The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-02-05
Ministerial Wages, Not a Sala-
ry, but a Support,
(By Req jay Benson Hamilton. J

The MethopiSt Minister is the only labor
er not slave who works without wages.
He is the only laborer for whose services
no attempt is made to pay the full value re-
ceived. The compensation estimated for
him is called support He has no voice in
tixingit. He cannot collect it by law. He
has no power to choose his field of labor.
He may be sent to q church which does not
desire him and have the salary OF the form
er year reduced one half. He may be re-
turned to church which desired to get rid
Of him and have his salary reduced to one
third He may be removed from church
paying $4,000 salary and be sent to one pay
ing but Sl, 800. He may serve churches for
years for $1,000 or $1,000 and by a lucky
accident become the pastor of church pay
ing $4,000 and find himself appreciated by
his people as worth all they pay him. He
may give up business of So 300 a year to
enter the ministry and never receive above
$500 year. After giving his life to the
ministry he may find himself at fifty years
of age commpelled to drop from $4,000
salary to one of $1,000 and at the same
time have a great business house offer him
$65 week to fill one of is Irresponsible
positions He may find himself after more
tran twenty years of faithful service no
longer considered 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
is So tltCllNb tlHJ one Oh HIS
DerS may say of him 81 will take him into
my employ to-day and teach him my bust
ness, and pay him from the start twice the
salary he ever received from any church."
L can name the eminent and distinguished
ministers whose experience L have limited
at.
When the minister gets old he is not de-
sired for Pastor He is unable to go into
business from lack of capital; he is unable
to take up another profession; he is unable
TO learn trade, or work at one if he had
it; he is turned adrift to support himself
with the aid of beggerly 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 it. Methodism
does better by her Vet ran Ministers than
any Prote stant church in this country. but
she falls far short of her duty or ability.
She contributed just dime from each mem
Der and probatiOner in 1890. Three Annual
Conferences contributed 25 cents or over
per capita; four, from 20 to 25 cents;
twenty-three, over 10 and under 20 cents:
twenty four, over 5 and under 10 cents;
twenty-five, to cents; sixteen, less than
| cent
sos churches contributed to Veteran Min
listers. So each: 401 churches. 81; 5l1 churches
IS; 767 churches, So; S73 churches, 81:
1919 churches, so. AS the churches thatgave
81 of certainty took no collection, 2.792
churches ignored this cause so far as pub
lie present ton goes. 5,277 churches contri'
buted 1854, or less than SO each.
In the Vermont Conference. IL churches
with 72S members and probatiOnerS. S35, 800
worth Of church property, paying So 232 sal
airy, contributing $245 TO church benevo-
lences, gave SO to the Veteran Ministers
A. churches with 1858 members and pro-
bationers $131 900 worth of church proper
ty, paying S24,626 salary, contributing
81, 1870 to church benevolences, gave 1851 to
Veteran Ministers. 50 churches with $3.50
members and practitioners. $217,S00 worth
Of property, paying $2S'S58 salary, con-
tributing S2.435 to church benevolences,
gave $l6l to the Veterans, or less than So
from each church.
In the whole Conference, 1881 Meth
odlsts contributed for the Veterans, 81 ZOO,
or less than cents each. They contribute
ed to the other church benevoI III
IL Veteran Ministers recsia
each; Is widows CsSf