The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-20
OR COUNTRY CHURCH.

With few exceptions pastors Of city
churches and their wives emanated from the
churches of the country villages or small
towns. The missionary ranks are almost
entirely supplied from these sources. This
is natural. The country church and home,
all the conditions Of country life are more
conducive to Christian character and early
piety. The influence Of Christian parents
and pastors is terfull stronger than in the
city. Both parents and pastors in the coun-
try homo and church more earnestly and
constantly influence their sons toward the
ministry. For these and many other rea-
sons, the great source Of supply Of men and
women to the Christian Church and its min
stry is found in the churches outside of the
large cities.
No other argu .ilent than this fact Is needed
to show the necessity Of maintaining the
country churches. The growth, -piety and
efficiency of denomination will be in pro-
portion to the prosperity o. its country
plicity and spirituality. DR.. Chalmers ap-
preciated this, and instituted the sustenta-
ton plan of the Free Church Of Scotland,
which has been the visible basis of its re-
markable growth. and its efficiency in mis-
sionary work. Thus, the home mission
work, as it provides for the support of fee
bic churches and the organization OF new
churches, is the most important agency OF
the church. Upon this all other enterprises
depend.
Upon this the foreign missionary and
work depends f.: its men and means anu
the missionary spirit without which these
cannot lie forthcoming. This home work
mus. not lie restricted to new and feeble
churches. Every church in the old rs well
as the new States should be enabled to afford
q reasonable salary. and thoroughly to culti-
yate the territory which lies within its reach
1t is by the country church principally that
the ideal Christian home Is to be preserved
and made the safe uard Of our country. and
the nursery for the Church and its ministry:
7 his consideration alone ought to m Ike the
country pastor shrink from yielding to the
current that sweeps toward the crowded
town.
There is another fact that manifests the
Importance Of the country church rs factor
in the spread of Christianity. The Rev. 5.
w. Dixie, in the January number Of the
Century Magazine. says that in the -four.
teen Northern States, east OF the Mississippi
River, where little over one-haif OF the ma
tive population of the United States was
found in 1850, there were more people by
about one million in the country townships
of less than two thousand inhabitants than
there were in large cities and towns having
four thousand and upwards and that the
non-church. goers largely consist Of those
who live more than two miles from the
nearest church.
The problem of reaching these is OF equal
importance with that of reaching the masses
in the city. A larger proportion Of these
exert al influence upon the trade, finance
and social condition of the country and
world than Of the city masses. BESIDES TINS
the children of these homes arc, constantly
going to the city and town, and to distant
sections, where they take part in the deter
mination of our social fabric. We are now
in danger of permitting the enormous growth
Of our cities to Ovcrshadow our rural III
tcrcStS.
Let us rot forget in the presence of these
metropolitan demands and problems that
the country is still the great reservoir OF
moral and spiritual. us well as mental and
physical, power. We cannot afford to neg
iect lis interests as we pray and labor that
Gods will may bc done on Garth AS it is i'll
heaven.