Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-01-30
Ministerial Wages, Not Salary. but
aSupport.

Editors Of the Kenne5ee Journal;
The Methodist minister is the only labor
er not slave who works without wages
He Is the only lsoorer for whose services
| 10 sttsmps is made to psy the foil value
| received. The compensation estimated for
| him is called support. He has no voics 10
fixlag it. He cannot collect it by lsw.
He has 10 p.wer TO choose bis
field of labor. He may be
ssGe to church which does not de-
sire him and have the salary Of the former
year reduced one-hait. He may be returned
| TO church which desired TO get rid OF him
and have his salary reduced TO one third.
He may be removed from church paying
IS 900 sAiAry Snd sent to one paying bu'
$500. He NAV serve churches for yesrs
for $1,000 or $500 and by lucky accident
become the pastor Of church paying 49,
| 500 and fnd himself appreciated by hi.
people as worth all they pay him. He msy
give up business Of So 800 q year to e..
TER the ministry and never receive above
$500 year. Alter giving his life to the
ministry he msy find himself al
| fifty years Of age compelled to drop
from $4,000 salary to one Of $500
aud ct the same time have great business
house offer him $50 week TO fl i one of it,
IN ct responsible positions. He may fad
himself after more than twenty years of
faithful service 10 longer considered fo'
the bast PLACES, although he has lifted iron,
the second CT third rank several churche:
to the FIRST rank. And be may be tbus
ignored when he Is so effective that one OF
hia ohicisl members may say Of him II
will take him into my employ today and
teach him my business, and pay him from
the start twice the salary ne ever received
from any church" | can name the emf
nent end distinguished ministers whose
experience have hiated at.
When the minister gets old he is not
desired for . pastor. He is unable to 80
| toto business from lack of capital; he il
| unable to take up another profession; be
| Is unable to learn trade, or work st o. Q
| IL he bad ii; he is tutnsd adrift to support
| himself with The aid of beggariy
| pittsnce doled ont to him SIS charity
by the church he has msde rich. The gift
is bestowed With such offensive parade that
Thing but sbsoluie need will drive him to
| accept it. methodi,ra does better by her
veteran ministers than any Protestant
church 10 this country but she falls far
short Of her duty or ability. She conuit-
uted just dime from each member aud
proba,ioner il 1890. Three annual confer
ences contributed % cents or over
per capita; four, from 20 to % cents :;
.wenty three. over 10 and under 20
c4nts; twerty-four. over and under
10 cents tw anty-lve, 20 cents sixteen,
less than l cent. SOC churches contributed
to veteran ministers. IS esch; 40l churches
A OH o.
S73 CHURCHES, 81; ,9l9 churches. 50. AZ
the churches thst gave 81 ot certainty
took m collection, 2 1872 churches ignored
this csHsF 81 far IS pablo presenta'ion
goes. 5 217 churches contributed 50 ga
or s. ,hsn So each.
TaeFe sra two Msthodiss srnu,l eoIfar-
sncas in Msi1e. Ia these conferences, 10
churches Nth G22 members snd prcbsl9n-
ars s55 800 worth of property. paying
Si0G 5 salary, co ltfibuling SiiT to church
,enevolenceg gave $50 to We .era1 mi lis.era
81 churches With 1868 members aud
jrobaiionsrs. s2lG.550 worth of property
laying S26. 10 s.isry, contributing 1888
o church benevolenc 8. gave Sl95 70 the
'e.trsns. ~ churcbts with 1890 m embers
md probstioDera S27l $50 worth of PROF
'-tv. paying csc $50 oslary. contributing
Sl5C5 TO church bepeToiencas. gave S1J5
the vetlraus or Sc than IS from each
.5ureh.
In tie whole state, 29,5ti Me.hodis.s
'on 'fiAuted f3. the veterans S2T04 or less
1sn Il GEMS each. So veteran ministers
eceived s3270 Or So each; 80 widows
sceivsd $500 or sl01 each. Had these
68 claimants been dependent upon the coz
ributions Of the people they would have
"eceivsd less thsu $40 each; the rest was
p divided by the dividends Of the Book
Concern. si629, the Wesleyan Association
1924 and inves!ed funds. 35i churches in
New E1gIald Nth 23,902 members and
probasioner', sl,349 000 worth Of prof.
ry, psyinp si65; 572 salsTy con
'ibuting sl0,2l4 10 church heuevolerces,
ave for the veterans, 500 or little over
80 from each church. Had each pastor
ecursd for the vstersns one per cant. o.
lis o~n ssisry, he amount raised would
'sve been mere ihsr doubled, This ter
IDLE exbihi. reveals tie creates weakness
4 the p9li,y CT Ms,h5disn. There car be
1us ore remedy fos thi. evil. Let eaca
'ss.or do as he will ~iah to be done By
shen he is q veteran.
jar Benson HAMiLToy.
1AcKETrsIowN, N. J., Jan. %, 1892.