Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-10-16
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 Union

The church, the press and the school
orm triple alliance of progress that
guides the destiny of every commun-
ty, state and ration. 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
If the American plowmen l want to-
hank those engaged in these high
,allings for their able and efficient
service, and | shall offer to the press
series Of articles on cooperation
between these important influences
and the farmers in the hope of in
,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
anown. He is the custodian of the
aaticn's morality; upon his shoulders
rests the lark Of the covenant" and
ae is more responsive to religious in
auences thar xny other class of cit
lZenship.
The farmers of this nation have
Quilt 100000 churches at a cost OF
S750,000,000, and the annual contribu-
ton of the naticn toward all church
Institutions approximates s200,OO0,00O
GER annum The farmers of the Unit
ed States build % churches per day.
There are 100000 rural church COM
municants on the farm, and Sd 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
10 nature.
The Functions of Rural Church.
. If the rural churches today are go.
Ing to render service which this zge
demands, there must be cooperation
between the religious, social and Geo.
1omic life of the community.
The church to attain its fullest mea-
sure 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 well
as the spiritual and moral side of life.
If religion does not make man more
capable, more useful and more just.
what good is it? We want practical
religion, one we can live by and farm
oy, 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
olights the life, and the church preju-
lice saps the vitality, of many CON-
nunities. An over-churched commun-
;ty is crime against religion, seri.
,us handicap to society and useless
AK upon agriculture.
While denominations are essential
and church pride commendable, the
ligh teaching of universal christianity
must prevail If the rural church is to
'ulfll it's mission to agriculture.
We frequently have three or foul
churches in a community which Is not
lble to adequately support one. Small
congregations attend services once a
month and all fail to perform. the re-
igious functions Of the community.
The division of religious forces and
he breaking into fragments of moral
effort is ofttimes little less than a
calamity and defeats the very purpose
hey seek to promote.
The evils of-too many churches can
De minimized by cooperation. The
social and economic life of rural
community are respective units and
cannot be successfully divided by de-
lominational lines. and the churches
IAN only occupy this important field
by cooperation and coordination.
The efficient country church will
definitely serve its community by lead
ng in all worthy efforts at community
building, in uniting the people in all
cooperative endeavcrs for the gen.
,ral welfare of the community and in
arousing a real love for country life
Ind loyalty to the country home and
these results can only be successfully
accomplished by the united effort Of
the press, the school, the church and
organized farmers.