Religion: Facing the Ambiguities

The typical U.S. Protestant parish minister is between 35 and 44, is married, and has two children. His church has approximately 400 members, with about 200 children in his Sunday school. Its budget is about $12,500 a year, some $3,000 of which is given away for good causes. And he is somewhat bewildered to find that his traditional function as preacher is being superseded by the functions of pastor, administrator, counselor, organizer, educator and promoter.

These facts were turned up in a careful survey conducted by Presbyterian Minister-Sociologist Dr. Samuel Blizzard, 40, who was commissioned two years ago by the Russell Sage...

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