Newark post., 1911-03-15
Ministers Salaries

HCCOTQlllB TO the last census, the
average salary OF ministers outside OF
I25 OF the largest cities is $573. The
living expenses of the average family
previous to the marked increase OF the
last tour years were 5000
The minister is called upon to bap-
tie the children to administer con-
ISOLATION at the bedside of the sick, and
to say words of comfort to the be-
reaved at the time OF death He is,
besides. expected to dress as well as
the average member of his congrega-
ton, to set an example in all char
table works, to help the poor and the
needy in time of trouble. He is ex.
pected to do all this at little more
than hall the salary o, the fireman or
engineer. His wife is expected to look
as we'll as the other ladies OF the con-
gregatlon, and at the same time to be
an angel of mercy in time OF trouble.
We ask in good conscience: How
can Christion people expect the minis
ter to offer himself up as whole burnt
offering during his entire life? When
boy we rea1 "Foxs Book Of Mar
tyrs'-to be honest about it, we had
to-but we hate to think OF the mar
tyrdom. more prolonged and no less
real. winch many ministers wives IN
the United States are suffering.
Here is part of letter from a min
ister:
Il have been thinking for several
months OF saying goodbye to the pas
tOrate and gong on a farm. 1t is al
most impossible Tor me to keep up ap-
pearSnctS on my present Sal2ry. |
nave prayed over 1t to keep lroi max
ing mistake. | love to preach. There
is no.hlng else that gives me 50 much
real JOY; but when | see unconcerned
and indifferent church neople, [ can
not help but say w hat is the use? NY
boy is now out OF school, trying to help
me make ends meet Years ago he
used TO say, when | get to be a man,
| Will be a preacher. He does not
say that any more.
Most OF my members are farmers
lhey would go into bankruptcy il they
made no more than they pay thel.'
preacher. Last year they. promised to
pay me five hundred dollars; mark you,
PROMISED. | had fuel to buy, horses to
teed and keep shod, a family of six
children to ieed and clothe Having
sickness, We had to have a hired girl
to do the cooking One OF my mem
bers was surprised when | told him
could not save cent! He lived on a
good farm, from which he made large
sum, was county commissioner, from
which he received nne hundred q wear
Plus mileage; drew large pension;
received fourteen hundred for an INFER
nroan gong through his larm. His
contribution to the pastors salary was
sixty dollars, and he kicked like a ba,
steer when they raised it to seventy
dollarS the hrst quarter of last year. ,
Having read this, we ask every man
III every church to put it to his con-
science as to whether he is doing the
tair, decent thing by his preacher. You
may say: This is not agriculture. Yes,
1t is. he hope OF the nation lies in
intelligent. and not merely intelligent,
but honest, upright farmers, who will
not sell their votes. You can not ex-
pect to have the best country life as
long as you starve the preacher. You
can not expect honesty to thrive in
farming community where the paw o!
the preacher is so low that young
preachers will SIMPLY avoid the coun-
try. or II they do go to the country
VIII stay there, as the teachers do only
until they can get better pay in town.
We pity the man from whose letter
we quote. We believe il we were in
his place, we would quit praying about
it and 90 to farming, that is, i, he has
it in him to be farmer. Before we
LETT that congregation, we would
preach them a farewell sermon on the
text: Thou shalt not muzzle the OK
when he treadeth out the grain"
-Wallace's Farmer