Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-12-31
MORE PAY FOR
our VERMONT
CLERCYMEN
A State Committee Declare
for a Fifty Per Cent
Increase

At Il recent meeting of the Vermont
executive committee Of the Inter-
Church world movement at Burling-
ton all the members were present
Rev. T.. w Sharp of st. Johnsbury
was one of the representatives of the
/ Methodist denomination at this meet
ing
Encouraging reports were received
from the IL 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 "distlict
plan" of inter-church organization
and on watch night services (Decem'
Der 81 and the week of prayer (Jan.
uary 4-1D, for which leaflets are to
be sent at once to churches. The
churches arc strongly advised to hold
these services together lin 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 following minute about this
matter:
The Vermont executive committee
of the 1ntcr-Church World Move
ment consisting Of the State and dis
talies of the Baptist, Con-
trict superintendent and secre-
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:
l. 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-
ton 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-
crcasing the ability Of the ministry
to do their work in Il competent way
and to give themselves unstintedly to
their work. Tie future of civilization
depends upon the effective maintain
encc of our churches no less than of
our school. As an educator, Prcsi-
dent Hadlcy 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 the
effectiveness of the school depends
upon the quality of the teaching
force. An adequate economic founda-
ton, living wage, is Indispensable to
both.
8. We are concerned, as all alert
Vermontcrs must be concerned, about
the economic, social and moral con-
ditions in our rural communities,
which constitute the backbone of our
State. The right kind of minister can
be a powerful factor in influencing
the total life as well as the specifical-
ly religious life Of these communities.
The work of reducing the number Of
over-churchcd comunities-within
two years and Il half this work ha,,
been done already in some thirty-fivc
communitics-will be vigorously con.
tniued under the auspices of the In
ter-church movement. But it must be
understood that in rural communities
Of four hundred people and more, the
right kind of a minister for effective
community leadership, giving full
time to the work, cannot be expected
to maintain himself on salary of
appreciably less than $1,000 and house
and in many, if not most cases it
should be $1,000 and house.
A. The question of whether the
next generation is to have ministry
that is at all commensurate in quality
and quantity with the need is being
decided now by the attitude our
churches and communities take to-
ward this question of living salary
for the men who today occupy our
pulpits. No worthy young man will
TO into the ministry for the sake of
the salary, nor will he be turned aside
by the certainty of very real and
continuous sacrifices. But he cannot
be expected to face the certainty of
an economic condition which will pre-
vent him from rendering that fullness
Of service which constitutes the deep
est satisfaction of the ministry and is
The real reason why strong and wor-
Thy young men arc drawn to it.