BETTER STIPENDS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21994, 20 June 1941, Page 4

BETTER STIPENDS

Standard Of Ministry Presbyterian Church With the object of explaining the activities of the Maintenance of the Ministry Committee of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, the Rev. T. W. Armour, Christchurch, convener, and Mr J. B. McKinney, of Auckland, addressed a meeting in Chalmers Hall on Wednesday night of representatives of Presbyterian congregations in South Canterbury. Mr Armour and Mr McKinney have completed a tour of the North Island, and are now covering the South Island, representing the Laymen’s Executive of the Maintenance of the Ministry Committee, which comprises Messrs H. P. Donald, W. Goodfellow (Auckland), J. R. Fairbairn (Dunedin), Adam Hamilton (Invercargill), J. L. Hay, John Mac Gibbon, Charles Ogilvie, A. C. Wells (Christchurch), A. P. Smith (Wellington), W. B. Tennent and J. C. Young (Palmerston North). The Maintenance of the Ministry Committee presented to the last General Assembly a report dealing with the standard of the Ministry, explained Mr Armour, who said that what really mattered was whether they were going to maintain the standard of efficiency of the ministry, for when the economic level of the ministry fell, what suffered first was the quality of leadership and its culture. Referring to the rise in the cost of living, he said that the index figures in 1914 were 628, but at the end of 1939 these had risen to 990. If the stipend fund of 1914 had simply risen enough to balance the rise in the cost of living it would have been (allowing for the additional 15 per cent, of men employed) £129,294 against £99,415 paid. This revealed that the servants of the Church fell considerably short of the standards of living of 30 years ago and this must impair their efficiency. Mr Armour said that financial considerations entered very little, if at all, into the thought of those who devoted their lives to the service of the Church. The Church, however, in accepting them as minister, became responsible for their suitable maintenance. The financial strain on many ministers, especially at the outset of their ministry, was severe, and had often led to discouragement and depression. The people of the Church were serving themselves when they saw to it that financial worry was not added to the burden which every true minister must carry. The speaker added that in 1914 the standard minimum stipend aimed at for ministers was £240 and the equal dividend (that was the amount paid to ministers on the lowest level) was £224. If the stipend paid in 1939 corresponded with that paid In 1914, it would be, to meet the rise in the cost of living, £353, and to have marched with the prosperity of the country, £373. It had to be emphaised, however, that this would not mean raising stipends above the 1914 levels, but simply restoring their purchasing power to the 1914 level.

After full discussion, the following committee was appointed to co-operate with the Laymen’s Executive in forwarding the interests of the proposals in South Canterbury:—Messrs F. R. Flatman, A. Ward, J. Moyes, H. T. Dunne, M. A. Walker, W. H. Davey, R. Crombie, J. Sutherland and J. Cleland. Mr Flatman subsequently consented to act as chairman of the committee, and Mr Sutherland was appointed secretary. The Rev. Mr Armour and Mr McKinney, continuing their tour of the South Island, addressed a meeting at Knox Church, Waimate, last night. There was an attendance of about 40 office-bearers representing the congregations of Waimate, Morven and Waihao Downs.

At the close of the address a number of questions were answered and the fallowing committee was set up to operate in the group of charges: Messrs J. C. Hay (chairman), G. W. Cleland, J. Reid, F. G. Mcßae, J. Dempsey, J. B. Chapman, M. Leadbetter and A, G. McHardy (hon. secretary).