Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1914-10-02
THE RURAL
CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE cUSTODIANs
OF THE NATIONS MORALITY
Cooperation of Church, School an,
Press Essential to Community
Building.
BY Peter Radford.
Lecturer National Farmers Union

The church, the press and the school
form triple alliance of progress that
! guides the destiny of every commun-
ty state and nation. Without them
through them life may attain its great
sst blessing, power and knowledge
| rhe farmers of this nation are greatly
indebted to this social triumvirate for
| heir uplifting influence, and on behalf
If the American plowmen l want to
thank those engaged in these high
callings for their able and efficient
service, and l shall offer to the press
/ series of articles on cooperation
between these important influences
:reasing the efficiency of all by mu-
:ual understanding and organized eff
'ort. 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
sation's morality; upon his shoulders
rests the lark of the covenant" and
he is more responsive to religious in
iuences than any other class of cit
izenship.
The farmers of this nation have
built 10000 churches at a cost OF
$3.50, 100000, and the annual contribu-
lion of the nation toward all church
Institutions approximates 100000, 900
per annum. The farmers of the Unit
ID States build % churches per day.
There are 100000 rural church COM
nunicants 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
N the country and the man who would
get close to God must first get close
10 nature.
The Functions of a Rural Church.
If the rural churches today are 60
'ng to render a service which this age
demands, there must be cooperation
between the religious, social and eco
| aomic life Of the community.
The church to attain it's fullest mea-
yure Of success must enrich the lives
If the people in the community 1t
serves; it must build character; devel-
)p thought and increase the efficiency
Of human life. 1t must serve the So
:ial, business and intellectual, as well
rs the spiritual and moral side Of life.
4 religion does not make a man more
capable, more useful and more just,
what good is it? We want a practical
religion, one we can live by and farm
BY, as we'll as die by.
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 scourge that
blights the life, and the church preju-
lice saps the vitality, of many COM
nunities. An over-churched commun-
ty il a crime against religion, a seri-
gus handicap to society and a useless
tax upon agriculture.
While denominations are essential
md church pride commendable, the
aigh teaching Of universal christianity
must prevail II the rural church is to
fulfill Its mission to agriculture.
We frequently have three or foW
churches in a 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
sffort is ofttimes little less than a
calamity and defeats the very purpose
they seek to promote.
The evils Of too many churches can
be minimized by cooperation. The
| social and economic life Of q rural
| community are respective units and
eannot be successfully divided by de-
nominational lines, and the churches
can only occupy this important field
b. cooperation and coordination.
I! 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 q real love for country life
and loyalty to the country home and
these results can only be successfully
accomplished by the united effort o.
the press, the school. the church and
Organized farmers.