The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-10-10
MORE PAY OR
NO SERMONS
METHODIST MINISTERS TIRED OF
WORKING FOR PITTANcE.
From Every Conference Come Reports
Of Preachers Deserving Pulpit for
Commercial Life and More Mon
ey-lnerease Recently Made.

Chicago. Oct. 9-The patient long
suffering Methodist minister has turn.
ed He is tired of preaching for a
pittance. He demands more salary.
He has Joined the ranks of the great
industrial army that has for its slo-
gan more pay" Startling figures
were read to the Methodist conference
here today. They revealed that the
demand Of the preachers for bigger
salary has reached the crisis. The
preachers In all the western states de.
mand a minimum scale of 81 900
year. From the Des Moines confer.
ence held recently at Council Bluffs.
Ia, comes the report that thirty.seven
of the 2l7 pulpits are vacant because
of the insufficient salaries paid to the
preachers. Ten years ago there
We're more preachers than pulpits in
this conference.
Salaries have been advanced about
800 each In the last four years, but
this increase. which has not kept pace
with the increase in cost of living,
has failed to stem the ministerial
stampede into business life. Five
Withdrawals from the ministry were
reported at the Northwest Iowa con.
ference in Sioux City and the same
reason was given In every case-in.
sufficient pay
The topic was fully discussed at
the Indiana conference at Columbus.
Speakers read statistics showing that
the cost of living had increased 40
per cent in the last few years, but
there had been less than 10 per cent
increase In salaries. Several minis.
ters withdrew from this conference
to enter lay pursuits. Invariably they
said that they preferred the preach.
ers life to a business career, but the
obligation to support their families
In decency" caused them. they said,
to decide in favor of business.
Resolutions favorfng higher pay
for the preachers were adopted by the
lay conference of Southern Iowa In
Burlington. From the Wisconsin con
ference In Milwaukee comes an es.
pecially pessimistic report. Salaries
there have not increased at all in the
last decade or so. II was revealed
that twenty pastors in the conference
receive less than s400 year. and
at that, each preacher In two differ
ent villages every Sunday. In this
conference there has been a decrease
of 20 per cent in salaries in the last
thirty five years. wGile the cost of liv-
ing has increased 40 or so per cent.
The reports from the Illinois con
ference show better conditions than
those of the Northwest. The banner
conference" for increase of salaries
was the one held in Bloomington.
Thete the reports showed an average
years. In the Central Illinois con.
ference and the Southern Illinois con-.
ference improved conditions were re.
ported though the remuneration in
many instances was still said to be
woefully inadequate.
A report at Fridays session of the
conference formulated demand for
a minimum salary of $1,000 for min.
listers in the Rock River conference.
The Rev. James NJ Phelps. president
of the committee, addressed the meet
ing in favor of the movement. He
said that in the last three years there
had been an increase of about 220 per
cent in the contributions to the fund,
that the collections were larger and
more general in the churches and
that In a few years the realization of
the $1,000 salary as a minimum TO
be paid any member Of the conference
might be looked for
Vice President Fairbanks, who at
tended the conference, spoke OF the In.
adequate salaries, saying: "We have
been remiss in our responsibility and
duty and have not made adequate
provision for the ministry when strick.
/ On NTH apeu