The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-12-31
!. The RURAL R | |! Il
CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE cUsToDiANs
OF THE NATIONS MORALITY.
Cooperation Of Church, School and
Press Essential to Community
Building.
By Peter Radford

BY Peter RAdford
Lecturer National Farmers Union,
The church, the press and the schoo
form triple alliance of progress tina
guides the destiny of every commun
ity. state and nation. Without then
civilization would wither and die AMI
through them life may attain its great
est blessing, power and knowledge
The farmers Of this nation are greatly
indebted to this social triumvirate fol
their uplifting influence. and on behalf
Of the American plowmen I want t.
thank those engaged in these high
callings for their able. and efficient
service, and shall offer to the press
q series Of articles on cooperation
between these important influences
and the farmers in the hope of in
creasing the efficiency of all by mu
tual understanding and organized eff
fort. We will take up, first, the rural
church.
The Farmers Are Great Church Build
ers.
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 lark of the covenant" and
ne is more responsive to religious In.
f1uences than any other class of cit.
izenship.
The farmers of this nation have
built 10000 churches at a cost OF
$75O.OOO,OOO, and the annual contribu.
ton of the nation toward all church
institutions approximates 100000, 900
per annum. The farmers of the Uni.
ted States build % churches per day.
There are 100000 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
Is 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 a Rural Church.
If the rural churches today are go.
ing to. 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 its fullest meas.
ure of success must enrich the lives
of the people in the community 1t
serves; it must build character; devel-
op thought and increase the efficiency
Of human life. 1t must serve the so.
cial, business and intellectual. as we'll
as the spiritual and moral side of life.
II religion does not make a man more
capable, more useful and more just,
what good is it? We want practical
religion, one We can live by and farm
by. as well as die py. !
Fewer and Better Churches.
Blessed Is that rural community
which has but one place of worship
While competition is the life of trade
it is death to the rural church and
moral starvation to the community.
Petty sectarianism is a scourge that
blights the life. and the church preju.
dice saps the vitality. Of many COM
An over-churched commun- :
lty Ia a crime against religion. a seri-
BUS 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 II the rural church is to
ulfill its mission to agriculture
We frequently have three or four
In community which is not
lble to adequately support one. Small
attend services once a
month and all fail to perform the re.
lgious functions OF the community.
The division of religious forces and
he breaking into fragments Of moral
forts Is ofttimes little less than a
and defeats the very purpose
hey seek to promote.
The evils OF too many churches canI
e minimized by cooperation The /!
ocial and economic life Of rural
are respective units and
annot be-successfully divided by de-
ominational lines. and the churches {
IN only occupy this important field
? cooperation and coordination. s
The efficient country church will
efinitely serve it, community by lead
q in all worthy efforts ar community
nilding. in uniting the people in ali
cooperative endeavors for the gen. 9
III welfare Of the community and in =
'ousing real love for country life =
,dAloyafty to the country home and :,
lese results can only be successfully ),
'complished BY the united effort Of :,
. press. the school. the church and :.
sanised farmers. :,
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