The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-08-29
The Pay Of Preachers.

Mr.. Henry King Carroll, who has
been in charge Of the religious statis-
tics of the century, furnishes for the
August Forum, an article on "The Pay
Of Preachers" which supplies inter.
esting facts concerning the support OF
the clergy. The Society Of Friends is
adopting the nearly universal custom,
though for a long time it has been the
only body which did not provide regu-
lar clergy for its people. The minis
terial salaries are generally higher in
cities than in towns and villages. The
Bishops form class Of ministers by
themselves. The largest Episcopal
income is 800, including house
rent, but the lowest is $4,000 a year,
with $500 for travelling expenses.
The average income of a Bishop is
$4,000 a year. The salaries of the
Bishops Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church average $4,000 and those of
Roman Catholic Bishops range frem
$4,000 to $4,000 and house. The
college presidents receive as incomes
S., 900 and upward.
The Methodists have 16,50O tray
elling preachers, and their average
salary is s847, though the income Of
some Of the foremost Methodist preach
ers is from $4,000 to $1,000. The
vast number receive on an average not
more than $500 year. The Congre:
gationalists are very liberal toward
their ministers. The average salary
in Massachusetts is 81 ,474, and there
are two churches in Boston which pay
$1,000 each. There are in the denom-
ination thirty-six pastorates which
yield each s., 1000 and upward. The
average salary among the Presbyte-
rians is between 81 900 and $1,000 q
year. They have one parish, that Of
DR.. John Hall, Of New York, which
pays $4,000 year and parsonage,
and as a rule their ministers are llber-
ally provided for.
The wealthiest denomination in the
United States is the Jewish, but it
makes no returns of its salaries. The
average clergy in the Episcopal Church
obtain $500 year, but in many cases
the income is $4,000, and in large
number of instances it is $4,000. The
Baptists pay very low salaries. Prob
ably no Baptist pastor in any of our
cities receives more than $4,000, with
one. exception. The Lutherans pay
small salaries, but usually give in fees
and other pcrquisites quite as much as
in the salary. In only a single in
stance do they pay $4,000 a year.
These facts are the essential fea-
lures of the pay of the clergy in the
United States. They show that when
compared with the incomes Of the
physicians and the lawyers, except
where the great prizes are concerned,
the clergy are quite as we'll off pecuni,,
arily as any other great professional
class. The minister gets half-rates or
reductions at many points where he
would not think Of asking it if he
were in any other profession, and his
social and educational privileges are
of the highest order. On the whole,
the clergy throughout the country
have nothing to complain Of. They
are we'll and fairly treated by the peo-
pie. In the division of such a large
amount of money, and in the exigen-
cies of life, it is impossible that there
should not arise instances of hardship
where the salary is too scant for the
clergyman, but wherever those cases
| exist there are proper methods OF
removing the difficulty, and vigor,
GUS use of Christian common sense
applied to the situation usually brings
relief. Boston Herald.