Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-31
The Paw of Ministers.


The average annual salary of min
lister of the gospel is but 1868, in all
the denominations represented in the
compilations on this subject in part 1
of special report on the census Of re-
ligious bodies for 1906, which is now
in press preparatory to its submission
by United States Census Director Du-
rand to Secretary Nagel of the depart
ment of commerce and labor. The re-
port was compiled under the super
vision Of William c. Hunt, chief sta
tistician of population in the census
bureau, and the statistics were collect
ed partly by correspondence and part
ly by special agents.
1t is pointed out in the introduction
that this is the first time an attempt
has been made in the United States
census to secure official statistics con-
corning salaries paid to ministers. 1t
is stated that the results of the cen
sus are not entirely satisfactory on
account of the failure of some minis
tiers to report their salaries and of
others to report without sufficient
clearness. Of the grand total of 1856
denominations in continental United
States, the report states that Is have
no regular ministry and 90 either pay
no stated salaries or make returns
which are not sufficiently complete to
warrant tabulation.
OF the 2O1 ,351 organizations compos-
ing the 102 remaining denominations.
there were 164,229, or SIG per cent,
which made returns to the census in
Quiry, and the report states there is
reason TO believe that these are sub
stantially complete and accurate, and
it is thought that they embrace a suf-
ficient number of organizations of the
respective denominations to. be fairly
representative of conditions as TO the
average salaries paid to ministers.
The figures in the tables are for con-
tinental United States, for each of the
four principal classes of cities-that
is. those having a population in 1900
of $4,000 to $4,000, of $4,000 to 100, 1000,
of 100 900 to 100000 and of 100000 and
over, and for the area outside of them.
The denomination showing the high
est average is the Unitarian, with ST.
653, while the denominations next in
order are the Protestant Episcopal
church, S1.242; the Universalists, ST.
23S; the General Convention of the
New Jerusalem in the United States
of America, S1,233; the Jewish con-
gregations, s1,222; the Presbyterian
church in the United States of Amer
lea, SLIT; the Reformed church in
America, $1,170; the United Presby-
terrain church OF North America, ST.
096; the ongregationalists, $1,042;
the Christian Catholic Church in Zion,
S1,037, and the synod of the Reformed
Presbyterian church of North Amer
lea, $1,O08.
Among the denominations showing
an average salary considerably lower
than the general average for the Unit
ed States are the Advent Christian
church; all the Baptist bodies except
the Northern Baptist convention; the
Christian Union, the Christians Chris
tan Connection), the Church of Christ,
Scientist; the General Eldership of
the Churches of God in North Ameri-
ca; the Society of Friends Orthodoxy
the colored Methodist bodies; the
Methodist Protestant, Wesleyan Meth
odist and Free Methodist churches;
the Salvation Army, and the Volun-
tecrs of America. In the case of most
of the last named bodies, as shown by
the report, many of the organization
reporting are outside of the principal
cities, and many of them are doubt
less in rural regions, and this fact ac-
counts largely for the comparatively
low average salary. The low average
shown for the Church of Christ. Sci
enlist. is said to be due to the fact that
most of those who serve as ministers,
or readers, are persons having other
vocations and not dependent on the
salaries paid by the churches. In the
case of the Salvation Army and Volun-
teers of America the allowance made
by the officers serving at the various
posts is usually based upon the prob
able expenses. and is practically linn
tied to these expenses.