Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-10

L
His work is the best defense of the gen
eral public and makes toward indvid-
ual decency and good government.
BUSINESS METHODS IN CHURCH WORK
One of the most serious difficulties in
the path of the average clergyman, and
especially of those ministers whose pas
torate is over a weak and struggling
congregation, is the uncertainty of full
payment of the annual stipend due
them from its members. Despite the
scriptural asseveration 10 that effect.
the laborer. however worthy, often finds
himself considerably short of his hire
| When the average salary of the minis
| try is considered in all It's meagerness,
| the question of full and prompt pay
ment of the ministerial honorarium is a
problem in the solution of which all
churchmen, communicates as we'll as
clergy, should be interested.
| In recent number of the Church
Eclectic, Rev. John e. II. Simpson. a
minister of Portland, Ore, submits q
most excellent plan, which tho old as
the church itself has the merit of prac-
| teal simplicity. He would raise the
money fer the ministry by assessment
| Of the members of the church. He sug-
gests 80 cents monthly as an equitable
and sufficient uniform rate and to the
accumulation from this source would
add to the slistentation fund special en-
dowment gifts and the funds for certain
general church purposes which have
he asserts the sustentation fund would
be so enlarged as TO pay respectable
salaries. In the Episcopa, church. with
which his article deals particularly,
these figures would represent about
$500 annually to the 4941 clergymen
and $4,000 to the eighty-one bishops of
that organization. He calls attention
to the fact that the assessment method
is used successfully in the Roman Cath
olic, the Mormon and Adventist
churches.
The old-fashioned method of tithing
lis apparently more strictly equitable
than a uniform assessment under which
rich and poor pay alike. Whether one
tenth of ones income is too much to
devote to church purposes is question
for the contributor to settle for him.
self and seems TO depend largely upon
his convictions and understanding of
his duties toward the church. A sys-
tenn of taxation based upon the books
of the township and city assessors
would distribute the burden of church
support equally as 1t does the cost of
self government, and would seem
worthy of consideration.
Whatever effect Rev Simpsons sug-
gestion has upon church finances
some business method of meeting
church obligations is a crying necessity.
There is no honest reason to be adj
vanced whereby the minister's salary
should be cut below the amount agreed
upon. 1t is as much Cue and TO be
promptly paid as the wages of the sex
ton or of any other employee. Few peo-
pie realize the eternal struggle against
poverty which goes on Ia the family of
- ,f-a,,
congregations. The wolf stands always
at the door with little but the random
nand of charity between it and the
hearthstone. If all the biographies of
the sincere and high spirited men and
women who have fought out their lives
for the faith chained to abject poverty
as Prometheus to the rick, might be
written and read the innuisitorial hor-
rors of history would pale in compare
da fe, where each died bravely for
duty and the faith. If any laborer is
worthy of his hire it is the simple, con-
scientious Christian minister of what
ever denomination. 1t is the duty of
the church to see him paid promptly
and according to contract, and If the
churches desire to retain and increase
the respect of the world for their or
CARNATIONS they will adept some busl
ness method of raising funds to meet
their business obligations.