The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-12-27
The Salary Of the Presiding Elders.

The Yorkville correspondent OF the
{! News and Courier tells of an Interesting
Developments at the Methodist Quarterly
Conference in Yorkville, involving the
question of the Presiding Elders salary.
The facts of the case escaped the re-
porter for the Enquirer completely at
the time, but the matter at issue seems
to be OF sufficient interest to warrant the
publication of condensed reproduction
of the story as sent to the News ana Cou-
rier by its correspondent.
It appears that controversy has de-
veIoped out of a difference OF opinion as
to the salary that should be paid to the
Presiding Elder of the Rock Hill dis
trict, that official, in the opinion OF
many members of the Church, now re-
ceiving rather more than his share OF
pay as compared with the pay OF the
average minister of equal ability,
Some years ago, according to the
statement as related to the correspond
ent by a churchman who IS ID close
accord with the facts, the district stew
ards, after a conference, decided that
the Presiding Elder of this district
should have salary equal to about 81, zoo
and necessary expenses, and to raise
this sum levied an assessment on the
churches on a basis of Sl4.oO Tor eacn
500 paid their respective pastors.
AS time went on and the churches
grew in numbers and strength the sal
arv of the Presiding Elder increased to
about $1,000 and expenses, and quite a
respectable proportion of the member
ship is beginning to arrive at convlc-
ton that this is at least quite liberal.
Each church holds its Quarterly Con-
ference, composed of the stewards, pre-
sided over by the Presiding Elder, and
at the last Quarterly Conference elects
steward to represent it IN the District
Conference. This District Conference
is charged vita the supervision OF dis
trict affairs generally, including, the
fixing of the pay of the Presiding Elder:
and it is understood that at the last
meeting OF the Quarterly Conference OF
the Yorkville church there was pur-
pose to elect a district steward who was
in favor OF readjustment OF the salary
question.
By virtue of his Office the Presiding
Elder presides over Quarterly Confer
ences, and it seems that, according to
the rules of the Church government, 1t
is the privilege OF the Presiding Elder
to nominate for district steward a can
didate to be elected by the majority OF
the stewards. When the Conference
reached this stage of the proceedings
the Presiding Elder preferred the name
OF steward who was understood to be
disinclined to interfere with the salary
question. The stewards voted no. The
Presiding Elder suggested another nom
inee of presumably the same views,
with the same result, and the third
effort turned out in q like manner.
1t now being apparent that the stew
ard body was disinclined to accept the
Presiding Elders suggestion, that offl-
Ger expressed himself on the subject
with some emphasis, and one OF the
stewards suggested that if the Presid-
ING Elder would continue on through
the list ne would surely fnG nominee
who would prove acceptable and who
would be promptly elected. The Pre-
siding Elder, however, refused to make
anv other nominations and there was
40 election of district steward.
The complication raised question
which, it is understood, is altogether
new, and the issue between the Presld-
ing Elder and the Board Of Stewards
will be considered in the State Confer
ence now in session in Spartanburg.-
Yorkville Enquirer.