Where have all the evangelists gone? The church once crawled with revivalists and evangelists crisscrossing the nation preaching for decision. They are hard to find nowadays. Oh sure, we have a slew of retired guys who do this work, but few younger folk attempt it. Why? Does it have anything to do with money?

I got to thinking about special speakers' pay recently when I discovered my father's tiny little record book. It was his 'Stall's Pastor's Pocket Record' for the years 1939-1942. In this leather-covered book he had meticulously recorded every 'Pastoral Call' on the 49 church families in Warren Pennsylvania. He only recorded 'productive' calls (meaning they were home?) listing the 'unproductive calls' separately. I was astounded to find that he averaged two calls a month for every family. (Now I know what they did before computers & church offices!)

But his calling record is not what grabbed my attention. He listed his salary too. Staring out in 1939 at $15 a week, he notched up to $18 in 1940 (a 20% increase!) then $20 in 1941 and by 1942 he was raking in a whopping $23 a week (one of the highest paid pastors in his conference at that time - I checked).

But what struck me was a list in the back of his book. He had carefully recorded what he paid each 'Evangelist.' These wandering preachers included the now forgotten names of Norman, Rothwell, Leadingham, Skinner and others (he apparently had two 'revivals' a year). Beside each name my father had recorded the honorarium: Skinner-$85, Rothwell-$95, Leadingham-$105, and Norman-$141

He paid evangelists in 1939-1942 from $85 to $141. I quickly calculated the ratio. While earning 20 bucks a week, my dad paid his special speakers from four to six times his own salary. No wonder there were more itinerants then! What would that amount to now?

I suppose you'll remind me of the old 10-day meetings, my dad's free parsonage, the working wives today, commuting, and the fact that most of today's speakers already receive a salary and are only getting a supplement. But I still can't help wondering if we had more itinerant speakers in the past because we valued - and paid- them more.

But, then again, perhaps you agree with a former associate of mine who dismissed the loss of the professional evangelist with the simple words, 'Good riddance.'

Do we need itinerant speakers in the church? What for? And, if so, how much should we pay them?

So what do you think?

By Keith Drury, 1994. You are free to transmit, duplicate or distribute this article for non-profit use without permission.