Las Vegas optic., 1914-11-30
THE RURAL
CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE cUsToDlANs
OF THE NATIONS MORALITY.
Cooperation Of Church, School and
Press Essential to Community
Building.
BY Peter RadfOrd
Lecturer National Farmers Uni,

The church, the press and the schoo
form triple alliance of progress tha-
guides the destiny of every commun
ity, state and nation Without them
civilization would wither and die and
through them life may attain its 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
of the American plowmen want to
thank those engaged in these high
caliings for 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
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 ark Of the covenant" and
he is more responsive to religious in.
nuences than any other class of cit
izenship.
The farmers of this nation have
built 10000 churches at a cost of
$75O,OO00OO, and the annual contribu-
tion of the nation toward all church
institutions approximates 5000, 600 900
per annum. The farmers of the Uni
ted States build % churches per day.
There are 20,OOO,000 rural church com.
municants 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 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 Rural Church.
II the rural churches today are GO
ing to render a 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
nre Of sucysas must eayaliee = lives
Of the people in thesecu....aHliHisty 1t
serves; it must build character; devel-
Dp thought and increase the efficiency
of human life. It must serve the So
,ial, business and intellectual, as well |
IS the spiritual and moral side of life.
u religion does not make man more
capable, more useful and more just,
what good is it? We want practical
one we can live by and farm
BY, as well 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,
t is death to the rural church and
moral starvation to the community.
Petty sectarianism is a scourge that
lights the life, and the church preju-
lice saps the vitality, Of many com
nunities. An over-churched commun-
ty is crime against religion, a seri-
us handicap to society and useless
ak upon agriculture.
While denominations are essential
nd church pride commendable, the
Ugh teaching of universal Christianity
aust prevail if the rural church is to
ulfill its mission to agriculture.
We frequently have three or four !
hurches in a community which is not
BILE to adequately support one. Small
Congregations attend services once a
lonth and all fail to perform the re-
gious functions of the community.
he division of religious forces and
le breaking into fragments of moral
forts is ofttimes little less than
alamity and defeats the very purpose
ley seek to promote.