The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-05-02
THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.

OF newspaper men, of railroad men, of real estate
men, whlle the remaining 80 are sons of men
gagged In twenty different occupations
The significant fact is that exactly half of the
number investigated the sons farmers; that
is the farmer life furnishes many candidates
the ministry all other occupations put together.
Let this fact be remembered in connection with the
further fact that is too well known need proof that
our church IN the country has lost ground, while it
is gaming ground in the Writer after writer
has called attention the vacant country churches
to the once strong and decadent or abandoned
churches. Every chairman of Home Missions in the
eghtytwo presbyteries of Assembly is doubtless
painfully sensible of the neglect or decline of the
country churches and of the difficulty of securing and
holding pastors for them To any one who is capable
OF putting two and two together the foregoing facts
reveal most serious condition of the church We
IRE losing basis of supply.
This is true wherever there is decline of the
country churches. The supply of population for the
cities comes from the country The supply of mem
Pers and workers for the churches comes from the
same source 1t is as natural for population to flow
from the hill country to the towns it is for water
tP flow from the mountain sides to the valleys; and
wherever there is neglect of the country churches
tAere Is weakening CT the of the growth of
the church.
Pardon me, brethren but we should lust put this
in our pipes and smoke it. Whatever may be said
about the of the vacancies in the country
churches and do not impugn the motive of one man.
vet the fact remains that the town churches can oct
preachers while it is difficult and often impossible Tor
the country churches to find pastors keep them
Can 1t be possible that the attractions of the COM
forts and convenences of town life stronger with
JUS than the opportunity to work the base of sup
pty Tor the growth and the workers of the church?
lSs the phenomenal growth of towns binding us
to the essential law OF the growth of population
dt9es OF churches so that Over-estimate the I'M
porAtance OF the towns Could it be possible that the
proimty of city modes of life and of its comforts
during the period OF preparation is sappng spirit
|f endurance, of hardness for Christs sake2
; One of the theological teachers once argued in
tavor OF young preacher of talent taking a city
e hurch rather than scattered home mission field on
the ground that more people could be reached per
Sunday with less labor. But the doctor overlooked
the fact that if the basis of calculation is made per
month instead of per Sunday, the home missionary
actually presents the gospel to different indi-
Vduals III months time than does the city pastor
who breaches to the audience every Sunday
Beside the sphere of influence the country pastor
Is wider than his immediate constituency and is
greater over less flock than that of the city pastor
The reason is largely that the people In the coun
try the church and religion mean more than to the
townspeople
The doctor overlooked another fact, that the coun
Try Parson works at the basis of supply, the oun-
tain head, of members of workers and of preach
ers.
There is need of clarion cry of Back from town"
from the fevered lips the soulless competition the
material conceptions of life to the calm the purer
atmosphere, the simpler life the touch with God
through nature. And the preachers need it just as
much the people.