Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-02-10
PENSIONS FOR PASTORS
!, OF The N. E. CHURCH
Working Out System For
Caring For Aged Ministers.
RAISING 4 LARGE
ENDOWMENT FUND
Sum of 100000 To BE Completed
During The Present Year.

Cedar Rapids, Feb. S.-Great busi-
ness corporations have established
pension systems for their employees
who leave their service after many
years of faithful endeavor; the Car
negie foundation provides a pension
for teachers in colleges who become
old in the service; now comes the
Methodist church with plan to do
for it's aged and infirm what business
interests and the Carnegie founda-
ton are doing for certain class.
The Methodist church is planning to
provide pension on which its re-
tired ministers may live seIf-respect-
ing lives with at least some of the
comforts of life. The Upper Iowa
conference, which includes the
northeastern portion of the state,
has obtained $4,000 on subscrip-
tion for an endowment fund and are
trying to increase this fund to $780,
600 within the year 1915. This
part of the Methodist movement TO
better care for ministers of the
church. The board of bishops has
issued this call to the church.
Zone hundred fifty years ago the
Methodist itnerant began his work in
America; began TO create Our church
to help build the republic and assist
in establishing Christ's kingdom III
the world. The history of this itin-
Grant is full of heroism and self-sa-
crifice, of achievement and victory
for righteousness. In the early her
oic days the superanuated preacher
and the effective preacher shared
alike in the modest support then al
lowed to- preachers and their fami-
lies. Afterward came changed
basis for the superannuate. He was
granted what the church chose TO
give, the collection being regarded
as a benevoIence and its apportiCn-
ment made on the basis of the sup
posed necessities I'm each case. Today
our church acting IN increased gen.
erosity and larger justice, declares
that the claim to comfortable sup
port inheres in the gospel ministry;
that this claim is not a gratuity nor
charity, and is not forfeited by re-
tirement from active service.
The Methodist Episcopal church
now puts it's retired minister upon
half-pay basis, reckoned on the
years of service and thus stands
alongside those governments and
corporations which grant old age, or
service pensions to those faithful
servants who through age or illness
are unable to do the work they love"
The year 1915 has been chosen as
the year for the veterans jubilee.
The successful issue of the compaign
win enable conferences to provide
the full annuity for all claimants.
This, then is the appeal to the
church:
The church which educates its
ministry and then disregards or casts
it off as soon as old agge comes. will
shortly have no ministry, and the
church will be gone.
God gave the gospel, but it was
brought to our home and hearts by
devoted, self-denying messengers OF
His Grace. The world will never pay
it's debt to these men. But the
church will not repudiate their
clam. The debt is just. 1t is long
overdue. Let us make 1915 memoir
able for the veterans"
The campaign to increase the fund
of the Upper Iowa conference is in
charge of a commission of which the
Rev. j. p. Van Horn, Oelwein, is
president. the Rev. L. j. Lockwood,
pastor of the st. Paul's NJ e. church
of this city, is secretary DR.. j. W.
Bissell former president of Upper
Iowa University is field agent. 1t is
the purpose of the commission to
obtain ii possible five hundred sub
scriptions of $50 a year for four
years. This will amount to $4,000.
1t is expected that the remainder Of
the 100000 fund will come from
the larger and smaller subscriptions.