Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-07
MINISTERS FROM
COUNTRY CONFER
Meeting Will Precede Country
Life Sessions at DeKalb
in September.
RURAL CHURCH is THEME
Interesting Program and Exhibit
Showing What Is Being Accom-
plished in State Planned.

A special conference of country min
listers, beginning Monday afternoon
and continuing through. Tuesday even
ing will precede the country life con-
ference which convenes in DeKalb dur.
ing the first week of September. Min,
listers of all denominations will attend
this gathering and the difficulties of
the country church are to be threshed
out from every angle and viewpoint.
The first session of this conference
Will be devoted to discussion of the
present Condition of Country
churches in Illinois," At this time
Rev. Clair S. Adams of the Presbv.
terrain department of church and conn
try life, will speak of country church
and community conditions as he dis
covered them through a special sur
vey made in Central Illinois. The
chief facts of this investigation will
be shown graphically by the use of
large charts. Following this a dozen
| country and village ministers from diff
ferent sections and denominations will
tell briefly of successful work in their
local churches, showing that the coun-
try church is by no means extinct at
least in Northern Illinois. These re.
ports will be Of inestimable value to
those present.
REV. VI. b. McNUTT TO SPEAK,
The evening sessions of this confer
ence will be devoted to inspirational
address by leading country church
thinkers. On Monday evening Rev.
Matthew B. McNutt, whose practical
church work in rural community
near Plainfield has attracted national
attention, will discuss Modern Meth
DDS in the Country Church." and Rev.
j. N. Mcdonald of Maroa will speak
on the "Community's Challenge to the
Sunday School," The closing session
Tuesday evening will be addressed by
Prof. Walter Fiske of the Oberlin The.
illogical seminary in Ohio and by Rev
Moses Breeze Of Wisconsin, whose wit
and hard sense on finances made him
both the delight and the despair OF
the tight-pursed farmer or landlord
who lodges the collection basket.
The forenoon session on Tuesday
September 2, will be devoted to a dis
, cussion of the Remedies for Country
Church Evils" Under this general
,, topic, Social Center Work. 'In
creased Finances" and Federation
will be considered. The speakers fol
these topics will be Rev. ]. N. McDon
aid of Macon county, whose socia
activities in the village church in Ma
roa are convincing proof of the prac
ticability of his ideas along this line;
Rev. Moses Breeze of Wisconsin,; anC
, DR.. Charles E. Bacon of Chicago, pres
ident of the Illinois Federation O.
!, Churches.
Much is being said recently concern
ing the preparation of country min
listers. 1t is commonly declared tina
the average minister does not fit tn,
country and that the decadence of thu
! country church is somewhat due to hi,
lack of sympathy and leadership. Fo
this reason Tuesday afternoon ha!
> been set aside for a consideration o
= the preparation of country ministers
, Speakers for this program are Rev
D ]. w. Street, Mackinaw; Prof Ross L
Finney of the Illinois Wesleyan Uni
$ versity, Bloomington, and Rev. NJ. E
L McNutt.
COUNTRY LIFE HXHIRIT