Imperial Valley press., 1913-09-04
BY. j. w. Street.

That the rural church is decadenl
is not questioned by those who have
scanned the stream that OverflOWs into
the urban centers Of population. 1t 10
longer possesses the strength to mould
the lives of its people on a large Spir-
itual plane. Rural communities are no
longer immune from modern evils.
The grOSSeSt forms Of sin are now
found amid the most attractive rural
surroundings. 'Country slums'' are
no longer a curiosity but an alarming
situation demanding immediate atten
ton. Hundreds of rural churches are
dead and other hundreds are dying. II
is not because there is no want or de-
sire for the services rural churches
might render that 50 many are dead.
1t is because the right kind Of leader
ship is not present.
The largest single item in shaping
the policy Of the rural church is Tie
minister. He comes as IN evangelist
and organizes the congregation. He il
called to direct its workers in their cf-
forts to bring ''hte kingdom Of God
among men" He is given full charge
Of the work. His time is his to be used
as he directs. Seldom does his people
llOI tilc ISt It llldhtS VI ll. IH
people have confidence in him anI
trust him in all church matters. They
usually pay him a larger salary than
any member of his congregation re
ceives, notwithstanding the great fur
ore regarding the low salaries for min
listers. The homes Of the community
are open to him. Every officer of the
church has a right to look to him fDr
help i'll directing the work Of the
church How has he acted under such
circumstances?
From a careful investigation If
many cases it has been established
that nearly every man who has ac-
cepted call to rural church does 50
only as stepping stone TO cny work
| He has been imbued with the idea thdt
only beginners and broken down fait-
ures find q place in the rural service
He believes that the big men and the
strong men always 90 ultimately to the
| city and that he will soon 90. This idea
results in sermons that smell Of the
rOal and ruch Of the city. They are
floWered with the city opportunity ami
| its task. They are colored with The
| city needs and lis sins He sees no
local observation except to preach
some sermons that he expects to use
later in his city church. He reads no
books except those that deal with the
| city service.
Ask him about the problems Of HI
community and he will look at you a.
( though you were a fool ASK him if
[ he has planned for the enlargement OF
| the service his church renders thr
people and he smiles at your simplicity
! The Great White Way of the city holds
| him enthralled and he does not know
| that many of the evils of the city are
already transplanted in his own To-
cality.
| With this attitude is it any wonder
| that his farmer folk grow hungry for
! spiritual food suited to their needs?
They grow weary of being narrowed
with the sins Of the city while their
boys and girls are going TO the devil
along the similar lanes Is it any
wonder they have turned away from
the church and the rural minister?
| Then the minister who has always re-
| garded his charge as a mere stepping
stone, and who has always had an eye
and an ear open solely for the call TO
| the city begins to abuse them as being
| hard listed, mSerly and lacking in de
| sire for the gospel.
! They asked for bread ana he hu~
given the man a stone. He has eaten
their bread and used his strength ~
prepare for The city Is it any WON
der they have grown tired Of this kind
Of minister? We have talked with hun
dreds OF farmers i'll regard to this
| They love God and yearn for the ser
| vice the church could render. Many
Of them have told the writer, "Send IL
4 man who loves our community and
studies its possibilities and its needs:
who will be sympathetic with US and
see our faults and try to help us cor
rect them, and we will furnish the
money"
! Where can you find a minister with
ability to undertake this task? There
are few of them and they are doing
good work. They receive good salaries
and are doing a great service. Give Us
the right kind Of ministers and thou
sands of rural churches now dead VIII
be resurrected and other thousand,
now dying will be revived.
The rural minister must he conse-
Grated to his task and be willing lo
! give his life for his people. And when
that life is thus given, as Jesus said.
''He will find it," and with ii the life
of the rural church.
|