Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-02-04
EDIF0RIHE.
Ministerial Wages, not Salary, but a
support.

wages. lie Is the only laDOfer Tor
whose services no attempt is made to
pay the full value received. The COM
pensation estimated for him is called
support. He has no voice in fixing it.
He cannot collect it by law. He has
no power TO choose his field of labor.
Helmay be sent to a church which
does not desire him and have the sal
ary of the former year reduced one
half. He may be returned to a church
which desired to get rid of him and
have his salary reduced to one-third.
He may be removed from church pay
ing 1000 salary and sent to one pay
ing but 81, 900. Hemay serve churches
for years for 81 900 or 81 800 and by
lucky accident become the pastor of
church paying SO, 800 and find himself
appreciated by his people, as worth all
they pay him. He may give up bus
mess of SO, 800 year to enter the min
istry and never receive above $500 a
year. After giving his life to the min
istry he may find himself at fifty years
Of age compelled to drop from 50 900
salary to one of 81, 800, and at the
same time have great business house
offer him S65 week to fill one of its
most responsible positions. He may
ind himself after more than twenty
years of faithful service no longer con-
sidered for the best places, although he
has lifted from the second or third rank
several churches TO the first rank. And
he may be thus ignored when he is so
effective that one OF his official MEM
bers may say of him, 81 will take him
into my employ to-day and teach him
my business, and pay him from the
start twice the salary he ever received
from any church." can name the
eminent ard distinguished ministers
whose experience / have limited at.
When the minister gets old he is not
desired for pastor. He is unable to
20 into business from lack of capital
le is unable to take up another pro-
iession he is unable to learn trade,
or work at one if he had it; he is turn
ed adrift to support himself with the
aid Of beggarly pittance doled out to
him as a charity by the church he has
made rich. The gift is bestowed with
such offensive parade that nothing but
absolute need will drive him to accept !
II. Methodism does better by her vet
eran ministers than any Protestant
church in this country, but she falls
FAR short of her duty or ability. She
contributed just dime from eachmem
Der and probationer in 1890. Three !
Annual Conferences contributed % I
cents or over per capita four, from 20 !
to 25 cents; twenty-three, over 10 and
under 20 cents twenty-four, over
and under 10 cents twenty-five, l to
5 cents sixteen, less than cent.
There were SOC churches which con-
tributed to veteran ministers, So each
4OI churches, S4 5l1 churches, So
767 churches, 50 873 churches, 81
.919 churches, so. As the churches
that gave 81 of certainty took no col
lection, 2,792 churches ignored this
cause so far as a public presentation
goes. There were 5,277 churches
which contributed so, ,574, or less than
81 each.
In the Vermont Conference, IL
churches with 728 members and pro-
bationers, s35, 800 worth of church
property, paying s4,232 salary, con-
tributing s245 to church benevolences,
gave so to the veteran ministers. For
ty-eight churches with 4,56S members
and probationers, sI3I 900 worth of
church property, paying s24, ,626 sal
ary, contributing 81, 100 to church be-
nevolences, gave s161 to veteran min
isters. Fihy-nine churches with5 $50
members and probationers, S2l7,300
worth of property, paying s2S,s5S sal
ary, contributing s2,435 to church be-
nevolences, gave s161 to the veterans,
or less than SO from each church.
In the whole conference, 1851
1Ea.bo5;s.s oo,.r;huted for the yeter-