The Meeker herald., 1914-11-21
THE RURAL
"'iH CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE cuoTonaAMs
or THE NATIONS MORALITY.
Of Church, School and
Press Essential to Community
Building. q
py Pster Radford.
.ecturcr National Farmers Union


| Dy Pster Radford.
Lecturer National Farmers Union
The church, the press and the school
form q triple alliance Of progress that
guides the destiny Of every commun-
|lty, state and nation. Without them
civilization would wither and die and
through them life may attain Its great-
sst blessing, power and knowledge.
The farmers Of this nation are greatly
indebted to this social triumvirate for
heir uplifting influence. and on behalf
II the American plowmen want to
hank these engaged In these high
:allings for their able and efficient
service. and l shall offer to the press
(, series of articles on cooperation
between these important influences
and the farmers In the hope Of In
,reasing the efficiency Of all by mu-
.ual understanding and organized ef-
ort. We will take up first the rural
,hurch. tlts sr
rhs Farmers Are Great Church Build
ers. 49,
/ The American farmer iB the greatest
church builder the world has ever
known. He Is the custodian Of the
nations morality: upon his shoulders
rests the ark of the covsnant" and
le IL more responsive to religious In.
auences THAI my other class of cit
zenship. tf
The farmers of this nation have
Quilt 10000 churches at n cost OF
s750, ,000. 900. and the annual coatrlbu.
| len of the nation toward all church
Institutions ap2roximates 100000. 900
Der annum The farmers of the Unit
ID States build % churches per day.
There are 100000 rural church COM
nunicants on the farm, and 54 per
cent of the total membership of all
churches reside in the country.
The farm is the power-house Of Al
progress and the birthplace of all that
Is noble. The Garden Of Eden was
IN the country and the man who would
get close to God must first get close
% nature.
The Functions Of . Rural Church.
II the rural churches today are 20.
ng to render a service which this age
demands. there must be cooperation
between the religious, social and eco
lomic life Of the community.
The church to attain its fullest mea-.
f,ure Of success must enrich the lives
3f the people in the community, It
serves; It must build character: devel-
)p thought and increase the efficiency
of human life. It must serve the So;
,ial. business and Intellectual. as weil
as the spiritual and moral side Of life.
II religion does not make man more
capable, more useful and more just.
what good 10 It? We want practica,
religion, one we can live by end farm
by. as we'll as Gle by,
Fewer and Better Churches.
Blessed Is that rural community
which has but one place Of worship.
While competition h the life OF trade,
Ii Is death to the rural church and
moral starvation to the community.
Petty sectarianism IL q scourge that
blights the life, and church preju-
lice saps the vitality Of many com.
munities. An over-churched commun-
lty is crime against religion, seri
70: handicap to society and useless
lax upon agriculture. flft7
While denominations Are essential
and church pride commendable, the
high teaching of universal christianity
must prevail II the rural church 10 to
fulfill Its mission to agriculture.
We frequently have three or foui
churches In community which is not
able to adequately support one. Small.
congregations attend services once a.
month and all fail to perform the re-.
lIgious functions OF. the community.
The division Of religious forces and
the breaking into fragments Of moral
effort is ofttimes little less than
calamity and defeats the very purpose
they seek to promote.
The evils Of too many churches can
be minimized by cooperation. The
community are respective units and
cannot be successfully divided by de.
nominational lines. and the churches
can only occupy this important field
by cooperation and coordination.
| The efficient country church will
definitely serve its community by lead
ing in all worthy efforts At community
building. in uniting the people in all
cooperative endeavors for the gen
sral welfare of the community and in
arousing real love for country life
and loyalty to the country home and
these results can only be successfully
accomplished by the united effort Of
the press. the school. the church and
organized farmers.