Spurgeon's fellow workers

"All my church officers are in a very real sense my brethren in Christ. In talking to or about one another, we have no stately modes of address. I am called 'the Governor'--I suppose, because I do not attempt to govern; and the deacons are known among us as 'Brother William,' 'Uncle Tom,' 'Dear Old Joe,' 'Prince Charlie,' 'Son of Ali' and so on. These brethren are some of them esquires who ought also to be M. P.'s but we love them too well to dignify them. One day, I spoke rather sharply to one of them, and I think he deserved the rebuke I gave him, but he said to me, 'Well, that may be so, but I tell you what, sir, I would die for you any day.' 'Oh' I replied, 'bless your heart, I am sorry I was so sharp, but, still, you did deserve it, did you not?' He smiled, and said he thought he die, and there the matter ended." page 70

"On going into the Tabernacle, one day, I gave directions about some minor alterations that I wished to have made, not knowing at the time that I was canceling the orders given by the deacon who had the main care of the building resting upon him. When he arrived, in the evening, he saw what had been done, and at once asked who had interfered with his instructions. The reply was, 'The Governor, sir'. The spirit of unquestioning loyalty at once asserted itself over any temporary annoyance he may have felt, and he said, 'Quite right; there must be only one captain in a ship;' and for a long while, that saying became one of our most familiar watchwords. I have often been amazed at the devotion of our brethren; I have told them many a time that, if they would follow a broomstick as they have followed me, the work must succeed, To which William Olney, as the spokesman for the rest, has answered, 'Yes, dear Pastor; but it is because we have such absolute confidence in your leadership that we are ready to follow you anywhere. You have never misled us yet, and we do not believe you ever will do so." page 71

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Vision Baptist Church