The Church, the Pulpit, and the Poor. the Role of Preaching in Poor Relief Efforts in the Thinking of Samuel Mccomb (1864-1938)

Abstract

The problem of the poor has been a constant in the life of nations. There have always been poor people to whom society, governments, and the Church have been looking in various ways across the ages. One important aspect is the way the Church has behaved in relation to the poor, because it is the institution that preaches a certain kind of moral code, and a certain kind of human value. This paper focuses on the role of preaching and the role of the Church in poor relief efforts, as presented in the writings of Samuel McComb (1864-1938). The main argument in the thought of McComb is that the Church will always need to be involved in poor relief efforts, but not simply by helping the poor with material needs, but also by offering spiritual guidance. These efforts should be coupled with the preparing of the believers to be directly involved in poor relief, based on a moral code, which is presented and explained from the pulpit.