The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-12-04
THE RURAL
" CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE cusToplANs
or THE NATIONS MORALITY.
Cooperation Of Church, School and
Press Essential TO Community
Building.
BY Peter Radfcrd


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 triumyirate 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
a series OF articles on cooperation
between these important influences
and the farmers In the hope OF in
creasing the efficiency OF all by mu.
tual understanding and organized ef-
fort. We win 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 lark of the covenant" and
he is more responsive to religious in
fuences than any other class of cit
izenship.
The farmers OF this nation have
built 10000 churches at a cost Of
$4,000. 900, and the annual contribu-
ton of the nation toward all church
institutions approximates 5000. 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 "a 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 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 lives
of the people in the community it
serves; it must build character; deyel.
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 moro
ao no hIn ftSafnl ~ iafSr
what good is it? We want a practical
religion, 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
it is death to the rural church and
moral starvation to the community,
Petty sectarianism is a scourge that
blights the life, and the church preju-
dice saps the vitality, of many com.
munities. An over-churched eommun-
ity IL crime against religion, seri.
Gus handicap TO society and useless
tax upon agriculture.
While denominations are essential
and church pride commendable. the
high teaching of universal Christianity
must prevail if the rural church is &c
fulfill its mission to agriculture.
We frequently have three or four
churches in a community which is not
able to adequately support one. Small
congregations attend services once 8
al faI 70, ranHf0rrl the "a
ligious functions of the community
The division Of religious forces anC
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. TIT
social and economic life of a rura
community are respective units an,
cannot be successfully divided by dc
nominational lines, and the churche
can only occupy this important fiel
by cooperation and coordination.
The efficient country church wi
definitely serve its community by lead
ing in all worthy efforts at eommunit
building. in uniting the people in a
cooperative endeavors for the gel
eral welfare of the community and
arousing a real love for country LII
and loyalty to the country home an
these results can only be successful
accomplished by the united EFFORT
the press. the school, the church an
organized farmers.