The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-01-29
CORRESPONDENCE.
mIniSIcIIaI Wa%rs, Not a salary. But
support.


support.
1The author of the following com
munication writes us a personal letter
which we copy in part as explanatory of
the article itself. The situation as well
as the argument will apply to other de-
nominations rs well and we give it space
to call the attention of the public to an
important matter. Mr.. Hamilton says:
AZ have travelled circuit for nearly one
year, reaching from Boston to st. Paul,
and firm Detruit to Baltimore. have aver
aged four addresses week in the most
prominent churches. l am writing for
thirty Methodist AduOcdteS. Less than
one in ten of our people ever read
Methodist paper lions Herald has
circulation of but $1,000 among the l2O,-
OO0 Methodists of New England. have
found it necessary to secure the co-opera.
ton of the secular press. | have gath
cred an immense array of interesting
facts, striking experiences and pathetic
incidents which would make very attrac-
tive reading for your patrons. | enclose
YOU an article containing some facts
which cost me much time and labor to
discover. Will you kindly aid this very
wolt thy and long neglected cause by Civ
ing this contribution place in your valua-
Bile paper ?'-ED.
To the Editor Of the Bdnner:-DEAR
SIR:-The Methodist minister Is the only
labOrer not q slave who works without
wages. He is the only laborer for whose
services no attempt is made to pay the
full value received. The compensation
estimated for him is called support. He
has no voice in fixing it, He cannot col
lect it by law. He has no power to choose
his field of labor. He may be sent to a
church which does not desire him and
have the salary of the former year re-
duced one-half. He may be returned to
a church which desired to get rid of him,
and have his salary reduced third.
He may be removed from church pay
ing s., 200 salary, and sent to one pay
ing but 81 800 He may serve churches
for years for 81 900 or 81 800, and by a
lucky accident become the pastor of a
church paying $500, and find himself
appreciated by his people as worth all
they pay him. lie may give up bust
ness of So, 800 year. to enter the minis
try, and never receive above $500 a year.
After giving his life to the ministry 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
a great business house offer him $61 a
week to fill one Of its most responsible
positions. He may find himself after
more than twenty years of faithful SER
vice, no longer considered fit for the best
places, although he has lifted from the
second or third rank several churches to
4'tle first rank" And he may be thus
ignored when he is so effective that one
OF his official members 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 and distinguished
ministers whose experience have limited
at.
When the minister gets old lie is not
desired for pastor. He is unable to 60
into business from lack of capital: he is
unable to take up another profession; he
is unable to learn a trade, CT work at one
if he had it; he is turned adrift to sup
port himself with the aid of a beggarly
pittance dUled out to him as charity by
the church he has made rich. The gift
is bestowed with such offensive parade
that OthinS but absolute need will drive
him to accept it. Methodism does bet
ter by her veteran ministers than any
Protestant church i'll this country, but
e she falls far short of her duty or ability.
She contributed just dime from each
member and prUbationer in 1890. Three
annual Conferences contributed % cents
or over per capita; four, from 20 to %
cents; twenty-three, over 10 and under
20 cents; twenty-fOur, over , and under
10 cents; twenty-five, | to > cents; six
teen, less than | cent.
Eight hundred and six churches con
tributed to veteran ministers, So each
401 churches, 81; 81 churches, 50; 767
o.. churches, 81; S73 churches, 81; l,01G
-. churches, 50. AS the churches that gave
81 of a certainty took no collection, 2, 792
a., churches ignored this cause so far as a
e public presentation goes. 5,277 churches
contributed S9,674, or less than g each
In the Vermont Conference, II
churches with 723 members and prOba
TONERS, 500, 500 worth Of church property
paying a 81, 232 salary, contributing, S24j
TO church benevolencc gave so To the
Veteran Ministers. 4S churches with
4,36S members and probationers, $l3l, :
600 worth of church property, paying
S24,626 salary, contributed $3.50 tC
church benevOlence, gave Sl6l to Veteran
Ministers. 20 churches with >, $50 mem.
bers and prObatoners, SIT, 800 worth o.
properly, paying SIS, SjS salary, cOntribut
ing 81, 43j to church benevolence, gave
$l6l to the veterans, or less than So from
each church.
In the whole Conference, 1901 MethC
dists contributed for the veterans, 81 ,OC0
or less hun eight cents each. They
contributed to the other church bencvo