The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-03-22
For the Central Presbyterian
A Question of Responsibility

For the Central Presbyterian.
A Question of. Responsibility.
Messrs. Editors,--Please help us,
through your columns, to a solution of
the following important question How
far are individual members of congre-
cation responsible for the pastors salary,
over and above a fair amount conscien
tiously subscribed and regularly paid
The congregation has, we will say, forty
paying members, ten of whom are looked
to for half of the salary These ten think
81 200 as much as ought to be pledged,
for they feel sure that no more than that
amount will be paid The other thirty
are more enthusiastic, and vote 81 800.
So the call goes to Presbytery with this
sum promised. For about two or three
years the deacons manage to secure this
amount, but the old story begins to re-
peat itself. Some members have died,
some have moved away, some havemet
with reverses and cannot contribute as
they formerly did, ETC., etc. A few weeks
before the report goes to Presbytery, a
statement Of the deficiency is made to the
congregation, and special contributions
are solicited. The ten put down about
half of what is needed, and the thirty
give the rest. At the end of another year
the deficit is larger than before, and this
becomes pretty regular thing, The ten
find that they must either continue to
add largely to their original subscriptions,
or else belong to a defaulting congrega-
ton. Now even if the ten could pay
pretty much all of the salary, they know
that they have no right to encourage the
rest Of the congregation to throw off their
own proper share. Now here are some
of the thoughts that arise in the mind of
one who has an honest desire to know
and to do the right thing:
l. I subscribed S75 at first, because
conscientiously thought, after due DELHI
GRAFTON, that this was the proper amount
for me to give. But my average annual
contribution for the last few years has
been 800.
2. If 800 is the right sum for me to
give, I want to give it voluntarily, with
out waiting to be specially requested to
do so; and if S75 is the right sum,
ought not to be held responsible for 800.
3. still think SIS to be all I ought to
pay. But then, if ten Of us do not each
pay SIS extra, the whole loss of $3.50 will
fall on our pastor, and this would be the
far greater wrong of the two. He has
done his part nobly and faithfully, and
the church should meet its obligations
with equal fidelity.
4. Does the fact that l was one of a
number of men who agreed to pay our
pastor 81 500 year, bind me to its full
flment, even if my original subscription
has to be doubled or trebled? (Remem-
Der that l voted against paying 1900
5. Or does my obligation cease when I
have regularly and promptly paid the
sum I agreed to pay, this sum being as
much as my conscience decided to be
right?
6. Suppose we remedy this matter by
getting Presbytery to let us make new
bargain with our pastor, and suppose it
is then found that the rest of the congre-
cation think that there is less need for
their payments now, than there was be-
fore; how can we do what is true and
honest and right towards our pastor, and
yet do what is right towards ourselves
and towards the congregation? For, to
take an extreme case, if one man had an
annual income OF $4,000, he ought not
to support the pastor alone, though he
could very well afford it.
Now, Messrs. Editors, how are the
churches to be instructed in these things?
The pastor cannot do it, for reasons Of del
icacy. Congregational meetings cannot
do it: the members are too much afraid
of the sound Of their own voice some
times it is all you can do to get any one
to move the adoption Of a good report,
and then only two or three timid "ayes'
are heard, and no "noes, 50 that the re-
port is carried unanimously.
We know of certain church, not
thousand miles from the capital Of North
Carolina, whose position towards the pas
tors salary is somewhat as above de-
scribed. Perhaps there may be Vir-
GINA church that is having q similar ex-