Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-26
ss-s-s-.-s-s-s.s-s.s-s-s-s-s-sas4ts
Flor Sunday Reading. ]
+ All Sorts Of Opinions. !
Observation-Disclosures.
Poorly Paid Preachers.

The truth Is, says the Kew. H. "A.
French, editor of the Congregational
News. the ministry is becoming
/ tainted with commercalism, and the
faint is spreading.
"The minister of today is usually a
college bred man, and he must have
books, he must live fairly we'll and he
wants his family to enjoy some of the
material advantages of life. While the
| spirit of self sacrifice is by no means
| dead, preachers are compelled. with
| the prices Of everything they require
mounting, to consider the question of
| financial returns.
1.-The preacher is sufficiently world
| ly to believe that he is entitled to a
spent in preparation for his life work,
and in addition he must support his
! family according to a standard of liv-
ng commensurate with his position in
| tho world.
The greater number of vacancies in
| the Congregational church are in the
missions and the small places paying
only a $500 a year. The average
| length of a pastors stay at one of
these places is year. Usually he
finds it a hard task to raise even $500
among his people.
THE desire to enter another field at
larger salary induces many resigna-
lions. bright, capable, ambitious
young man is not content to labor long
for day laborers' wages, and If one
succeeds him of like caliber it is the
same story over again.
1.-THE church has Fal1ay, In, 1i,,o y,
the demands of business in another
sense The aged minister is not wan
ted, and very often the line is drawn
at the middle aged. Some congrega-
tons in making their acquisitions put
down an age limit at So.
| Often the first question asked of a
proposed minister is his age, and very
often this Is the chief requisite insist
ed upon. The older men are being
crowded out in the profession right
along, and this Is one of the reasons
for the scarcity Of men to fill Profess
tant pulpits. The $500 cong. egations
usually insist upon the matter of age
| like the Others"
1t is asserted that the reports Of at
tendance at theological seminaries
show lower average than ever. The
larger financial opportunities offered by
the law, medicine and othcc profess
sions is believed to be preventing many
from entering the ministry, with its
low salaries and its exacting require
ments. Ambitious young men invests
gate now before they adopt profess
sion or enter business, and the minis
try no longer calls with it's old force.
The scarcity of preachers has given
impetus to the movement to reduce the
number of churches. In many in
stances Lutheran missionaries, who are
in reality business agents of the
church, advise their people to join 9TH
er churches, and the same Is true Of
practically all of the Protestant denom-
nations in the west.
Where complaints come in of small
salaries or slow payments an agent of
the church investigates. ard if he is
unable to bring about better conditions
he frankly advises rte abandonment
Of the church organization and un-
ion with some other denomination IN
the town. None of the churches can
compel the acceptance o. this advice.
but in many instances circumstances
and the withdrawal o. the pastor farce
it's adoption.
Complaint is made that the :ilurch
treasures reflect but Slightly the ex-
listing prosperity.