The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-06

1
| therefore, the number Of ordained but
| unemployed ministers in Connecticut
must increase rather than diminish.
While all these well intended inter-
mediaries may prove very convenient
often, especially to ministers, they do
not, and cannot remove the evil COM
| planned Of This is demonstrated by the
fact that where they have been in oper-
alton longest, unemployed ministers are
now disproportionately numerous. The
churches make but scant use of them.
Their aid is invoked as a rule only by
| those ministers who despair of finding
employment in any other way A min
| lister with half dozen invitations in
| his pocket to preach as a candidate in
as many fairly good churches never
stoops to invoke the aid of a Minister
ial Bureau" or a Board of Pastoral
| Supply Why then should church
with well endorsed applications from a
score or a hundred good men on its
| file be expected to invoke the aid of
| such a Bureau" or such a Board Of
| Pastoral Supply?" The fact Is the as
sumption that IL "Pastorless churches
and c!lurchless ministers could be prop
| erly introduced to each other the pre-
vailing evil would be removed" is a
false assumption. The evil cannot be
| removed in that way. What is needed
is a truer equation between available
ministers and churches offering pastor
al support That equation is now want
ing.
The remedy suggested for the second
evid would, no doubt, prove effectual
IL its application We're only practicable,
viz, zone generous collection annually
from each and every Congregational
church In the United States to each of
the benevolent and missionary socie-
ties"
This remedy has been earnestly rec
commended annually ever since these
societies were first organized, but in
vain. The percentage of contributing
churches has not improved: on the
contrary, 1t has gone down. The re-
suit is, increasing debts.
The Hon. Samuel B. Capen, in not
able paper read at the last meeting of
the National council. called attention to
the following significant facts, viz, of
the 5,342 Congregational churches in the
country at that time only 1921 were
contributors to the American Board the
previous year; only 3,505 were contribu-
tors to the American Home Missionary
society; only 1901 were contributors to
the American Missionary association;
only 2,378 were contributors to the
Church Building society; only 1042 were
contributors to the College and Educa-
ton society: only 2s97 were contribu-
tors to the Sunday School and Publish
ing society
The figures for 1898 are not yet avail
able There is no reason to suppose,
however, that they will show any inn
provement over the above. In fact, we
shall have ample reason to be thankful
If they are not less favorable than the
above.
What, then, is the true explanation OF
these vexirg problems? Why are so
many ordained Congregational minis
ters, anxious to work, out of profession
al employment? And why are the
above named benevolent and mssiona-
ry societies permitted to suffer under
burdensome debts? The following facts
and figures. CLEANED from the official
returns OF the churches themselves, as
found in the last Year Book" furnish
the truest, hence the best answer to
both questions.
The Year Book" for 1897 gives the
name and location of 5,614 Congrega-
tional churches in the United States on
the first day of January, 1898 OF that
number, 5000, iii round numbers, raised
less than $500 each during the previous
year for total home expenses. To be
specific:
203 raised between $500 and $500.