The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1918-05-16
SOUTHERN BAPTIST SUNDAY
SCHOOL BOARD MET TODAY
100000 Set Aside Pension FundRecommend Expendi-
ture of 100000 for Relief and Annuites

Hot Springs, Ark, May 16,-At the
Southern Baptist convention here to-
day, DR.. William Lunsford of Nash
vile, Tennessee, reported for the COM
mission appointed a year ago to sug-
gest plan for pensioning aged minis
tiers and missionaries of the conven-
ton. Southern Baptists, except in
some of the states, have no fund from
which they can pay pensions.
At the session of the convention in
New Orleans last year the Sunday
school board notified the body that
it has set aside 100000 from its earn
ings with the suggestion that it be
the beginning of a pension fund. A
commission was appointed to consider
the question and report back to Hot
Springs convention. 1t was composed
of William Lunsford, T. B. Ray, How
ard Frost, Austin Crouch, o. C. Bar
ton, Joseph Brownlow, A. C. Cree, AL
len Fort, w. w. Landrum, E. w.
Stephens, I. ]. Van Ness and A. B.
Hill.
This commission recommends that
the work be started at once and sug-
gested double plan for the relief and
annuities. A new department of the
convention would be created to be
known as the "Board of Ministerial
Relief of the Southern Baptist Con-
vention." 1t would create and man
age fund of 100000 for the re-
lief and support of disabled ministers
and needy widows and orphans of de-
ceased ministers. The fund would be
raised by contributions from the
churches which would be asked to con-
tribute to it regularly as they do to
home and foreign missions and other
benevolences. Added to this would
be the income from an endowment
fund of 100000 which would be
raised by gifts from the denomination.
An annuity plan was also suggested
the ministers to pay twenty per cent
of the regular price for annuities.
This would go into operation when
it contained three hundred members.
They would pay one-fifth of the max
mum benefits and the balance would
be raised from the income of gifts
that came from individuals and the
churches.
To men who have reached the age
Of sixty-eight and have served the de-
nomination not less than thirty years
an annual payment of 500 would be
made, the same to he increased if
sufficient funds are available. Ma an
nuity would exceed $500 a year. Those
disabled before reaching the age of
sixty-eight would receive an annuity
of $50 plus So year for each year
of service beyond five years.
The report in recommending the
fund of 100000 for relief and an
nuities, expressed the belief that this
amount, assuring the servants of the
convention a regular income, will en-
able them to "buy more books and
thus greatly prolong their period of
usefulness.
Attention was called to the decrease
in the number Of young men entering
the ministry and it was suggested
that the responsible factors include
The hardships attendant upon student
life, the privations during the pastor
al period when salaries are nearly al
ways inadequate and the fact that
poverty and helpless old age awaits
them. 1t was urged that since the
government provides for it's soldiers
in their old age, since industrial en-
terprises look after their faithful en-
ployees and municipalities are pen
sioning their policemen and firemen,
the Southern Baptist Convention
should see that it's faithful servants
are not allowed to spend their last
days in want.