all accountable people.  Only the truth of the gospel can save any of us from a devil’s hell.