The Washington herald., 1912-08-11
SAVING COUNTRY cHu1cHEs
IN RURAL NEW ENGLAND

oAco tc~ChsAy =. ~ ~" -
Massachusetts an old farmer who left
the place the sum OF s&O@ II was Z
great surprise. for he had not been iden.
tined with any one Of them and was
not supposed to have any Interest in the
religious life Of the comnunity. He
evidently was moved by sentimepf
which 10 growing In YuraifNew England
and 10 likely to have marked and far
reaching influence. This 10 q feeling
that the church life has been a large
factor In making New England what II
is that It must not be allowed to wane
| II New England is to retain her pres
tige. and that there Is a real danger
that II will gradually weaken-until II
becomes an ins.gnincantl element. says
the Boston Transcript The taking up
Of many farms by foreigners IL result
ing In the loss Of those who used to be
the strong supporters Of the churches.
In many towns and villages the small
manufacturing abllshments have been
unable to sustain themselves In compe-
tition with the larger enterprises of the
cities and are disappearing. The heads
Of these Industries were largely the
financial pillars of the churches In those
localities. Thus deprived of part OF
their constituency. and much Of II the
strongest financially. 1t begins to look as
though many Of the town and country
churches could not long sustain them
selves, even in localities that have not
been overchurched. The salaries Of the
ministers, none too large before. In
stead of rising with the increased cost
Of living, are in danger of being cut
to an even lower figure. Yet In all
these communities there Is a portion OF
the old-time population, and, for II the
churches must be supported. as well as
for the indirect influence upon the for
eign-born population. which should have
kept before them the standards and
ideals which have given New England
her greatness. The work OF the church
es must be sustained. and to save It the
sons and daughters of New England are
remembering the churches In their Wills.
The old farmer was not an exception.
Congregational Endowment Plan.
Many will be surprised to know that
3es Congregational churches In Massa-
seventy three Congregational churches,
over one-tenth OF the whole number. re-
ceived legacies. the total OF which
amounted to sl51.71s. Without attracting
much attention or comment, the Congre-
gational churches of the State Will re-
ceive as endowment within a decade
sum OF money that would thrill the aver
age college president with Joy. The
reach OF the sentiment appears in the
size OF some of these legacies. Some
were not more than SIS. quarter OF
them were 5000 or under. and half
were $500 and under. They are not the
result of a campaign or Of solicitation.
but of a sentiment. the feeling of the
farmer the artisan, the day laborer. the
widow. who have little to leave. but feel
that the churches must be saved.
IL.
gers associated with this movement.
Some country churches may have too
much money. One of the hill town
churches is thus afflicted. With an en-
dowment Of 10000, II pays a salary OF
$50. besides the parsonage. which is
practically all met by the income from
the invested funds. When the members
OF a church are relieved from the neces-
sity OF sacrificing for It. every depart
ment OF its life loses vitality. Too much
money may lower its spiritual life. Cases
also arise where the possession OF an
endowment Is a material hindrance In
the uniting OF churches where the de-
crease in the Protestant population has
made the number of churches too large.
1t may possibly happen also that
churches will be sustained, as In some
places in England, by the endowment
where there are practically no people
who care to attend them. Notwithstand
ing an occasional undesirable situation,
however, the movement now under way
is most fortunate for the church life
OF New England. II Is likely to con-
tinue for two or three decades longer.
during which there will be a quiet, steady
stream Of legacies. from so to $4,000
each. which will total in time great
church endowment for our country
churches -
CITY and Country Needs.
This sentiment does not seem to have
taken root in the same way in the cities.
While the Congregational churches Of
Boston have one-tenth Of the State church
membership and much more than one
tenth of the fina ancial resources. they re-
ceived last year in legacies only per
cent OF the whole amount. There are
churches in our cities. whose future ef-
fectiveness and even existence are at
stake, because of a lack Of financial re-
sources, who have had in their congrega-
tions several generations of wealthy men,
who haYe left in their Wills not a cent
to any church. A church in a city out
side of New England could be named
which has before it a splendid opportuni-
ty 20 minister to the multitudes I'm the
apartment and. boarding houses in its
vicinity. but which seems doomed to a
anu Hndl uedtn. IL Is
handicapped now by a lack of financial
resources. and yet in years past its men,
bers by direct gift and by legacy have
given hundreds OF thousands of dollars to
all sorts of causes without adding a dol
lar to the endowment OF the church.
Every leading branch Of the Christian
church should have an endowed institu-
ton in the hotel region Of the city. an
other where apartment houses abound.
still another where students are inclined
to congregste, and one for each great
tenement house section. Some of the OBJ
iections to such a plan would be obvi-
ated II the endowment should be placed
under the control Of the denomination
or some central committee, which would
apportion 1t to the different sections ac-
cording to their needs and opportunities.
The necessity of college endowment Is
universally recognized. The need of
church endowment in some form, now
being established in the country commu-
mites will spread into the cities, and in
stead Of being exceptional. as now in the
case of Trinity in New York and the
Old South in Boston, IL will be general,
the use made of the funds Of these two
churches showing how valuable they may
be made for the religious life of a great
city.