The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-10-19
They Average Only Eight Hun
dred Dollars a Year.
BISHOP FAlLOWS' SUGGESTION.
Ills That Rev. Ansan Phelps Stokes, the
Rich Clergyman, Use Part OF Ills Wealth
to Support Worn Out Preachers.

New Haven. Conn, Oct. 19.-An open
letter has become public. in which Bishop
Samuel Fullows. OF Chicago, ILL.,, Of the
Reformed Episcopal church, suggests To
the Rev. Anson Phelps Stokes. assistant
rector of ST. Pauls church and secretary
OF the Yale corporation, that he devote a
part of his inheritance 10 fund for worn
out ministers of the gospel.
Mr.. Stokes did not say what was attri-
buted to him by New York newspaper
In the report to which Bishop Fallows re-
fers, and he has been annoyed and har-
assed greatly by letters from persons who
read the false account. Bishop Fallows
writes.
rYou are credited with being the rich
est clergyman In the country. II not I'm
the world You have come into posses
sion OF your vast wealth by Inheritance
A New York paper is the authority for
a statement which you have just made,
in which you say almost wish that
was a poor man; the money that have
inherited is an encumbrance TO me-.
A PLAN SUGGESTED.
81 do not presume to intrude my opinion
as TO your duty upon you. but l may sug-
gest a possible plan by which you may 90
great good with a portion of your wealth.
Before doing this lpermit me TO say Mega
lively, do not build beautiful. costly
church for any parish TO which you may
be called 10 minister TO without remuner-
alton. 1t woud be mistaken kindness.
IL would pauperize your congregation.
whether rich or poor.
II would call your attention TO the COM
paratively poor compensation which the
ministers OF Christ in every church In our
own country are receiving today.
After a laborious and careful collation.
of statistics ! found that the average
clerical salary paid in the United States
was less than $500 per year. Your own
church, the Protestant Episcopal, fur
nished the highest average, and the Pres
byterian church the next highest.
--Tne Rurk River conference Of the
Methodist Episcopal church. the foremost
and richest conference OF Methodism. in
cluding within Its bounds the city OF Chi
cago and it's vicinity paid last year an
average OF 1926. Some OF the Members OF
that body are among the most noted
preachers OF the nation.
1.-TWO dollars and half a day repre-
sentss the amount paid on the average 10
the men VINO, HI over our ldnut nf1nR
gifts and graces. culture and consecra-
tion unequaled In any other sphere OF
labor 10 the service of their fellowmen
'In law. medicine and politics age may
bring increasing usefulness and cores
ponding rewards. In the ministry IL is a
serious disadvantage.
TWO TYPICAL CASES.
1.-TWO typical cases. out OF many which
have come under my notice, / may give
by way of illustration. One of them was
an earnest. eloquent minister, OF super
for organizing ability, who would have
been the peer OF any living United States
senator had hes chosen a political career
and been elected TO that high office.
He had rendered forty years service
TO his church in various capacities. but at
sixty-eight years OF age was no longer in
demand In order TO live he was COM
PEELED TO take book canvasser's posi-
ton and solicit orders from house TO
house among many OF his former parish
toner's.
The other had been n professor for
many years In a western college after