The sun., 1904-04-08
POVERTY IN The PARSONAGE
METHODIST CONFERENCE NOT TO
DROP THE SUBJECT.
Many Salaries OF Lees Than $500 Year
in the Poushkeepsie District, Its
Elder RepOrts-No Such story From
City Churches-Yesterday's Talks.

Agitation was begun at yesterdays ses-
sion of the New York Methodist Conference
in st. Paul's Church, Harlem, to end the
state of things under which some preachers
receive salaries so small that only bare
existence upon them ia possible. The Rev
Dr. Thomas Bond, pastor of the Thirty
seventh Street Methodist Church, offered a
resolution suggesting that the general mis-
sionary committee of the Methodist Church.
which dispenses denominational benevolent
contributions, be asked to retain a certain
percentage Of the $l,500,O00 given each
year to missions for the help Of weak
parishes at home. DR.. Bonds resolution
will be taken up later. 1t may result in a
memorial to the Methodist General Con-
ference voicing this request.
The Rev. DR.. G. W. Millard OF the New
York district was the only presiding elder
who did not mention the small salaries
in his report. He has the city churches.
Ho told OF great advance in his district
in the last twelve months Of the payment
of many church debts and the raising OF
$780, 900 in his district
'Our honored superannuates the preach
ers who have fought and won the battles
of Methodism, do not get the treatment
they should" he concluded. Don't make
them objects of charity. They are claim
ants on us, not supplicants.'
Presiding Elder Belcher said in his report
from the Poughkeepsie district: Although
salaries are low we manage to do some
work Under my supervision are several
districts which pay salary less than $500
per annum.
The Rev. Ismar j. PERTH, who gave up
the Jewish faith to become a Methodist
and is now professor Of the Semitic language
and literature in Syracuse University,
preached to the conference its annual sermon
yesterday. The theme was -Chrst's Su-
premacy as a Teacher" the text Never
man so spake.'
Loud applause greeted the Rev. DR..
Ezra Tipple when he announced that the
thank Offering commission which set out
three years ago to raise 81 900 600 for metro
politan Methodism, had succeeded in it's
task. For the payment Of church debt,
he said. s553,057 has been given; for en-
dowment and equipment. s4s3,94O, total of
81 ,O3e. 1897, of which s733 $50 has been paid.
1t developed at the conference that
petition has been received from n man
who years ago, was min ster in the con-
ference, but withdrew before serious charges
against him could be brought for trial.
The withdrawal amounted practically to
accommodation. Now this ex-pastor,
who is said to live near Kingston, feels
that he may not hive long and desires at
least to die within the pale of the Church.
He will never be restored to the ministry,
but may be readmitted to membership.
I his action will probably be recommer ded
to the conference to-day by q special COM
mittee. of which the Rev. DIR. j. NJ. King is
chairman.
This afternoon Bishop Andrews will
consecrate these women as deaconesses:
Bahret, Mabel ' s. Brown. own Mary d'' A. Butler, r
Margaret Compton. Willetta Fancher Emile
Ilorieux, Lillian Lewis. Gertrude Resseguie
and Melissa Reynolds,
These following licentiates qualified at
dained on Sunday:
As Elders-The Revs. A. D. Ball. Central
-VIit0y; W. p. Blsokie. Pleasantyille: y. IL.
CbesebFo; i Vest tsarkantc: Il; b Ghar9n,
hart, Carmel; d. H Piper. BIoomville. and
Charles r. Ross, Yonkers.
AS sDeccons-The Rows. William l.. Cadman.
Elzaville. brother OF the Rev DR.; S. Parkes
Cadman OF Brooklyn: William j. Calyer.
Cooks Falls: Charles S. Deming, Washing
tonvlle; ". H.. Finch, Mountainville,; J A,
Union Seminary: II Y, Murkland. Durham;
q. A. Shahan. Milton. and NJ p, Williams,
Greenville.
A thousand Methodists gathered last
night in Grace Church to celebrate the COM
pletion OF the Twentieth Century tt ank-
offering Fund, and as guests OF the Metho-
dist Social Union. There were brief ad-
dresses by Bishop Andrews and j. Edgar