The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-30
UNDERPAID PREACHERS.
More About the Hard Lot of Some Metho
dist Ministers ana Their Wives.

More About the Hard Lot of Some Metho-
dist Ministers ana Their Wives.
Philadelphia Times.
''My salary is 1850 a year. said a minister at
tached to the Philadelphia Conference yesterday,
land have several appointments which neceSsi-
tates the keeping of a horse and carriage. How
do / managed Well, in the first place, get my
house rent free am stationed in the midst of
strong Quaker community and nearly all my
parishionerS are farmers They appreciate the
difficulties of my position and / receive many
presents. Flour, meat. vegetables. feed for my
horse, poultry, eggs and butter liberally con-
trlbuted, and don't manage SO badly, although
with large family man can't make much of a
figure in the world on a salary small. My
case is, perhaps, an exceptional There
3 great many preachers in this conference whose
salaries are less than $500 year, and not all of
them are in the midst of well to-do and hospit-
able farming community. Most of these poorly
paid preachers have stations on the suburbs of
the city, and their Pensioners are of the poorer
class. They get some help from the sustentation
fund, but their lot is very hard one. 1t they
have a family-apd most of them have-they are
obliged to stint and save and practice the most
elf-denying economy to make ends meet They
are ambitious to build up their parish and they
overtax their strength. Insufficient food, ex
posure to all sorts OF weather and the thousand
and one vexatious harassments that poverty be-
gets makes them old before their time, and they
exhaust their physical and mental vigor in the
struggle 1t falls particularly heavy on their
wives. Inc preachers WIFE mas q multitude OF
duties to perform. There are visits to be paid,
society and missionary meetings to atterd. little
charities to dispense. visitors entertain,
dresses TO be ade for herself and children, and
what with washing, baking, mending, ironing,
cooking and sewing, her work is never done. She
is ambitious to dress her children comfortably
and educate them. To do this she denies herself
even the common necessares of life, and works
like a slave uncomplaningly from morning until
night, year in and year OUT
Rev. George w. Maclaughlin, of the Seamen's
Ali Society. has peculiar advantages for inves-
tigating the condition of the poorly paid preach
ers of the Methodist Church. "They are an
army of heroes. he said. There is no denying
the fact that Methodist preachers and the
wives of Methodist preachers, honest consci-
entious, devout people, are wearing out their
lives on insufficient salaries. / hope that, now
that their condition is better known they will re-
ceive more help"
Presiding Elder w. S. Thomas, who made
stirring appeal to the conference on behalf of
the poor preachers last Monday. said that he had
been misauoted. II said that knew pastor
whose family live on per capita of four cents
meal, and not four cents day. he said. 1.-THE
case of this man, who is an earnest, conscien-
tious Christian, is one of peculiar interest He
was a poor boy and had no early advantages of
education After he became a licensed preacher
in church he realized the disadvantages of
this and set about getting an education. To do
this he was obliged to run in debt and to pay off
this obligation ne has been obliged to practice
the most rigid self-denial ever since. His wife
has been noble helpmeet to him. She attends
to all her parish duties does her own homework
and is rearing and educating q family of five
children. The average salary paid in this con-
ference is $500. The highest---at such churches
as the Arch street and Spring Garden-is 81, 000
There are a great many preachers who receive
less than $500 a year, and some whose salary
does not exceed $500"