Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-09
CHURCH KA|SER|SM"
HERE FLATLy DENIED
Clarence c. Brinton Defines
Episcopal Convention Report
as Mountain From MolehiII'

Clarence G. Brinton, of Germantown.
member of the Episcopal diocesan
committee on clerical salaries. today
denied that his committee had made any
radical recommendations,
Mr.. Brinton's remarks followed an
attack upon majority report of the
committee, made by the Rev. DIR. Rob y
ert Johnston. of the Church of the
Saviour, Thirty eighth and Chestnut
streets. The West Philadelphia rector
declared that he saw in the recommen-
dations to the diocesan convention
danger of Ecclesiastical kaiserisrn.'
"This is making mountain out of
molehill," Mr.. Brinton said. "I did
not particularly want to be quoted in
this connection. but I see there has
been some misstatemcnt as to what
actually was done by the committee.
Suggestions were made to the committee
involving changes, it is true, but these
were incorporated only as suggestions.
as, for instnce, that of centralizing
church funds
In this Doctor Johnston prOfessed to
see leaning toward recall of rectors
and dictatfnn to vestries in the con
troll of their individual church policies.
Mr.. Brinton. George X. Grocer, Jr..
Lawrence J. Morris and William II.
Reeves constituted the committee max
ing the majority report.
Distortion, Says Mr.. Brinton
In discussing this report, Mr.. Brin-
ton said: II feel it ought to be made
plain that there has been a distortion of
what actually was recommended by the
committee. We felt very much that
there should be change in the method
of administering finances with relation
to rectors' salaries. and that com
mittee composed of laymen and the
clergy could deal much more fairly by
these problems than committee of lay
men only. Because of this, four sug
gestions made to the committee were
incorporated merely as suggestions, and
not as recommendations.
1.-Two propositions were up for our
consideration, namely, immediate re.
lief of the. underpaid cergymen and
the method by which this was to be
arrived at. We did not feel that it is
fair for a clergyman who is underpaid
and cannot be relieved to have to de-
pend on laymcn alone.
Limited Tenure Not Indorsed
Also, there was the question Of
tenure. The proposition of limited
tenure was not indorscd. but was dis
cussed as having its bearing on the
problem, and so presented in the report
\ We did feel that tho present system
was wrong, and should not be permitted
to continue. 1t was held that some
other way of getting release from a
charge other than through the en-
barrassing canonical procedures now in
force should be afforded.
"We distinctly stated that we sub
mitted the suggestions only as such and
not with our definite rccommcnda tions
as to their approval. 1t seems that
hill in the Natter
No Ecclesiastical kaiscrism"
No limited tenure of Office for Epis-
copal rectors.
No ''recall' of rcctors, or dctation to
vestries in their selection.
If limited tenure of Office is to be
applied to rectors in the diocese of
Pennsylvania. why not limited tenure
of Office for bishops?
These questions were asked by Doctor
Johnston in commenting upon the re-
port of the committee.
The report pronounced the present
system of elerting rectors by vestries
'defective,' and advocated Il radical
departure from present methods" ="
closer relation between the clergy and
parishes and Of both to the bishop and
the, convention and 'the payment of
all clerical sala ';.s. from some central
diocesan fund"
The convention authorized the crea-
tion OF committee to consider the qucs-
tion OF clerical salaries, but eliminated
all reference to the relationship "be-
tween clergy and parishes and bishop
and convention in the matter of -hoos-
ing pastors.
Doctor Jotnston's Attack
This report" said Doctor Johnston.
Favored the abolition of the right of
election of rectors by the laymen of the
parishes. 1t would leave the power of
appointment in the hands of the con-
yention in conjunction with the bishop.
Wherein is number of men appointed
by the convention superior to num-
Der of men appointed by. congregation?
How would this committee of busy men
fortify itself with the local knowl-
edge necessary for wise choice? OBJ
viously they would depend on the bishop
who is associated with them. The his
tory of personal appointments in this
way does not encourage any confidence
in the weird proposal to extend it. On
Monday, at the Clerical Brotherhood.
] opposed this suggestion, saying it
was departure from democracy and
the creation of an autocracy out of
keeping with the spirit of America and
L..