The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-03


 We had about 300 ministers who had been ordained from thirty to thirty four years, of whom about tifty-fye per cent were still serving the churches
 We had about 400 ministers who had been ordained from twenty-five to twenty-nine years, of whom about sev- enty per cent were still serving the churches
 We had about 465 ministers who had been ordained from twenty to twenty four years, Of whom about eighty per cent were still serving the churches
 When carefully analysed these facts suggest that many of those who are now reported to be without charge" are in that respect without hope" also, and that solely on account of their age. Not because they are actually old, but because they are not young. They may be we'll and full of vigor, and better preachers and pastors than when they were younger, but that makes no differ ence they are not young, they have cross ed ''the dead line," hence they are not wanted. It may be a very unjust, and a very unwise and detrimental policy to the best interest of the churches l nevertheless it is unquestionably true that our ministers are placed on the re- ! tired list at rapid rate after they have been ordained from twenty to thirty years. And there are forces now at work which tend to demand their re- | tirement at still earlier age. In view of these facts it is obvious | that if every Congregational minister and lcentiate in the United States now available for real pastoral service were | placed in charge of a church a large number of churches would have to re- | main vacant" still, for notwithstand- | Ing the apparent "crowding" in the pro- | fession in certain localities, our vacant churches outnumber our available min | isters by many hundreds. I How, then, is the indisputable fact that many available ministers are now asking in vain for professional employ ment to be accounted for? A few of | the sacts oi the other side of the case will furnish the best answer to this question.
 | According to the official report al l ready referred to we had at the close of the year A. D. 1894, 5,342 Congregational churches in this country. But what of their record during that year in respect to the important matter of pastoral support? When minister devotes his time to serve a church, then that church must support him unless he has 1 private means of his own, which is sell | dom the case. How many of our | churches did this in the year 1894? I give below the record of what fully eighty-two per cent of them did in that | respect They are credited as follows: | One church paid its pastor $12,000. | Another paid $11,000.
 Five churches paid $10,o0o each; one 1 paid ss,0O0.
 Two churches paid s7,5oo each; two l churches paid $7,000.
 Nine churches paid $6,000 or upward but less than s7,0oC.
 Twenty churches paid $5,000 or up ward, but less than $6000.
 Twenty-seven churches paid $4,000 oi | upward, but less than $5,000.
 Eighty-four churches paid $3,o00 oi upward, but less than $4,ooo. Sixty-six churches paid $2500 or up ward, but less than $3,0o0. One hundred and twenty-two churches paid s2,000 or upward, but less thar $2,500. sH
 Two hundred and forty-two churches paid s1,200 or upward but less thar | $1,3O0.
 Three hundred and seventy thre, churches paid $1,oO0 or upward, but les. than s1,100.
 One hundred and eightyfive churche: paid $9O0 or upward, but less than $1, 900
 Two hundred and eghty-nine church es paid $500 or upward, but less thai $9OO
 Three hundred and ten churches pait $700 or upward, but less than $500.
 Three hundred and fifty-sever churches paid $500 or upward, but les' than $7oo
 Two hundred and fifty-seven church. es paid $500 or upward but less thar
 $500.
 One hundred and ninety sever churches paid $40O or upward, but les
 than $500.
 Two hundred and twenty-five church
 es paid $500 or upward, but less thai $400
 Two hundred and twenty churche
 paid $200 and upward but less thai $500.
 Two hundred and twenty churche
 paid $100 or upward, but less than $20G
 And one hundred and twenty on
 churches paid less than $100 each to
 ward the support of a pastor durin, the year A. D. 1894. Such is a part of the official showin, in this case, but not the whole of it Nearly HOO churches failed to repor , any pastoral support for that year
 And, as fully four-fift of them wer
 small, feeble and practically defunc
 churches, we have no reason to suppos that they really contributed much o
 anything at all for that purpose.
 If we add 960 of this number to tn 1,241 churches last mentioned abov
 which paid less than $500 toward pas
 toral support during the year unde
 consideration, we shall have at leas
 2,200 churches which did not, and pos
 sibly could not, pay more than frac
 tion of the amount required to suppor
 therefore, that 1900 is the very leas z amount on which a Christian ministe
 can manage to live, then the very hear } of our trouble will ie before us in plail
 view, for then it will appear that ou of our 5,342 churches, only 3,142 actuall : supported pastors during the year 1S9t
 Our trouble, therefore is not too man : ministers who are available for gen . uine pastoral service, but too man