The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-10-19
UNIQUE PENSION SYSTEM
FOR DISABLED PASTORS

and disabled pastors, pastors widows
and children is the claim made for
the pension system of the United
Lutheran church in America, which
will come up for discussion and ratl-
fcaticn at the coming second blen-
NAL convention, to be held at WASH
ington, D. c., October 10.
Il is said to be unique for two
reasons. 1t is a pension system not
based on need, but on years OF serv-
ice. In general the principle fol-
lowed among church bodies in taking
care of it's super-annuated and in
capacitated workers is to trust to
the good will offerings of the men,
T.. bers CT the body to provide for them
according to their need. For some
years there has been agitation among
, church bodies to change this system
to a sys.ea that is held to be more
businesSlikc.s
Mr.. F. Clarence Miller, president
of Bioren & Co., bankers, Philadel-
phia, and treasurer Of the United
Lutheran church, is responsible Tor
the innovation undertaenk by the
board of ministerial relief OF the
United Lutheran church in America.
He made the offer that if the pension
fund would not be a matter of relief
subject to the condition of the bene-
ficiary, but based solely on aid, serv-
ice and retirement, he would per-
sonally guarantee that the money
! needed would be available in case 1t
could not be obtained from ordinary
channels.
On the basis of this offer, the
board on ministerial relief instituted
a system by which a pension of $300
! annually is paid to every Lutheran
minister of the United Lutheran
church, when he is 65 years old and
,, if he has served at least 20 years and
is now connected with the church.
Two hundred dollars is given annual
lv to widows of ministers and an ad-
ditional allowance of $50 for each,
child under 16 years Of age.
The uniqueness of the system con-
sists also in the fact that it works
automatically and applies to every
ordained church worker. Many
church bodies that have changed
from the old system of relief ac-
cording to need and depending upon
free will offerings have instituted a
system by which the workers of the
church pay a certain fee annually
and are then entitled to pension.
At present there are 1872 ministers
of the United Lutheran church on
the pension list; 333 widows and 119
children. The board spends approx
mately 100000 per year to provide
for them. A proportionate amount
of this comes to South Carolina to
those who are eligible to this fund.
The board will bring recommen-
dation to the next convention OF the
United Lutheran church for an en-
dowment fund of S2,000,000. Some
of the other Lutheran bodies have
been successful in establishing funds
to provide for their superannuated
and incapacitated pastors, their
widows and children. The Augustana
synod has carried on successful
campaign through its laymen's Or
ganization. The Lutheran synod OF
Iowa and other states is planning to
carry on a campaign.
The official members of the board
of ministerial relief in the United
Lutheran church are: the Rev. A.
Pohlman of Philadelphia, president;
Mr.. J. B. Francke of Fort Wayne,
vice president; Mr.. G. P. Tuetin,
treasurer. and the Rev. E., G. Miller,