Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-10-23
THE CHURCH AS A
SOCIAL CENTER
A Broader Sphere for ReIigion-New
Field for the Rural Church.
BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union

is as muCn part Oh us ODllSdLlOH5
IS its spiritual side. In expressing its
social interest, the modern rural
church does not hesitate to claim that
it is expressing a true religious in
stinct and the old-time idea that the
social instincts should be starved
while the spiritual nature was over
fed with solid theological food, is fast
giving way to a broader interpreta'
ton of the functions or true religion
We take our place in the succession
of those who have sought to make the
world a fit habitation for the children
of man when we seek to study and
understand the social duty of the
rural church. The true christian re-
ligfon is essentially social-its tenets
of faith being love and brotherhood
and fellowship. While following after
righteousness, the church must chat.
lenge and seek to reform that social
order in which moral life is ex-
pressed. While cherishing ideals OF
service, the rural church which at
tains the fullest measure of success
is that which enriches as many lives
as it can touch, and in no way can
The church come in close contact with
its members as through the avenue
of social functions.
The country town and the rural
community need a social center. The
church need offer no apology for its
ambition to fill this need in the COM
munity, If an understanding of its
mission brings this purpose into clear
consciousness The structure of a
rural community is exceedingly COM
pick; II contains many social groups
each Of which has it's own center, but
Nere are many localities which have
but one church and although such a
church cannot command the interest
Of all the people, it is relieved from
The embarrassment of religiously di-
yided communities.
Social Needs Imperative.
The average country boy and girl
have very little opportunity for real
enjoyment, and have, as a rule,
vague conception of the meaning OF
pleasure and recreation. 1t is to fill
this void in the lives of country youth
that the rural church has risen to
the necessity of providing entertain
ment as we'll as instruction to its
membership among the young. The
children and young people OF the
church should meet when religion Is
not even mentioned 1t has been
found safest for them to meet fire.
auently under the direction and care
Of the church. To send them into the
world with no social training exposes
them to grave perils and to try to
keep them out of the world with no
social privileges Is sheer folly. There
Is social nature to both old and
young, but the social requirements OF
the young are imperative. The church
must provide directly or indirectly
some modern equivalent for the hush.
ing bee, the quilting bee and the sing
ing schools Of the old days. In one
way or another the social instincts
Of our young people must have oppor-
unity for expression, which may
take the form of clubs, parties, pic
MICS or other forms of amusement.
One thing is certain, and that Is that
the church cannot take away the
dance, the card party and the theatre
unless 1t can offer in its place a sat-
Isfying substitute in the form of more
pleasing recreation.