CHURCH STIPENDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 269, 13 November 1935, Page 23

CHURCH STIPENDS.

PRESBYTERIAN SYSTEM. INVESTIGATION OF POSITION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church decided to-day to set up a committee to go into the question, of ministerial stipends and those of other church officers. It was contended in an overture from Westland that "the present payment by the Church of her permanent servants is based on varying and often unexamined principles, and some are gravely perturbed lest at this time of social and economic questioning the Church should be making by her internal practice in these matters a false witness to society/' The overture stated further that some advocated -that ministerial salaries should be calculated and paid according to relative needs in relation to the yearly resources- of the whole national community. In view of these and other circumstances, the Westland Presbytery asked the assembly to appoint a committed (a) to review the principles upon which ministerial stipends and those of the Church's other ageflts are at present calculated; (b) to inquire what principles of payment and appointment are most consonant with the gospel and the service of its ends; and (c) to collect and publish evidence on these matters. The Rev. L. H. Ker (Wanganui) said that at present there were extraordinary anomalies in the remuneration and support of the ministry of the Church. Hemoved " that the prayer of the overture be granted, and this /as agreed to. The trea-surer said there was still reluctance on the part of congregations to repay loans. Presbyteries were not realising that loans at a cheap rate were available only if repayments were made regularly. If presbyteries wished to secure the benefit of assistance from the New Century Fund they must insist on the honouring of their agreements.