The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-06-01
HE PAY OF MINISTER'S.
The Census Bureau Shows the Aver
age Annual Salary at $663.

gospel is but s663. in all the denomi
nations represented in the compila-
tions on this subject in Part 1 of a
special report on the Census Of Relig
ious Bodies for 1906, which is now in
press preparatory of its submission by
United States Census Director Durand
to Secretary Nagel of the Department
Of Commerce and Labor. The report
was compiled under the supervision
Of Mr.. William G. Hunt. chief statis-
ician of population in the Census Bu-
reau, and the statistics were collected
partly by correspondence and partly
by special agents.
FIRST OFFICIAL STATISTICS CON
CERNING PAY OF MINISTER'S.
1t Is pointed out in the introduction
that this Is the first time an attempt
has been made in a United States CEN
sus to secure official statistics com
corning salaries paid to ministers. 1t
is stated that the results Of the census
count of the failure of some ministers
to report their salary and of others
to report with sufficient clearness
Of the grand total of 1876 denomina-
tions in continental United States, the
report States that 15 have no regular
ministry and 60 either pay no stated
salaries or made returns which were
no. sufficiently complete to warrant
tabulation.
OF the 201,S51 organizations COM
posing the 102 remaining denomina-
tions, there were 164,229, or Sic per
cent. which made returns to the CEN
sus inquiry, and the report states
there is reason to believe that these
are substantially complete and accu-
rate. and 1t Is thought that they en-
brace a sufficient number of organi-
zations of the respective denomina-
tions to be fairly representative OF
conditions as to the average salaries
paid to ministers. The figures in the
tables are for continental United
States, for each of the four principal
classes of cities-that is, those hav-
ing a population in 1900 of $4,000 to
$4,000, of $4,000 to 100000, Of 10O,-
900 to 100000, and of 800, 900 and
over, and for the area outside of them
UNITARIANS SHOW HIGHEST AV-
ERAGE SALARY.
The denomination showing the
highest average is the Unitarian, with
$1,653. 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 n
Church in the United States of Amer
ca, SLIT; the Reformed Church in
America, $1,17O; the United Presby-
terian Church of North America, ST.
096; the Congregationalsts, $1,O42;
the Christian Catholic Church in Zion.
$1,O37; and the Synod of the Reform
ed Presbyterian Church of North
America. $1,00S.
Among the denominations showing
an average salary considerably lower
than the general average for the Uni
ted States are the Advent Christian
Church; all the Baptist bodies exce1t
the Northern Baptist Convention; the
Christian Union; the Christians
(Christian COnnection) the Church
OF Christ, Scientist; the General Ed
ership of the Churches of God in
North America; the Society of Friends
(OrthodoX), the colored Methoris,
bodies; the Methodist Protestant.
Wesleyan Methodist, and Free Meth
odist churches; the Salvation Army;
and the Volunteers of America. In the
case of most of these last named bodies
as shown by the report, many Of the
organizations reporting are outside of
the principal cities, and many of them
are doubtless in rural regions, and
this fact accounts largely for the com
paratively low average salary. The
low average shown for the Church OF
Christ, Scientist, is said to be due to
the lact that most of those who serve
as ministers, or readers. are persons
having other vocations and not de-
| pendent on the salaries paid by the
| churches. In the case of the Saliva
ton Army and the Volunteers OF
America the allowance made for the
officers serving at the various posts is
usually based upon their probable cX-
penscs, and is practically limited to
these expenses.
The average salary shown for tie
| large cities Is considerably higher as =