The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-30

souri, river to the Pacific coast.
Where the Churches Have Failed.
Hitherto. all mission boards have
acted on q basis of reporting sue
cesses and keeping quiet about dis
couragements; for successes breed
contributions. This body OF men re-
paradoxical, to report that the denom-
nations have failed quite generally to
meet the problem of the rural church
in the West. In the words Of Mr..
| McAfee. The churches commonly
| known as Protestant and evangelical
seem impotent before the rural prob
| lem"
! The special communities, found fire.
quently in the West, where the popu-
lation speaks more than one Ian
guage, also create q condition that the
boards have been unable to meet
satisfactorily. Many settlements OF
foreigners were found without any
Christian activity; these consisting OF
Greeks, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish
A single group Of three thousand
Firms was found which has not o
vestige of religious work amone.
them.
Such special classes Of workers as
the 1umbermen and miners are.
broadly speaking. Neglected by the
churches. A lumbermen's mission.
carried on under the joint auspices
Of the UNCONVENTIONAL boards and the
Y. NJ. {. A, Is suggested by one secre-
tary.
But perhaps the greatest failure OF
all has been the church's inability to
solve the problem of the small town.
with It's surplus Of churches. Tray-
elers who have counted the church
steepies IN small villages have had
soou reason to criticize the mistaken
zeal of the denominations. Now. q
cnange OF heart seems to have come
over the men directly responsible for
mission work on the field; and there
is a sympathetic spirit in all denomi-
natlons that will doubtless make itself
felt with the ecclesiastical
ties.
The Remedy Proposed.
The reason for the optimism of this
band of officials is that deinite stems
nave oeen undertaken to find out all
the Iacts' TO relate all the factors and
70 inarshal a united force. In each
OF the states visited on the home mis-
sioh neld an Observation-Disclosures
committee was formed, with uniform
~ ofanhs ana methods, for the purpose
- surveying every portion of this vast
region Tx school district is chosen
as the unit Of investigation. The s,,r-
July, 1912. 's oA
As soon thereafter as returns can
b eaoolated, anybody interested NAV
oe aDie 10 learn exactly what are thu
conditions in any given mari of ho
nome mission field, and whether +ha.-
are under-churched Or
IN a word, it will be a studv of fShr;s
tan efficiency. VI ~1ris-
Ing survey idea, which the Men
49, t>eliglon Movement is doing 81
~ . make popular, seems to Ia
neeas o' w. Tor this as we'll as other
ieeus or the churches. Once ~
church people get the nnh;aeaa ane
a 49, an the facts in relation. thew vii;
uotless rise to meet any need ~
How They Got Together.
co1nn piesent relations Of comitv and
hupefation existing between 49,
MISSION boards of the rraa+
in itsa,f . Ion Is an interesting study
tan seniin mnu SHOWS how the Chris.
~ str1des. Five years ago ~ 1rclns
missionary Movement 49, @
L AS on a platform of asane An.o
m e actual facts of relieious 49, .n
pendent mission fields, bv inGnA
lied Boards ~ registrations. The A.
49, : organized and so wero .a a
- IN; 20 accept this cha1lana po-
49, y u'u the laymen look 40 niese, and
resi1lt INTO mission worL
sion ot was the immense yor" usS e. The
The oa,us throughout the ch,ro ms
nome mission boar darcnes:
eft out in found themse1ves h .9ok
IL nnLlao1e TO get the ear ~ ~ s11ts,
81 they were forced ;n ,ne pub
o cooperation, and + INTO some
enom;n, Gouncil, representinr "a home
IN advanaon officially was era a,l tho
Vas b best knos step whose impert ted~
God former rir to those who undere
y inc home boards did a n". ~jealousies.
lsh 1'1 for OF the foreign follow the
# their a Mar Independent in oards, and
results ans '%hbs ses thhe emae'xa to
'ef'nite and co s1S Indicted are more