Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-02-27
4 PENSION FUND FOR THE
CLERGY.

A movement is now under way to
induce generously disposed million
aires to contribute literally to a fund
for the pensioning of aged or disabled
clergymen. The contributions are not
to be regarded in the light of a char
ity, or even of philanthropy, but as a
just due from those who have been
blessed with fortunes to those who
have devoted what might have been
the money making years of their
lives to ministering to the spiritual
| necessities of mankind Ministers, it
is held, having sacrificed the earning
period of their lives to altrustic aims,
should not be allowed to suffer when
old age or decrepftdde comes upon
them, but should be- cheerfully and
generously sustained by those who
have labored in a material way and
accumulated large means.
The suggestion appears to be meet
ing with quite a hearty response and
it is not improbable that before long
every denomination will have created
a large pension fund, contributed in
the main by the men of wealth among
its membership The Protestant Epis-
copal church is endeavoring to raise
five millions for this purpose and at
the recent diocesan convention in
Americas a call was made for a GER
tain amount to be raised by the vari-
Gus parishes during the ensuing year.
The Presbyterian church too, we be-
lieve, is moving along the same line.
But in these two, and probably all
other church bodies, the appeal has
been of more general nature, and in
tended to include the entire member
ship.
While it is well that men of large
means should assist proportionately
in the raising of funds for this pur-
pose it would be an error to confine
the work to them. The duty that ev-
cry church, owes to its alleged dis
abled clergy rests upon each and every
communicate and not alone upon the
wealthy members. Indeed, any move
ment that tends to throw any church
work upon one especial class is to be
deprecated as tending to infuse class
lines into churches and separate the
rich from the poor. The tendencies
in the world at large are already too
strong in that direction and the
churches should combat them, rather
than encourage them by special ap-
peals to the rich class. No church
can genuinely flourish, have healthy
spiritual life, and vigorous growth,
that makes any class distinctions in
its work Every duty that rests upon
the richest member of a church rests
with equal binding force upon the
poorest member, the only difference
being in their ability The obligation
to give was just as strong upon the
widow who gave the mite as on the
rich man who threw in the handful of
gold. The widow recognized the obli-
cation and was blessed of God accord
ingly. So it is today, and so it must be
forever, as long as the Christian faith
recognizes and teaches the lessons Of
its Master. While the movement to
bring all the rich to assist in the
creation of pension fund is a good
one, it would prove mischevious in
the end if it lead to the exclusion Of
the poorer members of any faith, or
any less urgent appeals to them tc
give in proportion to the means
WhereWith they have been blessed
The vital truth for every church to-
day to recognize is that the poorest
member is just as important, just as
essential, as the richest, and that ev-
cry barrier that seems to exist be-
tween them in their church relations
should be torn down.