Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-17
METHODISTS WARNED
OF PROSPERTTY'S PERTLS
Discussion of It's Grave Dangers
Attends Vote to Increase Sal
airy of Mission Boards
Secretary
CHURCH DUTIES IGNORED
Reports Say Material Success Too
Often Involves Spiritual
Decadence

After a halfhour controversy on the cost
Of living and ministers salaries, the Board
OF Home Missions and Church Extension OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church in Its an
nual meeting at the Wesley Building, Seven.
teenth and Race streets this morning APP
proved Of adding $1,000 house rent TO the
$4,000 annual salary Of its corresponding
secretary, the Rev DR.. David ID. Forsyth.
OF Chicago.
The leaders OF the opposition to the in.
crease we're A. J. Wallace, Ex-Governor OF
California, and the Rev John Stephens,
district representative OF the board in Call.
forna
The Rev Mr.. Stephens said: "a mission
ary board Is not institution in which
handsome salaries should be thought of.
We are not dealing with business prop
ostlon. The missionary field is one for the
spirit OF sacrifice, and this Increase In
salary for our secretary is not an example
of sacrifice This $1,000 Increase Will cost
us much more than It's face value when we
go home and tell II to the people who are
stlntng themselves to give to the mission
airy cause"
Bishop Luther H. Wilson, OF New York,
upheld the increase and said that many
railroads in the United States would gladly
pay a man with tho ability of Secretary
Forsyth 10000 or St5.00J year. lie de.
clared that the secretary should be paid "A
salary that would free him from all per-
sonal worry and allow him to devote all his
energies to the work of the board.
B O. Moore, a lay member of the board.
OF this city, said that in the last two years
men IN his employ have had salary in
creases of forty per cent, and he could zee
no reason why the cost of living did not
demand that men in minstoria work be
paid In the same ratio. Other speakers
said that $4,000 was not at all out of har-
mony with the salaries of many large
churches.
PROSPERITY AND wORLD1NESS
Reports were read this morning on the
five fields of work for which the board will
provide individual superintendents and OK
ecutive committees at this session. They
are rural, city, frontier, church extension
and evangeistic work.
A warning against rural conditions is
contained In the report on rural work II
declares that prosperity has been so uni
versal as to cause the farmer to become in
creasingIy Intelligent. influential and
wealthy, and 'it 10 feared that in many
cases he is also increasingly worldly and
sinful" The report spoke of the great work
to be done in this direction. and of the
startling moral conditions" prevalent
Congregations are dwindling. churches are
being closed, and the people are left with
out the restraint and inspiration of re-
ligion," the report adds, Hundreds of
thousands that have strayed away from the
church in the rural districts must be
brought back to the fold. along with many |
new members.
Dealing with the work to be done in the |
Department of City Work, the report added |
that much was TO be done owing to the |
tide Of immigration that was changing life |
and replacing old American blood Power |
ty and wealth alike" the report read i'm |
peril us in our attempt to conquer the cities |
seltishness. heartless inauities |
and Christless commercialsm." 1t was |
emphasized that unless the cities were won |
rp1pnntlOn innnSyibie-
CHURCH IT'S OWN EVANGELIST
Every church it's own evangelist" is the
slogan That has. been adopted as a guide |
for the work In the department devoted to |
evangelism.
Without rejecting to the slightest degree |
on the work of the approved evangelist
the report continued" the chief evangelIstic |
task Of Methodism is to create evangeTIsts |
In the regular ministry and laity."
In speaking of the department for |
frontier work, the report observes that |
will surely determine the future |
Of the world. From her will go out the de-
Gliding factors in the realm OF politics, in
dustries, social life and religion. The
Church. with her great numbers
should be chief among the determining
forces of America" Then added were the |
details of the planned work.
The report on the work for the church
extension division was more of review of
what had been done in past years. In fifty |
years the Methodist Church has established
II 800 churches and donated S5,343, 900 and
loaned $3,710,O00 for the building of new
ones, surprising amy record OF church
building enterprises known In the Protestant
world"
The meeting of the board, which terminates
This meeting of the board is
as one of the most important held
In the church for years.