The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1914-12-31
THE RURAL
"'j CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE cUsTopiANs
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
form triple alliance of progress that
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 I want to
thank those engaged In these high
callings for their able and efficient
service. and shall offer to the press
series Of articles on cooperation
between these important infiuences
and the farmers In the hope of In
creasing the efficiency of all by mu-
tual understanding and organized ef-
fort. We will take up, first. the rural
church.
The Farmers Are Great Church Build.
ere.
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
he is more responsive to religious In
fiuences than any other class of cit.
izenship.
The farmers of this nation have
built 10000 churches at q cost OF
$3.50, 900, and the annual contribu.
ton Of the nation toward all church
institutions approximates 100000
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 pei
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.
If 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
ure of success must enrich the live.
Of the people in the community i
serves; 1t must build character; devel
op thought and increase the efficiency
Of human life. 1t must serve the 80
cial, business and intellectual as wei
as the spiritual and moral side Of life
capable, more useful and more just
what good is 1t? We want a practica
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
| 1t Is death to the rural church an(
moral starvation to the community
| Petty sectarianism is a scourge tina
blights the life, and the church preju
dice saps the vitality, of many com
munities. An over-churched commun
| ity is a crime against religion, a seri
Gus handicap to society and useless
tax upon agriculture.
While denominations are essentia
and church pride commendable, thu
high teaching of universal Christianit!
must prevail If the rural church is t.
| fulfill it's mission to agriculture.
We frequently have three or fou
churches in community which Is no
able to adequately support one. Small
congregations attend services once {
month and all fail to perform the re
| ligious functions of the community
| The division of religious forces ant
the breaking into fragments Of mora
efforts is ofttimes little less than {
calamity and defeats the very purpos'
they seek to promote.
The evils of too many churches cal
be minimized by cooperation. TIL
social and economic life Of a rura
community are respective units ant
cannot be successfully divided by de
nominational lines, and the churches
can only occupy this important fell
by cooperation and coordination.
The efficient country church will
definitely serve its community by lead
ing In all worthy efforts at communit.
building, in uniting the people In al
cooperative endeavors for the gen
eral welfare Of the community and II
arousing a real love for country If
and loyalty to the country home ant
these results can only be successful,
accomplished by the united effort o
the press, the school, the church an
organized farmers.
Water Laziness.
Even wntpr uptS law sometimes