Religion: Episcopal Economy

Despite the proverbial wealth of its parishioners, the Protestant Episcopal Church, like many another, is having serious money troubles. Last week its leading bishops began to trim their salaries in an effort to economize.

At the General (Convention last September a missions budget of $4,225,000 was approved. Last month this budget was reduced by some $600,000. Missionary bishops both abroad and in the U. S. ruefully accepted a 10% reduction in their salaries. Salaries of all missionaries and office workers were also reduced. But still to be lopped off the budget was an additional $400,000 which will be a chief concern of extraordinary meetings of the House of Bishops and the National Council in Garden City, L. I. next month.

Presiding Bishop James De Wolf Perry began the move for voluntary retrenchments last week by pruning his $15,000 salary 10%. He has a rich wife, an independent income. New York’s small Bishop William Thomas Manning, who also has a rich wife, a fine Bishop’s Palace, a salary of $15,000 and a $5,000 “discretionary fund,” followed suit. In response to an emergency call for retrenchment from Bishop Perry, Massachusetts was the first diocese to act as a unit in salary cuts. Bishop Henry Knox Sherrill. who gets $15,000 per year, joined with 300 Massachusetts clergymen in contributing $28,000 in the form of reduced salaries. From retirement emerged wealthy, 81-year-old Bishop William Lawrence to lend sage counsel.

The general clergy was spared salary adjustments. No salary cut could Long Island’s wealthy Bishop Ernest Milmorc Stires take because on assuming office he refused a salary, has only an impressive residence in Garden City with a liberal maintenance allowance and discretionary fund.

Fumed the able, vigorous Chronicle, Protestant Episcopal monthly: “It is to be hoped that no other diocese will follow the example of Massachusetts. . . . The salaries of all missionaries are small enough but the proposition to reduce them 10% is not only a stupid blunder but a heartless procedure. . . . Things are wrong, grievously wrong—the honor of the Church is at stake.”