Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-12-25
HIGHER SALARIES FOR
VERMONT CLERGYMEN
Executive Committee of Inter.
Church World Movement De-
clares for an Increase of at
Least so Per Cent as Compar-
ed With 1916

meeting Of the Vermont executive
committee of the Inter-Church World
Movement was held in this city Mon
day, with all members present, as fol-
lows The Rev. w A. Davidson, D. D..
of Burlington, chairman the Rev c. c.
Merrill of Burlington, secretary; the Rev.
Il. W. Sharp of ST. Johnsbury, the Rev.
w. r. Davenport of st. Adams the Rev.
q. K. Statham. d. D., Rutland, and Prof.
Raymond Mcfarland of Middlebury.
executive secretary.
Encouraging reports were received from
the 10 county conventions held during the
past three weeks. An organization was
effected in every county and a very favor
able attitude toward the movement was
everywhere found. Arrangements were
made for preparing leaflets on the
district PLAN of inter-church organiza-
ton and on watch night services Decem-
Der 80 and the week of prayer (January
Aid, for which leaflets are to be sent
at once to churches The churches are
strongly advised to hold these services
together in communities where there are
more than one church.
One of the principal matters passed
upon at the county convention has been
the present condition of ministerial salar-
les The committee adopted the following
minute about this matter:
The Vermont executive committee Of
the Inter-Church World Movement con-
sisting of the State and district SUPER
intendents and secretaries of the Baptist,
Congregational and Methodist 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
with 1916 in the salaries of the ministers
of the State, and pledge themselves to
present the matter to individual churches
as they have opportunity. This action Is
taken in view of tn following urgent con-
siderations:
/ /. Official reports declare that living
expenses have increased at least one
hundred per cent since the period before
the war. The purchasing power Of the
dollar has been more than cut in two.
The economic position of ministers, most
of whom before the war were receiving
quite inadequate salaries. at once be-
comes evident.
! g The present is no time for decreasing
the ability of the ministry to do their
work in a competent way and to
give themselves unstintedly to their work.
The future OF civilization depends upon
! the effective maintainence of our
! churches no. less than Of our school. As
an educator, President Hadley of Yale.
said not long since, Christianity must
| be coupled with education And the
effectiveness of the church depends upon
the quality of its ministerial leadership
as the effectiveness of the school de-
Ponds upon the quality of the teaching
| force An adequate economic foundation.
a living wage, Is indispensable to both.
! 3. We are concerned all alert YER
economic. social and moral conditions in
our rural communities which constitute
the backbone Of our state. The right
| kind of minister can he powerful fac
tor in influencing the total life as we'll
as the specifically religious life of these
| communities. The work of reducing the
number of over-churched communities
! within two years and half this work
, has been done already in some thirty
five communities-will be vigorously con-
tinued under the auspices Of the Inter-
! Church movement But it must be I'm
derstood that in rural communities OF
four hundred people and more. the right
kind of a minister for effective commun-
ity leadership, giving full time to the
work, cannot be expected to maintain
himself on a salary of appreciably less
than $500 and house and In many, If nor
most cases 1t should be 1850 and house.
! 4, The question Of whether the next
, generation is to have ministry that is
at all commensurate in quality and guam
tity with the need Is being decided now
by the attitude our churches and COM
munities take toward this question of a
living salary for the men who to-day oc-
cupy our pulpts. No worthy young man
will go into the ministry for the sake OF
! the salary. nor will he be turned aside
| by the certainty Of very real and contin-
| uous sacrifices. But he cannot be eX-
pected to face the certainty of an
. nomc condition which will prevent him
from rendering that fitness of service
which constitutes the deepest sathsfac-
ton Of the ministry and Is the real rea-
son why strong and worthy young men
are drawn 10 It,