Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1915-07-28
CHURCH PENSION CONGRESS.
First Session Held i'm San Francisco.
Proposed to Raise $5O,OOO,OOO.

OF a unique gathering to-day. With
representatives from practically
every Protestant church in the Uni
ted States present, the Church Pen
sion Congress went into session to
solve the matter of adequate pen
siOns for retired ministers of the
Protestant denominations.
Dr.. J. B. Hingley, Of Chicago, sec
retary of the Board of Conference
Claimants of the Methodist Episco-
pal church, presided. The prime OBJ
ject in calling the meeting was to
devise means Of raising an endow~
mcnt fund OF $4,000, 900 for minis
terial pensions. A general campaign
of nationwide scope was advocated
as the best means of raising the
fund
1t was planned to give each
preacher at his retirement one-half
of the average annual salary Of all
the preachers in the country, there
by giving the minister who has
congregation an equal standing in
the pension matter with his more
fortunate brother who has been get
ting a larger salary in a larger
church.
The majority Of the speakers laid
stress on The fact that Of all prOfeS
sions the ministry as whole was
the poorest paid, and in many i'll
stances the compensation was bare
ly enough to support the preacher,
who in the ma ajority Of cases, had a
family to look after All speakers
were in favor Of the pension and
asked for concerted action in secur-
ing the funds which would enable a
minister, after years Of hard work in
the pulpit, to retire assured that he
would be taken care OF in his declin-
ing days.
''Flowers on the coffin cast no fra
GRANGE back over lfe's weary way
Give them the flowers now," said
Chaplain e. C. Clemans, Of the Third
Regiment, Minnesota National
Guard, in commenting on what
would be said and done for the
preacher after he is dead. "Mcst Of
us enter the ministry poor and leave
it pool" he added.
Rev. w. S. Holt, Of the Presbyte-
rian board, said there was more
money in standing on the front end
of a street car than standing in the
pulpit.
What do we demand from
preachers?' he asked. -Four great
qualities: 'Consecration, intelligence,
self-respect aud efficiency What is
the quotation on these qualifications?
Nothing!"
That he would sooner be the poor
Methodist minister in the smallest
church than President Of the United
States, was the statement Of Bishop
Edwin Holt Hughes, of California.
81 believe in justice, however" he
said, "and think that every retired
minister should have a decent
support on the plans Of simple honor
and as a debt due him."
The average yearly pension of the
workman Of the various corporations
is far above the average compenSa-
ton Of the worn-out minister, was
the assertion Of Rev. John T. Brab-
ner Smith, Of Chicago, editor of the
veteran Prcacher.' He urged the
church to follow the corporation in
taking care Of it's worn-out workmen
Dr. JOS. b. Hingley, the presiding
officer. said he thought the laymen
appreciated the fact that every min
lister when he reached an age where
he needed a rest should be provided
with pension that will tide him
over his "old days" "A minister is
singled out among all as the man
who engages in his work not to earn
a living nor TO gain competency or
wealth. His life is a vicarious life,"
he said.
"The support Of the retired minis
ter must be removed from the mar
ket basis TO the basis Of military ser
vice." said Rev. j. w. Van Cleve, Of
Decatur, H., ''in which loyalty and
sacrifice are more conspicuous than
those Of employment and wages. The
government takes care of it's old sol
diers, why not the church it's old
preachers?"