The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-04-08
TO GROW IN POWER
Many Fields of Usefulness That
Are More or Less Neglected
by the Rural Church

from $50 churches in the territory.
How many of these are taking lead
ing part in their respective commu-
mites for all that is implied In the up
ward look for which their tapering
steeples stand? Some of them are
unused; others are opened once in
two weeks for brief service; many
house tiny band OF worshipers each
week; but probably not one-quarter Of
them are coming anywhere near their
capacities in any branch OF their work.
How can great efficiency be Sc
cured?
G. Frederick Wells, chairman OF the
country church commission OF the
Methodist Federation for Social Serv-
ice. mentions a church within a days
journey of this city which stands amid
a farm community containing more
than one million dollars worth of pro-
ductive wealth, yet 1t cannot support
S400 minister. Is this the fault of
the pulpit or the pew. or is 1t merely
the lack of a proper appreciation for
the new functions of the religious side
Of life in the upbuilding of rural
population?
Probably it is largely this. There
are" says Mr.. Wells, seven stages In
the development of the normal coun-
try church in the average American
rural community. They are the wor-
ship stage. the service stage. the fell
lowship stage. the cooperative stage.
the substitutional stage, the commu-
nifty stage and the world stage" First.
agriculturists desire to come together
for worship, and they establish a
church. The natural outgrowth Of this,
reached by most organizations. Is a
desire to serve each other in spiritual
ways. From this comes a spirit Of fell
lOwship. Here, however, most rural
churches have been disposed to stop.
Those which go along to other stages
are the ones which are not complain
ing about the depopulation of the
country and the loss in efficiency of
there are some that do go further.
Cooperative Movements.
gin to cooperate with the oranges
the state library, the credit associa.
tions, village improvement societies
neighborhood clubs and other forces
for social betterment, thereby making
| the church a center, doing away with
bleak silence six days in the week
| and holding many who otherwise
would drift away under the feeling
that there was not enough in the
church to make attendance and work
for it worth while. Few are those
who reach this point, but those who
| do rarely complain of their deserted
| state. Then comes the stage in which
the church takes the place of city &C
| tiyities, adding institutional work
gymnasium classes, reading rooms
medical relief, educational extension
and all the activities now found in
some progressive downtown institu
lions in our large cities. This re
quires money, and hard labor on the
part of the pastor. 1t never appears
without the previous step by which
interest has grown and made the
church successful
Beyond this the steps are more ideal
than actual, for it may be questioned
whether they are reached in a dozen
churches Of any state. Under the
community idea the whole section to
which the organization ministers be
comes a unit for all kinds of endeav.
or 1t brings the religious life of the
community into business effort. into
social relations and into all the varied
interests of any group of individuals
able to be self-sufficient on account OF
! the variety of interests within their
own ranks
Ideals May Be Realized.
Can these ideals be realized? In
part they have been in isolated cases
Within the sections near to Troy there
| are churches standing on the hills OF
| farming communities or at the cross
roads of agricultural sections which
are reaching out to meet problems
along the line outlined. The rest car
be accomplished Just as much. AL
| that is needed is a feeling that the
community needs Sucn Work anC
can do it If 1t will Then indomita
BILE effort must be put forward until
the vision of few becomes the reali
zation Of the many. If this were done
there would be little more complain,
| about the decadence of the country
church The boys and girls from the
| country would reach the city with q
determination to realize the same am
billions they had in the hills of home
and would inspire the city churches
as did the same classes fifty years ago
And the church would justify it's ex
istence to such an extent as to dis
arm the critics who have in the de
cline of the rural church an argu
ment for their side of the case.-Tros