The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-11-25
when they are trying to learn how 30

Wnen they are trying 70 learn now %
live.
Modern agriculture has awakened
the rural communities. Ii has renovat-
ed the rural schools. and where given q
chance 1t Is breathing the breath Of life
into the country churches. The idea
is sacrilegious only to those who re-
gard agriculture as an occupation
only, like banking or law. Agriculture
Is much more than this. 1t is a life
led by more than 100000 people.
The church that does not recognize
that life and help the people who are
living 1t to solve their problems can
not hope to become a power In Its
community.
The fundamental change must come
with the education Of the preacher.
for he is the active force In the church.
1t makes little difference whether ag-
riculture replaces some Of the theolo-
gy in the UNCONVENTIONAL schools or
whether practical religion is given a
larger place In the agricultural COL
leges. The successful country pastor
Of the future will be educated on q
mixture of religion and agriculture.
He will have deep, abiding sympa-
thy with country life and an apprecia-
ton of its problems. He will lift the
church to its proper place In the COM
munity. The mission boards are
sending many industrial missionaries"
to foreign lands. These are young
men and women trained In the indus
trial colleges. They are training the
heather in the arts of agriculture and
industry and are making better Chris
tians Of them than has ever been done
before. If men Of this type could be
placed in the country churches of this
nation the moral life Of the land
would be revolutionized.
do not mean that agriculture need
be preached from the pulpit, although
that may be admissible on occasion.
In the spring of 1910 Iowa faced a
seed corn famine. An early freeze the
fall before destroyed the vitality Of a
large share of the seed corn while It
was still in the fields. AS planting time
approached 1t became evident that I'M
less something unusual were done the
greater share of the cornfields Of the
state would be planted to corn that
would not produce more than a frac-
ton Of a stand. Twenty per cent of
the best corn in the state, which was
shown at a corn show at the agricul-
tural college in January, was abso-
lutely dead. Tests Of ordinary seed
tot har hot
than % per cent of the average seed
was capable of producing strong stalks.
In this crisis the extension department
Of the college. among other things,
sent out letters to nearly all the coun-
try preachers In the state asking that
they preach sermons on the Importance
of testing seed corn and throwing out
the bad ears. A few of the preachers
were insulted by the suggestion, con-
sidering that such q course would be
a proclamation of the church. But more
than 400 preachers prepared sermons
In accordance with the suggestions
and delivered them. A better text
could not have been desired. The anal
ogy between seed corn and men was
easily drawn, and from the idea Of
testing seed corn it was an easy step
to the thought of how men must be
tested. The most powerful sermons
given in many of the country churches
In Iowa that winter were those with
seed corn for theme. In addition, the
preachers had the satisfaction Of know
ing that they had part in adding to
the material as well as to the spiritual
welfare of their communities.
This case is an exception. but it illus
trates the point. More often the pas
tors agricultural knowledge will stand
him in good stead outside the church
door. 1t will give him an understand
ing Of nature that will be reflected In
his sermons and will reach the hearts
of his people IN way that a sermon
laden with the spirit of the paved
streets never could do. The pastor
who calls on one of the farmers In
his community and talks with him in
diligently regarding his work, perhaps
giving him some helpful suggestions,