Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-11-20
GOSPEL WAGES.


If there is any one thing more than
another calculated to injure ministerial
character and usefulness, it is the
habit of contracting debts which are
not discharged in due time The ut
most care is pecessary that pastors in
the work, however small their salary,
shall make ends meets" at the ex-
piration of the Conference year. If
the income is known to be limited, the
fact is before pastor and people at the
first; and every obligation should be
made to square with the fact. Very
often the stipulated amount is far be-
meath the ability of the Church, and
sometimes so low as to prohibit any
thing more than the coarsest and simp-
lest diet, and the plainest clothing, to
say nothing of spare dollars for books,
or for little travel. The salary is
generally fixed at the minimum of liv-
ing expenses. The preacher, on the
average, has less than the primary
school teacher, and Is settled with by
lesser figures than the journeyman me-
ehanic or common day laborer. The
Methodist Church needs TO reform her.
self upon this subject. And this re-
formation involves principles as sacred
as any for which the fathers contend
ed in 1923: The average salary of the
Methodist pastor is at least fifty per
cent. less than what it should be, even
TO insure comfortable living and es-
sential privileges of education, cloth
ing, and convenience to the PASTORS
family. In too many of our pastoral
charges 1t becomes sad study from
Conference to Conference, how to live
decently and keep the children in re-
spectacle apparel, school books, and
such things as every parent properly
covets for home. In this country of
such abundance, the parsonage is, as a
rule, mere temporary place.of abode,
with tilmsy belongings. frail, patched,
make believe furniture and wares,
without the solid blessings for the
physical life which an economical and
an industrious congregation might Se-
cure for him who tolls in the Masters
harvest. While the farmer, the mer-
chant, or the professional man will be
d.scOntented until he builds hand
some home over his head, and orna-
ments his grounds with hundred
devices, the minister, too often, must
piod along as sort of pauper, the re-
cipient Of such crumbs of consolation
as fall from the rich mems tables. For
what are donations but the odds and
ends which are usually unmarketable
or unneeded The pastor must sub
NIT to low ratiOns, a borrowed home,
at best, the fragments and the tailings
These donations are expected TO make
a liberal Methodist preacher happy,
secure his gratitude, and tone him for
rouslng sermons every Sunday!
At the risk of incurring the dis
pleasure of a host of stingy laymen, we
say it In italics: The preachers are not
sufficiently paid. 1.-THE people expect
our church to garner the masses. let
the harvesters have fair wages. The
laborer is worthy of his hire Fix a
generous salary-one which will give
the minister and his family bread and
to spare, clothing and to change, books
aud TO lend, or give away If the
pastor is limited to two meals day,
and dry meals at that, to scant cloth
ing abroad or in bed, let not the people
be surprised at leanness in the pulpit,
lcanness of pastoral visitation, lean
ness of body, and soul and spirit, at
the manse, in the Sunday school, and
everywhere. Some churches we know
of are stricken with the dry rot in
trunk, and root, and top, and the next
stroke may be Judgment fash of the
Almighty, annihilating the very organ
ization for its delinquency toward the
pastors. one after another, in pinching
out their life by picayunish salaries.
Our churches need thorough awaken
ing. fearful repentance. and a sound
on the money question
The missionary cause, and education
al and publishing interests might
lanpuish into utter death, were IT not
for the Christian charity of a minority
of her membership. 1t is.high time
for a revival in the finances of Method
ism and then a revival in the morals
would surely foilow.-Dcthodist Re
corfcr.