Calvin Synod Herald, 1975 (75. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1975-01-01 / 1-2. szám

8

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

The study notes a difference between “moonlighting” and “part-timing” among clergy who work on the side. Moonlighters work less than 20 hours a week and earn averagely $875 a year, hardly enough to cover their automobile expenses. Part-timers on the other hand work upwards of 20 hours weekly with pay averaging out to $6,250.

Working spouses, wives for the most part, work chiefly to augment family income (53 per cent), but about 20 per cent do it to help pay for their children’s education. Another 24 per cent are reported working to fulfill career interests.

Women Ministers

Markedly different patterns apply to women parish ministers, it would appear from a first-time inclusion of this category in the three studies so far conducted on clergy support. (The two previous ones covered the years 1963 and 1968.)

Their median age is 52, whereas that of male ministers is 46. Practically all male clergy in the survey (96 per cent) are married, while only 65 per cent of females are. Only 55 per cent of women ministers have college degrees, as against 69 per cent among their male counterparts. Congregations served by female clergy are smaller (128 on the average) than those pastored by males (313 communicants). Budgets are about half for churches served by women -— $17,000 as against $35,800 for churches served by males.

And women ministers in parish work are likewise paid less than males — their median salary being $6,516, nearly $4,000 less than that for men.

However, study director Dr. Bonn, cautions that these figures are representative of only eight denominations among the 19 in the over-all study and are based on only 124 usable questionnaire replies returned from the field.

Do most ministers get satisfaction from their work, despite their income problem? The answer for most is Yes, a resounding 83 per cent. The question was put negatively also: “Even though my salary is reasonably adequate, I don’t really enjoy my work.” Only six per cent agreed with this, against 94 per cent in varying disagreement. Another negative proposition was posed in the questionnaire: “Years of working at a low salary have left me discouraged with the ministry.” Those in agreement were 16 per cent, in disagreement 84 per cent.

Regional Variations

Ministers earn more or less depending on what part of the country they live in, the survey shows. The highest income medians were reported from the Northeast and Pacific Coast states — $11,170; the lowest in the south central states — $9,358.

The lowest paid clergy serve small rural churches, earning on the average $5,277 a year. The highest paid serve large urban and suburban churches, the median here being $13,221 for the former, $13,640 for the suburbs.

Income variation according to denominations are wide also. Of the 19 in the study, the relatively small (287,000 member) Christian Reformed Church leads the others with an average parish ministers’ salary of 12,250. Close behind are the Episcopal Church ($11,869) and the American Lutheran ($11,692). Following in order are: Lutheran Church in America ($11,328), United Methodist ($10,915), Presbyterian, U.S. ($10,370), United Church of Christ

($10,357), Christian Church (Disciples) ($10,031), American Bapist Churches ($9,819), Evangelical Free Church ($9,714), Southern Baptist Convention ($9,688), Church of the Brethren ($9,600), Open Bible Standard Churches ($8,500), Friends United Meeting ($8,250), Church of God (Anderson Ind.) ($8,125), Wesleyan Church ($7,641), Assemblies of God ($7,091).

Copies of the full study report are available at 25 cents each from the Office of Professional Leadership, National Council of Churches, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y. 10027.

Published in conjunction with the report is a booklet, “Supporting An Effective Ministry,” containing study finding highlights and suggestions for local church boards and committees in making decisions affecting support for their ministers. There are also available, at 30 cents each, from the same address.

Tempo, Oct. 74 Fletcher Coates---------------------------------------Grass Roots Ecumenical Conference

A “grass roots ecumenical conference” found some 50 Roman Catholic parish priests, teachers social workers and parish council members at St. Charles Seminary in Philadelphia, Pa. on February 1 exploring the theological advancements that have been made in the various bi-laterals between Roman Catholics on the one side and Episcopalians, Lutherans and Reformed/Presbyterian Christians on the other. The conference was sponsored by the Ecumenical Committee of the Office of the Cardinal’s Commission on Human Relations.

A panel presented the far-reaching agreements achieved among these traditions — Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Lutheran and Reformed/Presbyterian — mainly on the teachings concerning Ministry and the Eucharist (Lord’s Supper) during the past several years. The resource persons were Professor Leonard Swidler, editor of the Journal for Ecumenical Studies, for the Roman Catholics, Dr. Peter Day for the Episcopalians, Dr. Helmuth Lehmann for the Lutherans and Dr. Andrew Harsanyi for the Reformed. The goal was to inform the participants about the theological foundation and prompt ecumenical activities on the grass root level.

Half of the day was spent on these presentations and a very lively question and answer period. The second part of the conference was conducted by the Rev. Andrew Connelly, whose parish on Long Island (Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Roman Catholic Church of Wyandanch, New York), has had a successful covenanting relationship with the neighboring Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. A documentary film prepared by CBS and aired last November on its “Look Up and Live” program was also shown. This is one of the several covenanting relationships that exist between Roman Catholic and Lutheran, Episcopal and Presbyterian churches locally in the United States. The Wyandanch situation can well serve as a pattern for such covenanting relationships.

A panel from the two Wyandanch churches, after many months of lay-participation, prepared a “Statement of Our Common Faith” the summary of which is this:

“As Evangelical Lutheran and Roman Catholic Christians we find that we share a common Gospel (1 Cor. 15:3-5) ; a common worship (Acts 2:42) ; a common baptism (Matt. 28:19) ; a common absolution (Jon 20:23) ; a common Eucharist (1 Cor. 16:16 and Matt. 26:28) ; a common ministry (2 Cor. 5:18-19) ; and a common discipleship (1 Peter 2:5).” - _