Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-08
British Committee.
Salaries For Evangelists

There is real Importance in the
statement that, on the eve of an
organized, nationwide evangelistic
movement by all the denominations,
the Federal Councils Commission on
Evangelism should openly attack the
present method of paying evangelists.
They f1atly oppose the thank offer
ing" system, whereby the visiting
evangelist, through a process which
has been called "a psychological hold
up" receives huge sums for his brief
campaign. The commission recon-
mends a fiat salary basis for evangel-
lists, that the opprobrium may be re-
moved from this calling, and that the
work itself may be kept as the one
objective.
Just what salary should be paid
Billy Sunday, If he could ever be
brought to consent to ''join the union, =
is a matter of speculation. Surpris-
ingly plain words have been spoken
on this subject by warm supporters of
Sunday, who fear a reaction against
him and his work on this account
Nolan r. Best, the editor of The
Continent" in the course of full
page editorial said:
And now the only question worth
the anxiety of the church is the ques-
ton whether the 'deceitfulness of
riches which Jesus Christ dreaded so
much may have corroded in some de-
gree the mirror in which an evangel-
lists soul ought to reflect the image of
the Lord. The zeal with which Mr..
Sunday still maintains his financial
plans against all modification now that
he has discovered in them an FL
Dorado. and the subtitle ways in which
from the platform he encourages eX-
travagant gifts, suggests painfully that
he is not to-day as Indifferent to the
glitter of gold as when he started on
his work.
Hymn Books and Stocks
Another aspect of evangelism that
troubles fastidious folk is the sale Of
hymn books by choristers who either
are personally identified with a pub
fishing house or get commissions from
the publisher. One of these associates
of a famous evangelist makes over
$4,000 a year. The authors of the
popular hymns get only a trife for
their work, the amounts ranging from
one to ten dollars a song, more often
the former than the latter.
The strife of the hymn book sellers
is responsible for the deterioration of
taste in church music. which Presi-
dent Wilson and other churchmen
have publicly lamented.
Now that twenty-six denominations.
IN ANIMATION WIN tne Eederal COun-
ellis Commission, have evangelistic
committees of their own, it is believed
that some of these evils may be cor
rected.
Clergymen as Stock PcddIers
AS yet no way has been found for
dealing with the minister who sells
mining stock and uncertain
real estate. The number of confiding
persons CHASTITY proportion of
whom are widows who have lost
their all through their trustfulness IN
the preachers as investment guides is
beyond certain knowledge.
A prominent layman was recently
approached by minister who has
quit preaching and gone into the mar
keting of nut lands in the South.
When the layman pointed out that. at
the highest possible market rating, the
was worth less than half what
the minister asked for 1t, the latter
countered by the statement
that It must be a good thing. or n
certain widow with eight children
would not have put her all into It.
Clearly. that mans customers had
been led to purchase by his ministerfaf
standing and by his personal probity, |
rather than by his business acumen.
The only proposition that offers any
from these men who have |
iemitted the ministry to go into |
secular business is to deprive them of |