Smyrna times., 1883-03-07

MINISTERIAL TRANsFERs.-The great
Itinerant wheel is set in motion this
week. at Cambridge-that in its revo-
lutions scatters the members subject to
its disposal throughout the Peninsula,
from Wilmington to Accomac county,
Va. There is a very materialistic as
we'll as spiritual force at play with
this machinery, as will appear from the
last issue of the Conference Yorker.
After noting the remark of the late
presiding Bishop, that while we have
no appointments giving starvation
prices, we have no good ones and,
quoting remark of certain preachers
that have graded up that " l have now
had two appointments giving a salary
of four figures and cannot expect to
keep this up because there are more
frst-class preachers than appointments
and 1 do not feel like going back and
beginning again, and what more is
there for me in this Conference" the
paper says:
"These are significant statements,
and they are facts. Without apologize
ing for these ministers they but name
facts which are in the minds of many.
There is but one appointment in the
Conference land no Wilmington Con-
ference preacher will ever get that
where man with family of three OF
four children can keep up the style OF
living demanded by his charge, set q
good example in the way of benevo-
lence and lay by 5000 per year, or even
one hundred year after year unless he
does it by breaking his wife down with
household work, without help, and
cramps himself in his library. These
are sober, solid facts, and we challenge
the production of six pastors who are
growing and acceptable men having
growing families as we'll, who, out o
their salaries have been able to save
800 per year for the last six years
They can not be found, unless at the
expense of the very life of their wives
Yet we hear it said, The collection fo
Conference claiments is growing un
popular But what are these men t.
do when they break down? The re
ceipts from that fund now is but a pit
tance. = By Ourpresent system
when we get man trained to pOin
. of usefulness where we greatly nee,
him, some church across the borde
gives him an opportunity to preach t
l Just as many sinners, work just as har
for God, but with much less of haro
/ grinding economy, and he goes. An
q those who remain behind are lOokin
out for chance to follow in his illui
trious footsteps"
l. We quote this because it is Il matte
that interests the laity and accounts f(
'' the readiness of transfers and, the de'
= laration that there are more transfe
u from the Wilmington Conference tha
3 any other. But there is another sic
II to this question which we do not ca
y to argue, but only allude to, which
&c that if we turn to the Conference Mi
y utes, we will find that there are in ii
10 bounds of the Wilmington Conferen
Is % appointments, that, including Il
t rental value of the parsonage, a
e worth to the pastor occupying thel
C. 81 900 year and over, and nearly
ie many more paying within hundr
IL dollars as much. There are thoI
ands of men of equal education W
would be glad of such salaries as a
I'd tenure, and lay up something for
Id "rainy day." besides rearing their fa
H. lilies. The preachers lot is hard oil
but is it any harder than that of
ny average families of the occupation tn
left to enter the ministry, and HI
III many of them would like to return
~ their former haunts? Such an are
ais ment for rjumping the "border fenc
IA we do not thiak a valid one, uni
M sn they can find better earthly Parad
ON than any we now know Of