PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13307, 5 April 1941, Page 4

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

MEETING IN TAURANGA TO DISCUSS PROPOSALS i ■

For the purpose of discussing a proposal to raise the minimum stipends of ministers of the Presbyterian Church, a meeting of onice bearers of St. Peter’s Church was held in the Sunday school hall on Thursday afternoon. The Rev. T. W. Armour, of Christchurch, convener of the Maintenance of the Ministry Committee of the General Assembly, and Mr W. Goodfellow, of Auckland, a member ot the laymen’s executive, were present for the purpose of explaining tl proposals, and at the conclusion the meeting if was agreed that a iajmen’s committee be set up here iu other places to deal with 6 . One of the points made by au Armour in his address was tha s 191>1 the number of communican had increased by 48 per cen ~ the population had increased >• per cent.' The nominal mcreas meant a relative decrease o cent., and whereas the G jl urc, V gaining on the population p 1917, it had not been holding its since, o The gross income, swollen ■ by the Centennial Fund effor , , iut ed an increase of 106 per ce •’ es the Government Statisticians showed that the total value en t duction had increased 156 per That meant that even with tne « of the Centennial Fund, the „ er was getting a considerably me proportion of the nation , Q year s from production than it d Turning to the Ministry mour said it would probab . V j earn a surprise to most peopl cent . that though there are fL „ er cent, more communicants and o . 0 f more of population, Ministers and Home ereatcombined are only 15 pei c

61 In 1914 the standard stipend aimed at for mi £ 240 and the amount paia ters on the lowest l evel ' va q cor resIf the stipend paid m gl4 p ponded with that paid 1 c 0S t would be to meet the rise i marC hof living, £ 353, and to ia ' coUned with the prosperity or try, £ 373. , ei was The position, he cont goineso critical that it was , The thing must be done immed uS e assembly decided, there o > cap j ta i the amount available m ffl jttee account of the Missions stipend to assure that the minium j eaS t for ministers would be non din,? £ 300 for 1941. with conjees, improvement for home ® It was also decided that a p ol Din be set up for theion to organise the intere e a Church and to seek to a® £33 0 standard minimum stipen a ]se for the Church this y ea r inCo ciea further improvement of ; of home missionaries.