Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-07
CHURCH TO RAISE
| BIC PENSION FUND
Bishop Fawcett Explains Project to Be
Undertaken in Behalf Of Epis.
copalian Ministry.
FAMILIES TO BE CARED FOR
Statistics Show That More Than Seven
Hundred Receive Less Than
$1,000 Per Year.

In his sermon yesterday at St. Johns
cathedral, Quincy, Bishop Edward
Fawcett said in part:
THE Episcopal church has deter
mined to undertake the largest single
enterprise in it's history, namely, to
institute a system of pensions for its
retired clergy.
Before entering upon this policy
the church did two things: % Made a
careful census of the salaries now
paid to clergymen, and CD Had cal
culations made by expert actuaries of
the cost of maintaining a system the
permanent success of which there
could be no doubt.
Average Salary $1,000 Year.
"The census of salaries, now COM
pleted, shows the following principal
facts:
There are APO men in the active
service of the Episcopal church in the
United States. Their average salary is
$1,000 a year. This is not all cash, but
includes the value of house when
provided. More than $500 of these
ministers, over one-half the total num-
Der, receive less, than $1,000 a year.
Only 237 including the 125 bishops
receive $4,000 or over.
More than 700 men are paid less
than $1,000 and many of these go are
the older clergy, with very hard tasks.
The church now is virtually carrying
out scheme of retirement at the ex-
pense of its older men.
These meagle salaries are paid to
clergymen serving what it often as
bership in America. Those men are
expected to have a good education, to
dress we'll, to live and move among
people where rents are high, keep
open house, always appear cheerful,
and preserve their physi IA NigGr.
They are men of devotion, who often
exercise leadership in their common
tiles, and who must support them
selves, their wives and theic children
on the salaries paid them, with little
or no thought of outside interests.
THE ministers do not complain.
But the church itself must be efficient.
Efficiency consists partly in being
equipped to fight at the top-nOtck Of
enthusiasm and yigor. The minister
cannot do this if, with all his sacri-
fees, cheerfully made, while he is az
tive, he has no assurance of COM
petence in his old age.
Railroad companies seek efficiency
and enthusiasm from their men
through promises of a pension. L is in
the broadcast interest of society that
every church should do the same
THE Episcopal church has passe
the exact vital statistics of the whole
body of her clergy through the labor:
atory of the best 2ctuaries and has
adopted a pension system which is
moderntan sound.
1T is the contributory system
whereby upon the payment by the par
ish each year of an addition sevea
per cent speaking roughly Of the min
listers salary, he will receive on re-
firing at IS pension equal to one
half his average salary during his &C
tive service AT death, his widow and
minor children will receive annual
pensions; if disabled in active service,
a pension follows.
Thus in the full tide Of active SER
vice he can throw himself into his
work with the complete abandonment
of an officer who knows that whatever
happens to him, his dear one will be
cared for, and he, if living to old age,
will go to his grave with dignity and
self-respect.
In order to take care of those who
should be pensioned Immediately, and
to give the contributory plan time to
move permanently on its own wheels
an initial sum of $5,O0O,00O is to be
raised.
ITO direct the task of obtaining this
reserve fund, Bishop Lawrence of Mas
sachusetts will, during 1916, suspend
active work in his own diocese and de-
vote himself wholly to this great en-
terprise.
The cooperation of leading life in
surance officers and business men has
been obtained to establish the scheme
Local committees will be appointed
throughout the United States. To get
this splendid undertaking on its feet
will be the supreme task of the Epis-
J cona1 church in 1915"