WILL STIPENDS OF CLERGY BE CUT?

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 142, 17 June 1931, Page 7

WILL STIPENDS OF CLERGY BE CUT?

CHURCHES HAVE NOT MADE ANY MOVE YET

None of the churches, whose representatives were questioned this morning, hav- as yet made any move towards a general reduction of the stipends of the clergy. The inquiry was made following on the view expressed by the Wanganui Presbytery that it was unfortunate that the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church had made no general order reducing stipends. The Rev W. Bower Black said that most of the Presbyterian ministers had offered to accept a reduced stipend, but in all but a very few cases, advantage had n9t been taken of their offers. The General Assembly had left the matter to individual congregations as it was considered that conditions varied so greatly as to make a general cut inadvisable.

The minimum salary of a Presbyterian minister was £3OO a year, which left little of a margin when it was remembered what calls were made on a minister by charity. It depended entirely on the circumstances of the parish, but probably about two-thirds of the Presbyterian clergy would be drawing only the minimum stipend. It was pointed out by the Rev G. K. Aitken, clerk of the Christchurch Presbytery, that the Wanganui Presbytery was acting in an entirely unconstitutional manner in commenting as it had done. It should have awaited the exact wording of the Assembly’s resolution, which would appear in the Blue Book. The Blue Book would be in the hands of Presbyteries iii about a month’s time and, until then, no Presbytery was entitled to comment. The Anglican Position.

The Rev Canon J. B. de Galwey said that no move had been made towards the reduction of the stipends of Anglican clergy. The matter was under consideration by the Diocesan authorities. The minimum stipend aimed at in the English Church was £320 a year, but some ministers received as little as £260.

“ The . matter has not yet been up for consideration by the church courts,” said the Rev M. A. Rugby Pratt. “ The minimum salary of a Methodist minister is £250 a year, with a hou-se. When you consider what calls there are for a minister to meet, you will see that there is no room for a reduction there.” Mr Pratt added that, as far as he knew, there was no movement among the laymen of the church for a reduction of stipends. Father M’Donald, of St Mary’s Church, explained that he was a member of an Order and received no stipend. The other clergy at St Clary’s were similarly placed. He said that collections had certainly fallen away and, in parishes where the priest’s stipend was largely dependent on offertories, there would, of course, be a cut in consequence.

A layman explained that Catholic clergy, generally, receive little monetary reward for their work. Priests who belong to an Order, such as the Society of Mary, may own nothing individually and receive little more than modest out-of-pocket expenses. The administrator of a cathedral parish seldom receives more than £5 a month, and his assistant-priests something less. Of course, free board and residence is provided at the presbytery. A parish priest is expected to support himself in modest comfort and to provide all the needs of the parish from the offerings of the congregation—usually a difficult task. The late Bishop Cleary left a very small sum, as'publication of the will revealed. Even the higher dignitaries of the Catholic Church are paid on a low scale. Cardinal Manning, for instance, died worth exactly £SO. 3

Salvation Army. Major Suter, Divisional Commander of the Salvation Army, said any order for a reduction in salaries would have to come from General Headquarters in Wellington, and there had been no suggestion of it.

The major explained that salaries in the Army ranged according to rank and the corps. Some corps found it impossible to pay a permanent salary al The salar Y of officers ranged from 255, and there was little or no room for reductions.