Rev. Glen Thomas’ letter in the February Lutheran Witness reminds us of an important issue, namely, decent pay scales for our workers. However, there’s another side of this matter that was left out.
There seems to be an unwritten rule that pastoral candidates must be married before they start their vicarage year. Think about it. How many unmarried vicars have you met? Why are we not urging them to stay single until they have established budget habits before they take on the support of a family? This applies especially to those young men who go right from daddy’s credit card to college loans. Do our seminaries include courses in money management?
I started teaching long before college loans were invented, so I can’t offer a personal comparison. Loans can be pressure points for our workers. Let’s ease the load from both aspects.
Dorothea Jaster
Ascension Lutheran Church
Torrance, Calif.
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