Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-23
Salary Of Qastors.
One-third of American Preachers Are Paid Less
Than $400-P1ans Suggested to In
crease the Stipend.

sauation. Living is 20 per cent higher
than ten years ago. yet the salaries az
ministers have. as far my experience
goes. remained stationary. Something
must be done. or the best Young men OF
the church will feel more strongly than
they do now that the church is rscresnt
and unworthy. and that they can help
fallen humanity and save souls in other
WAYS than by entering the ministry OF a.
selfish church"
1t is argued by some that while the cost
of living has increased. the style of living
is likewise more lavish. This is not so
true of this country as of England. 1t
cost $4,000 a year just to maintain the
palace of the Bishop of Norwich, and rs
declared that no layman in England
would for a moment consider occupying
the Bishop of Ripons palace on the in
come that he has.
At a diocesan conference recently the
Vicar Of Leeds came out for more mod
est palaces for the bishops. He said
they would meet the case and make
much of the present expenditure needless.
Sir Francis Powell, at the same gather
Ing, warned the bishops against entertain
ing too lavshly. 1T Is not desirabla that
their hospitality should he champagne
hospitality he said. but that modes
hospitality which | believe is the best
form. Even st. Paul has something To
say on the matter OF hospitality" he
added.
The Exeter diocesan conference heard
report from the clergy fund committee
which said. i'm part: IF only a quarter OF
the money which has been freely spent
during the past fifty years i'm adjoining
their church buildings with stained glass
carved oak and other luXuries has been
applied To endOwments for the mainte-
nance OF clergy to serve them. the present
awful problem o. clerical poverty would
long since have been solved
The English bishops have other than
their mere living expenses to consider
however There are taxes before taking
their high positions and taxes after they
are ordained There was one bishop who
took office only recently whose fees aG-
Sregated about So.f00. ranging from $40
to &c secretary Of state to 81 to the SER
geant of his masters ChapI Royal The
first sermon of the bishop i'm question:
was preached from the text. "A c,rtaiin
man went down from Jerusalem to Jtri-s
cho and tell among thieves"
One solution of the whole matter il
that proposed by Rev Dr. George A.
Gordon of the New Old South Church at
Boston. THE Congregationalists of Mas
sachusetts should establish a sustentation
fund, to which all congregations would
contribute as in the Free Church OF Scot
land, i'm order that every one Of their min
listers may be assured a salary Of at least
81. 900 a year. he said. There are many
ministers today in the state getting 500
to 500 a year, and such pay is not
enough for an educated man with a wife
and family to maintain; it is less than
mechanics are getting in many instances
Boston is a conventiOn-ridden city, and
there is a tendency to overdo the con-
ventfon idea. Conventions are all right
in their way, but what We need is not to
raise $4,000 here and $4,000 there TO
send some one to a convention to talk.
We need that money to increase the
salaries of our ministers, that there NAV
be lifted from the minister and his family
many Of the humiliations to which they
are now subject