The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-12-26
MORE PAY FOR
OUR VERMONT
CLERCYMEN
A State Committee Declare
for a Fifty Per Cent
Increase

At recent meeting of the Vermont
executive committee of the Inter
Church world movement at Burling-
ton all the members were present.
Rev. &. W Sharp of st. Johnsbury
was one of the representatives of the
Methodist denomination at this meet
ing
Encouraging reports were received
from the ID county conventions held
during the past three weeks. An or
ganization was effected in every
county and very favorable attitude
toward the movement was everywhere
found. Arrangements were made for
preparing leaflets on the district
plan" of inter-church organization
and on watch night services (Decem,
ber By and the week of prayer (Jan.
uary AID, for which leaflets are to
be sent at once to churches. The
churches are strongly advised to hold
these services together i'm communit-
les where there are more than one
church.
One of the principal matters passed
upon at the county convention has
been the present condition of minis
terial salaries. The committee adopt
ed the followig minute about this
matter:
The Vermont executive committee
of the Inter-C Church World Move
ment consisting of the State and dis
taries of the Baptist. Con-
trict superintendent and ecre-
gregational and Methodist
conferences and conventions, here
by put themselves on record as believ-
ing 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 pre-
sent the matter to individual churches
as they have opportunity. This ac-
ton is taken in view of the following
urgent considerations;
/. Official reports declare that liv-
ing 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 posi-
tion of ministers, most of whom be-
fore the war were receiving quite in
adequate salaries, at once become
evident.
2. The present is no time for de-
creasiag the ability of the ministry
to do their work in competent way
and to give themselvessunstintedly to
their work. The future of civilization
depends upon the effective maintain
ence of our churches no less than of
our school. AS an educator, Presi-
dent Hadley of Yale, said not long
since, Christianity must be coupled
with education. And the effectiveness
of the church depends upon the quail
ity of it's ministerial leadership as tho
effectiveness of the school depends
upon the quality of the teaching
force. An adequate economic founda-
ton, living wage, is indispensable to
both.
3. We are concerned, as all alert
Vermonters must be concerned, about
the economic, social and moral con
ditions in our rural communities
which constitute the backbone of oul
State The right kind of minister car
be a powerful factor in influencing
the total life as well as the specifcal
" religious life Of these communities
The work of reducing the number o.
over-churched communities-withil
two years and half this work has
been done already in some thilty-fv'
comniunities-will be vigorously con
tniued under the auspices of the In
ter-church movement. But it must b'
understood that in rural communitie;
Of four hundred people and more, thu
right kind of minister for effective
community leadership, giving full
time to the work, cannot be expected
to maintain himself on salary o
appreciably less than $1,000 and hous
and in many, if, not most cases i
should be $1,500 and house.
| 4. The question Of whether th
next generation is to have ministr.
that is at all commensurate in qualit,
and quantity with the need is beini
decided now by the attitude ou
churches and communities take to
ward this question of a living salar.
for the men who today occupy ou
pulpits. No worthy young man vii
go into the ministry for the sake O
the salary, nor will he be turned asid
by the certainty of very real an