Evening star., 1933-02-17
CLERGY HARD HIT
BY SALARY CUTTING
Many Congregations Months
Behind-0thers Cut Pay &.
by One Third.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, February 17.-For q
time the clergyman stood beyond reach
OF the salary wave, but It Is now
engulflng him and making increasingly
difficult his self-assumed job as MIN
lister to victims OF the economic storm.
A survey Of some of the major de-
nominations shows that salary reduce
tons did not hit the ministry as class
until year or two after they had af-
fected other groups, but that the cuts
now reach as high as 66 per cent, with
the expectation that they will be severer
this year than ever before.
Average cuts range from less than 10
TO more than 80 per cent. But statis-
tics, where they exist, ere meager and
do not tell the whole story, say those
giving them.
General Level Raised.
For one thing. they say. continued
high salaries in few city parishes ratse
the general level In addition, most
ministers are unwilling to report re-
ductions, voluntarily or otherwise.
Many congregations, too, are behind
with their pastors salaries, in some
case for many months. .r,-
Lastly. many ministers have In
creased their own contributions to the
church. besides broadening their pri-
vate charity.
Hardest hit as regards actual salary,
the survey shows, Is the country min
ister. In many cases he has none at
all, his church having closed its doors
or merged with another. In others, his
church is holding services monthly In.
stead Of weekly.
But. UNCONVENTIONAL leaders say, the
rural pastor often is better of than his
brother in town or city. Usually he has
his own plot of ground for raising vege-
tables, and often his congregation
shares produce with him.
Sharing Custom Revived.
One denomination reports that the
old-fashioned custom of sharing hams.
bacon and fresh meat at butchering
time with the pastors family seems
to be reviving.
Several instances, both in urban and
In rural districts. were reported of
hand-to-mouth existences, the minister
taking the weekly income and dividing
1t pro rata among himself, the janitor,
; the organist and the choir director %
Estimates by denominational head.
quarters on salary reductions follow:
Southern Baptist-General average
OF one-thrd since the depression began,
40 per cent for country districts, 80 per
cent for villages, IS per cent for towns,
20 per cent for cities, Is per cent for
missionaries, educators, denominational
executives. -.
Methodist Episcopal-l7 per cent
from 1929 to 1882. This is on total
gross salaries and does not register the
decline in the rental value Of par
sonages, which are included in the
total amount. st,ss
Little Suffering Reported. s5
United Lutheran - Highest salary
dropped from $4,000 and parsonage IA
| 1891 to s8,100 and parsonage in 1882.
Lowest salary dropped from $500 to
s24o. Average salary dropped from
$4,000 to $1,84l. "Only In exceptional
cases is the pastor suffering"
| Northern Baptists-"30 per cent is q
low estimate 90
Disciples Of Christ-25 per cent or
more: some reach as high as Sc per
cent"
Reformed In the United States
From 81 800 and parsonage to s1,5O0
and parsonage. "The latter figure may
be too high" =
Congregational -Christian-Survey I'm
Illinois shows most OF the ministers
have been reduced and many expect
cuts this year ranging from to 40
| per cent.