Pocahontas star herald., 1914-11-27
THE RURAL
CHURCH
Cooperation of Church. School
and Press Essential to
Community Building.
by Peter RAdford,
Lecturer National Farmers Union,

Lecturer National Farmers Union.
The church, the press and the
school form a triple alliance OF
progress that guides the destiny
ef every community. state aud
nation. Without them civiliLa-
hon would wither and die and
through them life may attain It's
greatest blessing, power aud
knowledge. The farmers of this
ration are greatly indebted to
,his social triumvirate for its
uplifting influence. and on be-
half OF the American plowmen
I want to thank those engaged
IN these high eallings for their
able and efficient service. aud |
shall offer to the press a series ot
articles on cooperation between
these important influences aud
the farmers in the hope of in
ereasing the efficiency OF all by
mutual understanding aud or
ganized effort. We will take up.
FIRST, the rural church.
The Farmers Are Great Church
Builders.
The American farmer is the
greatest church builder the world
has ever known. lie Is the Gus
todian OF the nation', morality:
upon his shoulders rests the ark
oi the covenant" and he is more
responsive TO religious influences
than any other class of citizen
ship.
The farmers Of this nation
have built 10000 churches at a
cost OF S7s0,OOO.0O0, and the an
nual contribution of the nation
toward all church institutions
approximates $200.000.0O0 per
annum. The farmers OF the Unit
ed States build p churches per
day. There are 100000 rural
church communicates on the
farm. and 81 per cent OF the total
membership Of all churches re-
side 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 ma
ture.
The Functions of 4 Rural
Church.
III the rural churches today are
going to render a service which
this age demands, there must be
cooperation between the reh-
gious, social and economic lie
Of the community.
The church to attain its fullest
measure of success must enrich
the lives Of the people in the
community it serves; it must
build character; deyelop thought |
and increase the efficiency OF
human life. 1t must serve the
social, business and intellectual,
as we'll as the spiritual and moral
side of life. II religion does not
make man more capable, more
useful aud more just, what good
:. itr We want a practical re-
Iigion. one we can live by and
iarm by, as we'll as die by.
Fewer and Better Churches.
Blessed is that rural community
which has but one place of wor-
ship. While competition is the |
lie OF trade, il is death to the |
rural church and moral starvation
60 the community Petty secta-
rianism is a scourge that blights |
che life, and church prejudice |
saps the vitality Of many COM
munities. An oyer-churched
community is a crime against
religion, serious handicap to |
society and a useless tax upon |
agriculture.
While denominations are es-
sential and church pride COM
mendable, the high teaching OF !
universal christianity must pre-
vail il the rural church is to full |
sll its mission to agriculture.
} We frequently have three orl
four churches in a community
which is not able 10 adequately
support one. Small congrega-
tions attend services once a
month and all fail to perform
The religious functions of the
community. The division of re-
ligious forces and the breaking
into fragments Of moral effort
Is ofttimes little less than a ca
lamity and defeats the very pur-
pose they seek to promote