Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-02

ICED by the note of hope and courage.
Given the right leadership, these gath
erings will grow rapidly in power for
good in all our church and denomina-
tional life.
Ministerial Supply
Only one actively interested in finding
suitable pastors for our churches can
fully realize the scarcity Of men at the
beginning of the year. That scarcity
still exists. though not quite 80 great.
and it Is gratifying that 80 many men
have come to the State. or returned to
it, in the last six months. But let not
this fact reassure US, for it Is more than
Offset by the fact that our churches
are not furnishing anywhere near
enough men for their own ministry, ever
IL we should keep them all in the State
This is a uatter to which we must give
the most earnest attention and effort In
the new day that is upon us. For we
must not!only man our own churches
but we must be prepared to furnish our
full share of the men and women who
are needed for the advance in or great
world field.
In connection with this, vitality con-
nected, some of US will say is the mat
ter of salaries for pastors. 1t was with
shame that I learned, at the Denver
convention, that Maine is very near the
foot Of the list in the average salaries
of its pastors. This must be remedied,
for, all other considerations aside. nc
church can, for its own sake, afford t.
be niggardly with its pastor in the mat.
ter Of his living.
1t is cheering to known that one OF
the items Of the great new program OF
the General Board of Promotion is A
move for a large increase in ministe-
rial salaries. 1t is even more cheering
that a number of our churches have
anticipated this move by increasing
very materially the salaries are paying
or Offering These increases Of which
I have heard range from 20 to 100 per
cent. Let the good work go on with
increasing momentum. Well top the
list next year if we can keep 1T up.
Appointments
The amounts apportioned this year
for the general UNCONVENTIONAL AMI
convention purposes average twenty
per cent. more than last year. There
is some tendency to complain. but
most of the churches seem willing
to accept the increases cheerfully. II
/ should be understood that these
amounts, even if all paid in, will
| provide for only a comparatively
small proportion of all our grea,
work. We all acknowledge that the
nj has do.
fects, and that there are many seem
ing injustices in it's application. 1t is
faulty method at best, and we may
| hope that it will be either improved
! or supersede in the new plans that
are being adopted. In the meanwhile
since we lave it, let us see that We
| make the best use Of it that is pos
| sible.
/ It should be remembered that the
appointments this year We're de-
! layed a month or more, owing to this
| need of revising them after the Den
Yer Convention. There has beer
some confusion over the State con-
vention share of the appointments
! though we tried to make everything
| plain in the letter which accompan.
| led the new apportionments We
| hope that the new central collecting
/ agency and increasing familiarity
with our methods will largely reduce
| this confusion hereafter.
General Work
There are many items of the year.:
work that cannot be stabulated u
| specifically set forth. Many meet.
ings with committees, many confer
ences with pastors and individual:
on all phases of the work. man.
| visits to churches and consultations