The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-12-26
lNTER-cHuRcH MOVEMENT
Plans Proposed Are Agreed on BY
State Leaders

State Leaders
AT meeting here today of the Ver-
mont Executive Committee of the In.
ter-Church World Movement at which
all members of the committee were
present the following action was talk
en- with regard to ministers salaries.
The Vermont Executive Committee
OF the Inter-Church World Movement
consisting of the State and District
Superintendents and the Secretaries of
the Baptist, Congregational and Meth
odist Conferences and Conventions
hereby put themselves on record as
believing that the welfare of the
churches demands an increase of not
less than fifty per cent, as compared
WIN 1916, on the sa aries of the min
isters OF the State and pledge them
selves to present the matter to individ-
ual churches as they have opportunity.
rms action Is taken in view of the
following urgent considerations
l. Oiticial reports declare that liv-
ing expenses have increased at least
one hundred per cent since the period
before the war The purchasing power
or the dollar has been more than cut
N two. The economic position of min
isters, most of whom before the war
were receiving quite inadequate sal
aries, al once becomes evident
z, The present is not time fer de-.
creasing the ability of the ministry to
do the work in competent way and
to give themselves unstintedly to the
work. The future of civilization de.
pends upon the effective maintenance
Of the church no less than upon the
effective maintenance Of our schools
rs an educator, President Hadley of
Yale, said not long since, Christiani-
ty must be coupled with education.
Anf the effectiveness of the church
depend upon the quality Of the tee ~
ship as the effectiveness of the schools
wepend upon the quality OF the teach
ing force. An adequate economic
foundation, living wage is indisput.
able to both
3 We are concerned, as all alert
Nermonters must be concerned .
he economic, social and moral condi.
lions IN our rural communities which
constitute the backbone of our State.
The right kind Of minister can be
powerful factcr in influencing the to.
tai life as well as the speclfc cally
religious life of these communities.
The work OF reducing the number of
Over-churched communities-with
wo years and a half this work has
been done already in some thirty-five
rommunit 'es-will be vigorously con-
tinued under the auspices of the Inter.
Church Movement. But it must be un-
derstood that in rural communities
Of four hundred people and more, the
right kind of minister for effective
community leadership, giving full time
to the work cannot be expected to
maintain himself on a salary of ap-
preciably less than twelve hundred
dollars and house and many, If not
most r0 he fifteen hun
red dollars and house, F7#NIWEE
4 Tn 4uSat-... ~. Aether the next
generation is to have a ministry that
S at all commensurate in quality and
quantity with the need is being de-
cided now by the attitude our churches
and communities take toward this
question of living salary for the men
who today occupy our pulpits. No wor-
thy young man will go inJo the minis
try for the sake Of the salary, nor
will he be turned aside by the certain
ty of very real and continuous sacri-
fices, But he cannot be expected to
face the certainty Of economic condi-
tions which will prevent him from rem
dering that fu'ness of service which
constitutes the deepest satisfaction of
the ministry and is the real reason
why strong and worthy young men are
drawn to it.
Those subscribing to the action
were; Rev W. A. Davidson, D. D.,
Baptist State Secretary Rev. G. C.
Merrill, Congregational State Secre-
tary and Rev q. w. Sharp, Rev. w.
R. Davenport Rev. G. X. Stathan, D.
D., Methodist District Superintendent.
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