THE CONGREGATIONAL BOARD T OF MINISTERIAL RELIEF THE AGED MINISTERS AND THEIR WIDOWS HE average age of Congregational ministers at ordination is about twenty-eight years. The standard age at which American youth graduate from high school, and therefore at which most young men may be regarded as ready for gainful production (though the great majority of boys do not even tarry for a high school training), is eighteen years. For the minister these ten years have noteworthy economic significance. First, through the prolonging of the period of considerable outlay; and second; and quite as important, the shortening of his economically productive life by about one-fourth. This economic burden the minister assumes at the behest of the church. We rightly demand a ministry not only consecrated but also educated. Centuries of experience have proved this to be highly important from the point of view of the advantage of the church. Equity requires-and the church must practice justice or it is not Christian-that the institution which requires this training in its servants should pay for it. Beginning at the age of twentyeight, the minister has a period of growing economic strength for about twenty years, but beginning at about the age of fifty there is in general a manifest down grade, rapidly growing steeper, until long before the age of sixty, most ministers are deemed "too old" to be sought by the churches, and at the age of sixty-five, the great majority of ministers are on a non-self-supporting level. Congregational ministers for the last generation have died at the average age-including those who died young-of about seventy-three years, while the man who reaches sixty-five has an expectancy well over seventy-five. The twenty-five productive years must carry the whole seventy-five years. The wage of the minister during these active years is, at the present level of salaries, about twenty to twenty-five per cent. below the level of the "minimum living wage of a family of five" as gener ally accepted by social students. The prevailing salary runs from $1,000 to $1,200. This salary furnishes only a niggardly subsistence for the twenty-five to thirty productive years, and provides not one cent to take up the burden of the twenty to twenty-five economically non-productive years between eighteen and seventy-five. Therefore-and for this reason only-the vast majority of the lifelong servants of the Congregational churches are turned out in their old age to face abject poverty. This gross injustice involves many consequences. Two should be named: A First, it has practically arrested the recruiting of the ministry. careful and sympathetic investigator has studied the records of thirty-six Congregational churches, from Portland, Maine, to Denver, from Minneapolis to Kansas City. He found that in the last fifteen years all these churches together had furnished only one recruit for the Congregational ministry. God made economic laws; they cannot be circumvented. Not only is the laborer worthy of his hire, but he must have it or he cannot labor. The second consequence is equally appalling. Namely, we now have living, carried over from the preceding generation, about 2,000 old ministers, and ministers' wives and widOWS. The narratives of their need should they be recited, evoke tears— or anger. Congregational World Movement, CHANGE OF ADDRESS OR nearly eighteen years The Congregational Board of Ministerial Relief has been located at 287 Fourth Avenue, New York. The Annuity Fund for Congregational Ministers has had the same address, and has been under the same management since its inauguration in 1914. The Pilgrim Memorial Fund has had its headquarters at the same place. These combined organizations, working for the same cause, the welfare of Congregational ministers, ministers, should of course stay together. They have so much in common that it is a matter of wisdom and economy to combine their forces. The work has grown marvellously in recent years, requiring a larger force and more commodious offices. Sufficient additional space could not be secured at 287 Fourth Avenue in the United Charities Building. While these interests do not give up their lease, they have allowed, for the present at least, the Congregational World Movement and the National Council, in part, to occupy their space, and they have leased from the Y. M. C. A. the sec ond floor at 375 Lexington Avenue, on the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and East 41st Street. Here the Board of Relief, the Annuity Fund and the Pilgrim Memorial Fund will have enlarged and open space for the clerical and stenographic force, and offices for the Executive Secretaries. The Board has added to the Executive Management, a Financial Secretary, who will especially assist the Treasurer. Mr. Philip H. Senior, a business man of large experience, has been elected to this office and has begun his work with efficiency. Those who are interested in this work, all our friends, both ministers and laymen, are cordially invited to call upon us in our new quarters. The location is especially convenient for those who come into the city at the Grand Central Station. We are glad to announce that Rev. F. W. Hodgdon, 14 Beacon Street, Boston, and Rev. F. L. Hayes, D. D., 5415 University Avenue, Chicago, will continue as the Eastern Representative and the Western Secretary of the Board of Relief and the Annuity Fund. For the past year they have given practically their whole time, with great success, to the Pilgrim Memorial Fund. They will now lend such asistance as they can to the Movement, Congregational World which includes in its budget $100,000 for Ministerial Relief, but will be particularly devoted to the promotion of the Apportionment Plan for Ministerial Relief and in aiding the ministers in becoming members of the Annuity Fund under the present, or the expanded plan which goes into effect January 1st, 1921. CLOTHING UR friends who have been so helpful in sending clothing to the New York Office, are requested to withhold all such shipments until further notice. We are absolutely without proper space to handle this department at present. Wm. A. Rice. THE MAY OPPORTUNITY N this month of May the Sunday Schools and the Women's Home Missionary Societies will consider the subject of Ministerial Relief. This has been the custom now for sev eral years. There has been provided by the Woman's Federation and the Board of Relief, helps for the study of this special May topic, "Our Honored T Veterans." See the program in the April AMERICAN MISSIONARY, pages fifty-seven and fifty-eight. Samples of the leaflets mentioned have been sent to the Sunday School superintendents. They will be supplied on request as needed, by addressing the Secretary, William A. Rice, 375 Lexington Avenue, New York City. Don't fail to write. THE PILGRIM FUND AND THE OLDER MINISTER HE question is constantly asked: Is the Pilgrim Memorial Fund going to do anything for the older minister? A plain answer ought to be given this question, which is in the hearts and on the lips of hundreds of our people. In one sentence, the answer is this: The Pilgrim Memorial Fund will largely increase the value of the certificate of membership in the present Annuity Fund. Therefore, all ministers, who become members of the present Annuity Fund will be benefited directly by the complete success of the Pilgrim Fund. certificate of membership will secure to the minister at his retiring age an annuity of $500. The first certificates of membership in the Annuity Fund were issued in May, 1914. Each member paid a premium that was calculated to secure for him an annuity of $100 at his retiring age, provided he had complet ed by that time thirty years of service in the Congregational ministry. Some time later, contributions made by the churches enabled the Trustees of the Fund to match the earned annuity with an equal sum. The hope was that some time an annuity of $500 could be provided, of which the ministers' premiums would earn only $100, the remainder being provided by the free gifts of the churches. Would that time ever come? The Pilgrim Memorial Fund is the answer. When it is a complete success with subscriptions made good by payments, the Trustees of the Annuity Fund hope and expect that a This is the opportunity for the older minister. Provision is made so that a minister can join up to the age of 60 years by an annual premium, and even up to 65 years by making five back payments. Where else could a man invest a sum of money that would entitle him to an annuity of $100, and receive in return a strong probability of an annuity of $500. The Pilgrim Memorial Fund, when it is complete, will make that possible. More than 700 ministers of our denomination have already appreciated the advantages that the Annuity Fund now offers them, and in this number men from 45 to 55 years of age constitute a very large proportion. The younger men are going to have a great opportunity, as well as a strong incentive in the operation of the Expanded Plan, under which the premium consists of 6% of the salary (part of which will be provided by the Pilgrim Fund); but those ministers in middle life, whose future term of service is not long enough to enable them to accumulate a large sum through their premiums, will find their great opportunity in the plan which is now in operation under the Annuity Fund. The fraternal advice of the Secretaries, as well as the professional advice of the Actuary, to the older men, is-join now! IT THE CONGREGATIONAL WOMAN'S HOME MISSIONARY FEDERATION FOREWORD F the world movements of our churches have awakened the souls of so-called Christians to their obligation to promote the leadership of Christ, whose followers they profess to be, then an untold. blessing will be the result. There have been many of our church members who have apparently thought that being a Christian implied that foreigner, who must be taught to know the truth. Here are the young people of our churches and schools and colleges who must be educated in the Christian view of life. If we are Christians, for Christ's sake let us "feed His sheep."" TOPIC FOR JUNE, 1920 THEME: THE MEASURE OF you believed Christ had lived. You believed that He desired you to be "good." That is, you were not to lie or cheat or steal or be flagrantly wicked, and this was to be a Christian and a place in Heaven would surely be assured. One should not question the Christianity of members who did not go to church, or give to the furtherance of the Gospel. It was not for us to judge and no doubt an All Wise Judge would be more charitable than some of us. But the world movement has made it plain that we are not Christians unless we co-operate with the purposes of God and share in the work of bringing Hymn: "My dear Redeemer and my His kingdom into the world. This means a definite support of the work of our denomination, a steady giving to the organizations which are working for a Christian America and a Christian world. The yearly budget, which means our apportionment, must be raised by the members of our churches and should be met by the proportionate giving of every man, woman and child. The share of this apportionment which is to be given to the work of the Home Missionary Unions must be the responsibility of the women in the auxiliaries. This regular giving must not be interfered. Hymn: "Dear Lord and Father of Man- Scripture: Galatians 6: Ephesians 3:14-21. Lord." Organizing For Service The Story of our Organized Work- "How Frances and Gerald Got a Sun- Facing the Opportunity Review of the Field-The Congregational Sunday School Extension Society's First Annual Report. |