Magyar Egyház, 1955 (34. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)
1955-01-01 / 1. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11 THE READERS DIGEST — in its November 1954 issue carried an article “oi enduring significance”, which they published in condensed permanent booklet form about “The forgotten men in our churches” or “Why not a living wage for ministers?” by Walter Hoving. The author of the article in an active layman president of the well known New York department store, Bonwit Teller, Inc. This article begins with the statement that, “today in most Protestant churches there exists a condition which ought to trouble the laymen’s conscience and make him hang his head in shame: we are woefully underpaying our ministers. We are asking them to live nobly, dress respectably, labor selflessly and provide for their families — on salaries that are absurdly inadequate.” At the beginning of a new year, probably there are many churches reconsidering the salaries that they pay to their pastors, therefore it s good to notice what others are thinking and doing about it. There are many business men and women in various churches, where they confess openly, that with the rising prices of everything today the average minister’s salary is not a living wage. Building and maintenance costs, assessments for projects and missions had been increased. But the minister’s salary lagged behind. Compare the figures of a clergymen’s salary and that of an other professional man: doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, judges etc. Or with the salesmen, clerks, workers, bartenders, etc. Mr. Hoving comes to the conclusion that: “we’re all shortchanging the men of God!” He said: “there lies the tragedy of our indifference. During the period which saw the most phenomenal growth of American churches in our history, no attempt was made to adjust minister’s salaries to the sharply rising cost of living, Meanwhile other professional men raised their fees, white-collar and union workers received wage increases, manufacturers, merchants raised prices. Can anyone of us look up at the pulpit and deny that the pastor is the forgotten man?” As he goes on in his lengthy but rather interesting survey, he says: “truly, the Lord must provide for his servants, for parishioners do not.” Apart from the fact that are exceptions from every rule, and that there are churches and denominations providing well for their ministers, the question that is in the Reader’s Digest “what can we do to provide the minister and his family with more reasonable security?” “The most obvious answer — the articles continues — is to pay him a decent salary and provide him within adequate pension plan. But it will be a grevious mistake if we laymen wait for ministers to ask for increases.” T4ÍC X X id ZXfC 2XJC zxx:=xsc ZHÍC BOLDOG UJ ÉVET KÍVÁN A TRENTONI MAGYARSÁGNAK *1 KOVÁCS S. JÓZSEF Magyar Plumber Vállal mindenféle plumbing munkát Phone: 2-4409 :k= 916 SO. CLINTON AVE. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES The Third General Assembly of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in America was held Nov. 28, to Dec. 3rd in Boston. From the beginning to the end there were many important speakers representing various denominations and bringing wholesome Christian messages to those in attendance. It was reported that 3000 chaplains minister to the personnel of the U S Aermed Forces throughout the world and yet there is a shortage of chaplains. Besides the main addresses the delegates and official representatives were assigned into the following divisions: Foreign Missions, Home Missions, Christian Education and Christian Life and Work. The General Board, which was limited to a membership of 125, will from now on be limited to 200, suggested that a headquarter should be established in New York City, which was vigorously debated. The National Council represents 32 million Church members. Our denomination is not member of the Council, but our delegates Rev. Stephen Szőke Stated Clerk Duquesne Pa., and Rev. Gabor Csordás of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. were present.--------o-------THE PREACHER’S WIFE “Margaret!” my husband’s voice was almost sharp in reprimand when he came home and caught me straightening rooms and emptying baskets. “You know you are supposed to be in bed!” “I know, I know,” I confessed guiltily. Doctors’ orders were that I lie flat on my back for several weeks until the sciatic pain had completely subsided. “I told you a group of women from the parish offered to clean for us tomorrow,” my husband continued. I knew that! Why did he think I was getting things in order? “That’s just it,” I told him. “I can’t let those women see all this dirt!” My preacher husband laughed heartily. Then he became serious. “Say, you’re like a lot of sinners I know. They want forgiveness, but they try to do their own housecleaning first. They want to reform a little on their own—then some day they plan to come to Him. They forget that He wants us ‘Just as I am, without one plea.’ ” —Margaret Anderson, in The Lutheran Choir of the Free Magyar Reformed Church of Trenton.
