The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-12-15
THE RURAL
CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE cUsTop,ANs
OF THE NATIONS MORALITY.
Cooperation Of Church, Schoo, and
Press Essential to Community
Building.
BY Peter Radford

Lecturer National Farmers Union.
The church, the press and the scho,,
form triple alliance Of progress that
guides the destiny Of every commun-
ity, state and nation Without them
civilization would wither and die and
through them life may attain it's great.
est blessing, power and knowledge
The farmers OF this nation are greatly
indebted TO this social triumvirate for
their uplifting influence. and on behalf
Oh the American plowmen | want to
thank those engaged In these high
caliings Tor their able and efficient
service and shall offer TO the press
series of articles on co-operation
between these important influences
and the farmers IN the hope OF in.
creasinS the efficiency of all by mu-
tual understanding and organized ef-
fort. We Will take up. first. the rural
church
The Farmers Are Great Church sui.c.
The American farmer is the greatest
church builder the world has ever
known He is the custodian OF the
nations morality; upon his shoulders
rests the ''a,k of the covenant" and,
ne Is more responsive to religious in.
nuences than any other class or cit.
izenship
The farmers OF this nation have
ouilt 10000 churches at a cost of
$'5oooO. .eOs, and the annual contribu.
tion OF the nation toward all church
institutions approximates 5000. .0Oo. 900
per annumA The farmers of the Uni.
ted States build % churches per day.
There are 10000, 900 rural church com.
municants on the farm. and 81 per
cent of the total membership of all
churches reside in the country.
The farm Is the power-house Of all
progress and the birthplace of all that
rs noble The Garden of Eden was
in the country and the man who would
get close TO God must first get close
TO nature
The Functions Of Rural Church.
III the rurai churches today are 60
ing 10 render service which this age
demands. there must be cooperation
between the religious. social and eco.
nomic life of the community.
The church to attain it's fullest meas
ure OF success must enrich the lives
OF the people In the community IL i
serves; IL must build character; deyel
op thought and increase the efficiency
OF human life. 1t must serve the So
cial, business and intellectual, as well
as the spiritual and moral side Of life.
IL religion does not make a man more
capable. more useful and more lust,
what good is IL? We want a practical
religion. one We can live by and farm
by. as well as die oy.
Fewer and Better Churehea
Blessed is that rural community
which has but one place of worship.
While competition is the life Of trade,
1t Is death to the rural church and
moral starvation to the community.
Petty sectarianism is a scourge that
biishts the life, and the church preju.
dice saps the vitality, of many com.
munities. An over-churched commun-
ity Ia a crime against religion, a serf
Gus handicap to society and a useless
tax upon agriculture
While denominations are essential
and church pride commendable, the
high teaching of universal Christianity
must prevail IL the rural church is to
fulfill its mission To agriculture.
We frequently have three or four
churches in community which is no;
able to adequately support enc Small
sopgrsxations vice. once a