The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-12-24
FAVORS INCREASE
FOR MINISTER'S
Vermont Executive Committee of In
terchurch World Movement Votes
for so Per Cent Increase
Over Salaries of 1916.

AT meeting in Burlington of the
Vermont executive committee OF the
interchurch world movement, at which
all the members of the committee were
| present the following action was tax
en- with regard to ministers salaries.
The Vermont executive committee Of
the interchHrch world movement con-
sisting of state and district superin-
tendents and the secretaries Of the Bap-
fist, Congregational and Methodist con
ferences and conventions hereby put
themselves on record as believing that
the welfare of the churches demands an
increase OF not less than 30 per cent
as compared with 1916 in the salaries
of the ministers of the state, and
pledge themselves to present the mat
ter to individual churches as they have
opportunity. This action is taken in
view of the following urgent consider
atoms:
l. Official reports declare that living
expenses have increased at least one
hundred per cent since the period be-
fore the war The purchasing power
of the dollar has been more than cut
in two. The economic position of min
listers, most of whom before the war
were receiving quite inadequate salar-
les, at once becomes evident.
2. The present Is no time for de.
creasng the ability of the ministry TO
do their work in competent way and
to give themselves unstintedly to their
work. The future of civilization de
ponds upon the effective maintenance
Of the church no less than upon the
effective maintenance OF our schools.
As an educator, President Hadley OF
Yale said not long since, Chris
tianity must be coupled with educa-
ton. And the effectiveness of the !
church depends upon the quality of |
its leadership as the effectiveness of |
the schools depends upon the quality .
of the teaching force. An adequate
economic foundation living wage, is
indispensable to both.
3. We are concerned, as all alert /
Vermonters must be concerned, about |
the economic, social and moral condi- |
tons in our rural communities which /
the backbone Of our state. |
The right kind of a minister can be
powerful factor IN influencing the to.
tai life as well as the specifically re
ligious life Of these communities. The
work Of reducing the number of over
,hurehed communities within two
years and half this work has been
done already in some IS communities
will be vigorously continued under the
auspices of the interchurch movement.
But it must be understood that in rural
communities of four hundred people
md more, the right kind of a minis
.er for effective community leadership,
giving full time to the work. cannot
De expected to maintain himself on
,alary of appreciahly less than $1,000
and house and many, if not most
'ases it should be $500 and house.
4. The question of whether the next
is to have ministry that
5 at all commensurate in quality and
quantity with the need is being decided
low by the attitude our churches and
take toward this question
# living salary for the men who to-
ay occupy our pulpits. No worthy
'oung man will go into the ministry
or the sake Of the salary, nor will he
e turned aside by the certainty of
cry real and continuous sacrifices. But
e cannot be expected to face the GER
ainty of economic conditions which
fill prevent him from rendering that
illness of service which constitutes the
eepsst satifaction of the ministry and
) the real reason why strong and
'orthy young men are drawn to it.
Those subscribing to the action were:
lev. W. A, Dawson, D. d., Baptist
tate secretary; Rev G. G. Merrill Con-
regational state secretary, and Rev. .
!. w, Sharp, Rev. W. R. Davenport,
lev. G. X. Stathan, D. D., Methodist
istrict superintendent.