The Ordway new era., 1914-09-25
The Rural Pastor
And His Work
BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers' Onion

BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union
The rural pastor has greater possi-
bilities than any other factor in our
national life. The rural civilization
Of the Twentieth Century has opened
up . new world of activities for him.
There lie before him unexplored con-
forces Of civilization and tremendous
responsibilities such AZ have mover
before confronted tho pastorate.
The need of the rural communities
today Is intelligent and consecrated
leadership. There must be a marshal
ling of forces that build life. strength
en- character and broaden vision. The
pastor should deal with living prob
lens. In addition to the service he
now renders he should help US lift
the market basket, hold out help
Ing hand to the farmer and develop
the potential energies OF the commun-
lty he seeks to serve.
A More Useful Ministry.
The farmer needs the personal
touch Of tho pastor. He seldom
comes in direct contact with his hal
lowing influence. except when he is
baptized, married and buried. We
need to further extend Christian In
duence in the homes. as well as to
spread the gospel in China; to IN
struct. our children in the art of li7-
Ing. As well az to convert the barbarA
ian and the Hottentot, and we should
devote our energy and talent to tie
solution OF problems of our own 10
cality, rather than consume our en-
ergies in fighting vice and ignorance
beyond our borders. It is as import
ant that we discuss from the pulpit,
the building Of macadam highway
from the church to our homes as
that we preach of the golden street.
Of the New Jerusalem. It is as much
q part of the duty Of the pastor to
exhort us to own home while on
earth as to inspire US to build man
sion in the skies and that we should
construct Christian character In our
own community, rather than that we
fight foreign sins In other lands. We
want a religion We can farm by as
well as die by.
Christian Influence Needed.
There is an emptiness In the life
Of rural communities and we want
preachers who can weave into the
social fibre. educational pastimes.
profitable pleasures and instructive
amusements. Too often we ind the
games Of our young people q search
for q suggestion in immortality and
stepping stone to sin. The pastor
should supervise the growing lives Of
young people, approve their amuse-
ments, create expressions Of joy and
pleasure that make of Christian
character and bless their lives with
Christian modesty.
The farm is the nursery Of civili-
cation, and the parsonage of all re-
ligious denominations. Too long has
the farm furnished the cities with
their great preachers, until today the
rural church is the .gangway to city
pulpits. The current should be re-
versed. The power OF the pulpit is
most needed in the country where
the fundamental forces of human life
originate. The farm IL the power
house of all progress and the birth
place of all that is noble. The Gar
den of Eden was in the country and
the man who would get close to God
must first get close to nature. Many
communities are church-ridden. We
frequently have three or four churches
In a community with circuit rider
once q month preaching to small con-
gregations and all fail to perform the
religious functions Of the community.
In many instances, more harmonious
effort might result in more efficient
service. The division Of religious
forces and breaking into fragments Of
moral effort b ofttimes little less than
a calamity and defeats the purposes
they seek to promote.
| A pastor In neighborhood. study
ing the economic, social. moral ant
educational problems of the commute
ity. presenting fresh visions Of potcn-
tial possibilities. and native power
with beauty and new meaning. inter
preting the thought-life of the COM
munity and administering to their
daily needs, will contribute more to-
ward the advancement Of locality
than q dozen preachers who occupy
the pulpits at irregular intervals.
preaching on subjects foreign to the
life Of the community.
Church prejudice 10 . vice that
saps much Of the spiritual life of
community. and wasteful sectarian-
ism 10 . religious crime against So
ciety. Denominational reciprocity
should take its place. Non-support
Of church institutions and religious
lethargy can often be traced to causes
inherent with the church. There