"Reverend"
"Preacher, pastor, parson, friend:
But please don't call me Reverend."
"The Campbellites are wrong in their interpretation of some of the Scriptures, but they are to be commended for their absolute refusal to call their ministers, "Reverend." Mr. Webster says the word "reverence" means profound respect mingled with love and awe, as for a holy being, or place or an exalted thing. In the Bible the "reverend" is used one time, and it refers to God. Most preachers want to be respected and loved, but who wants others to stand in awe of him? Who could imagine the early Christians speaking of their preachers as 'The Reverend Mr. Paul' or 'The Reverend Mr. Peter.' That preacher at Ephesus would have fled to the hills if he had received a letter addressed to 'The Young Reverend Mr. Timothy.'
"Since Baptists did not get the title from the Scriptures nor from their early fathers, from where did it come? It came from the same source from which some other unnecessary terminology came. It was only natural that a church which wanted to make its laity subservient to its ministry would gradually adopt the use of titles such as 'Reverend;' but Baptists who believe the layman is as important as the preacher have no business following that example. There are some other words we have borrowed from them that we could well do without.
"If a preacher has by schooling or accomplishment earned a title, let him be called by it provided it is not such a term as would exalt him above the layman or be found contrary to the Scriptures. In the absence of such we still have scriptural words like Brother, Pastor, Preacher, or Mister. W. A. Criswell is my pastor. When speaking to him I call him. 'Pastor.' When speaking about him. I call him, 'Doctor.' When I really want to get close to his great heart I just call him, 'Brother.' I think he likes it. Who would not?" — (Editorial, Baptist Standard.)
We are glad to see our Baptist friends learn the truth on one point, the use of the word "Reverend," even if they did let the Campbellites beat them to it. This shows that Baptists can learn from Campbellites if they will stop and listen long enough. From all we read in Baptist literature concerning Campbellites, they must be a bad lot of people indeed, but here they have taught the Baptists on one point, admitted so by our Baptist editor friend. Personally, this writer has never met a Campbellite. I would like to meet a good, honest, died-in-the-wool Campbellite, get a good look at him, talk with him, and see if he is as bad as the Baptists say Campbellites are. I have never met a person who claimed to be a Campbellite and I have never seen a meetinghouse with a sign reading "Campbellite Church." I do not find them listed in the federal census of churches and I would not know that such a people exist except for the fact that my Baptist friends, preachers and editors especially, continually write them up, debate one-sidely with them, and affirm that such people do exist and that they are wrong in their interpretation of some of the scriptures. Even though some of my Baptist friends seem to stand in mortal fear of the Campbellites who misinterpret some scriptures, it is entirely possible that the Campbellites could be right and my Baptist friends could be wrong. After all, the Baptists have found out from the Campbellites that it is wrong for preachers to be called "Reverend," so they might find out they are wrong on other points also if they will just listen to Campbellite doctrine.
If the Baptists and Campbellites do not mind my intrusion into this matter, I would like to point out to both groups that they still haven't learned their Bible lesson as well as they should. I am just a Christian and neither a Baptist nor a Campbellite, so I will teach them both a little further if they will listen.
My Baptist editor friend says he calls Criswell by the terms "Pastor," "Brother," "Preacher," or "Mister." We all know that "Mister" is an accepted term of address applicable to all men alike, high or low, preacher or non-preacher. "Mister" is an acceptable term of address to any man anywhere except a Roman Catholic priest. (He'll get mad if you call him "Mister". He wants you to call him "Father" when he isn't even married, and it looks to me like that is the last thing he would want to be called.) So, "Mister" is not a religious title and can be used to refer to any man. But the terms "Pastor," "Doctor," or "Preacher" as religious titles or designations will be found in the same passage of scripture as the terms "Holy Father," "Reverend," or "Father." If my Baptist editor friend really does want to drop "unnecessary terminology" as he says he does, then he ought to drop these also, and he should teach his Campbellite friends to do likewise. How can a title of any kind be scriptural if there is no scripture for it? We find the word "pastors" in the Bible in Ephesians 4:11, but this is not a religious title. This term as used in this verse refers to a group of men who were "pastoring" (feeding and tending) a congregation of God's children. Never do we read in the Bible of "The Pastor of a church." Every congregation in New Testament times had a number of pastors, also called "elders," who were "bishops" or "overseers" of the congregation of which they were members. One pastor in a church or of a church was unheard of in New Testament congregations.
"Brother" is not a religious title in the New Testament. Only twice in the New Testament is the word "brother" begun with a capital "B", and then because in both instances it was the first word of a quotation and not because it was a religious title worn by preachers. (Acts 9:17; 22:13.) All men who are Christians are "brothers" (brethren) and all women who are Christians are "sisters." If one Christian is called "Brother," then all men who are Christians should be addressed likewise, but none of them should be addressed with a religious title. There are no religious titles of any kind in the New Testament. The terms "pastor," "elder," "evangelist," "preacher," "deacon," "apostle," "overseer," "bishop," and "minister" are not religious titles but simply are words descriptive of the work done by a disciple in the kingdom of God.
Personally, if I were going to call only a certain class of men — preachers — by the term "Brother," I had just as soon call them "Reverend." One is as scriptural as the other, and neither is found in the Bible as a title. Certainly the words "Doctor" and "Preacher" are not used in the Bible as title to be worn by God's children. Our Lord was a servant, His disciples and apostles were servants, and we are His servants if we have obeyed His gospel. We should then be content to be "brethren" and "sisters" in Christ, and not be guilty of using any word as a title in an attempt to distinguish ourselves from other of God's children.
Now, if my Baptist friends can learn this, they will be nearer to the scriptures than ever before. And if they will teach their Campbellite friends this, then the Campbellites will be set straight also. We are not acquainted with the doctrines of the Campbellites, but we say kindly to our Baptist friends that if they would drop the human religious name of "Baptist," and quit teaching the false doctrines of total depravity, direct operation of the Holy Spirit, impossibility of apostasy, faith only, non-essentiality of baptism, and give up their human church conventions and councils, and obey Christ's gospel from the heart, they would be a lot nearer to what we read about in the New Testament. Who knows? A few discussions between the Campbellites and Baptists, or between Campbellites, Baptists and some Christians might help matters. As a Christian, I stand ready to discuss religious matters with any Baptist or Campbellite, or any person interested in learning the truth.