The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-29
SALARIES OF CLERGY
SMALL AMOUNTS PAID IN MOST OF
 THE CHURCHES.
Ministers Asked To Bring Up Families and Maintain Social Position on e4ee Per Annum and
 Even Lesa.

New Yorlx. Sept 2S--A living wage for the clergy Is q matter that Is serious Iy engaging the attention of nearly all church organizations Wage earners, by uniting, demand and often obtain remuneration. but the preachers have remained poorly paid class.
 A crisis has been reached. The cost of living has been so increased that the salary of ten years ago does not now sufsce to maintain even small family in the manner expected Of preacher. as his position demands cer- tain outlays that many a man in other callings can avoid. The cry is not one of locality, but extends over the Eng fish speaking world, being quite as pronounced in Great Britain as in this country and just as earnest In East as in the West of the United States.
 It has been recently brought up in conventions and conferences in Cali forfiia. Michigan and Massachusetts The papers in England are full of the subject. There are columns of the most pitiful letters detailing the prfva- tions forced upon preachers of the Church of England through lack oi means of living decently.
 CIergymen agree that 1t has come to the point when they can no longer carry life insurance to protect tnel' families, and in many cases they ue' clare they cannot properly educate theii children. The average minister has an education that units him for pusf- ness. He has a smaller income thar the mechanic and has a generous heart and q big family. He is seif sacrnic. ing and unworldiy He manages 70 save little or nothing. Asa young man he may secure ! good paying position for time, oa, ' es the years advance he Is unable to ao the work for which he IS caueo and his position is lowered. He mas gtvan all his best years to the church end has no assurance that he VIII pc cared for in his declining days.
 The California conference or the Mathodist Church is trying to meet the matter by appointing a new com.ni.les m ministerial support which wAl no. onIv examine into means for occurring increased salaries. but provide pen ison for superannuates.
 The Detroit Baptist Association. rep- resenting forty-nine churches In bass. ern Michigan, has recommenaeo z " per cent salary increase whit a mn irur of s75e annually it being shown that ciergymen could not longer bring in families on S40o and $500 year
 Tn New Hampshire 51o Baptist. Free paptist. Congregatfonai and Methodist churches do not raise $500 or eacn naator'a salaries. The average living os ei9hty-seven pastors in Maine IS sea1 s year. and of this number fifty- three have had college training.
 Rev. c. D. Lindsay looked into tne matter, and of forty-two ministers WHO had been from ten to twelve years sscb in their present positions only . hare dozen received sufficient saiary@o cover the cost of living.
 A well informed preacher In indians 2 aeclaree that Baptist clergy In tnat state do not average $500 year. Hard iv a dozen out of 2,60o preachers in the Central west outside of Chicago re- ceive as high as s2,oo0 year. |.
 Taking all the figures together does not appear that the average tns ". country over Is above s4oo year:
 makes 1t apparent that the minister nS tha present day must choose pe- t.,asn aebt. single blessedness. race s,Icida or a rich wife. Within a few vearm over q dozen preachers In Pitts- hurw and vicinity have quit the pulpi, . nd started selling life insurance Salu nns of them, Rev J. 0. Carpenter oI .ns NFt washington Methodist Protest
 .svvith sadness am forced to sever u... convection with the ministry. It sSot aIto~ether from choice but from ..cassttv. It is not altogether q mat .ar oS money consideration but In the s1shar cost of living. No charge nas otssrea itself that I think VIII 1usuLy "a, acceptinR. If ever opportunity or e@ays @ ,tseif I will re-enter the ministry hrt there Is not a living in It now