The Meeker herald., 1914-12-05
THE URAL PASTOR
lntsiiiasnt and csnsseeatsd Leader
shIp the Need Of the heur.
sy pstsr Radsor6
Lecturer National Farmsrs' Onion

bilities than any other FACTOR IN our
national life. The rural civilization
of the Twentieth Century has opened
up . new world Of activities for him.
There lie before him unexplored con-
tinents Of usefulness. unemployed
forces OF civilization and tremendous
responsibilities such ~ have never
before confronted the pastorate.
Tho need Of tho rural communities
today IL Intelligent and consecrated
leadership. There must be marshal.
ling Of forces that build life. strength
en- character and broaden vision. Tho
pastor should deal with living prob
lens. In addition to the service be
now renders he should help Us lift
the market basket. hold out help
ing hand TO the farmer and develop
the potential energies Of the commun-
lty he seeks to serve.
A Mors Useful Ministry.
Tho farmer needs the personal
touch Of the pastor. He seldom
comes in direct contact with his hal
lowing influence. except when he II
baptized. married and buried. We
need to further extend Christian In
fiuence In the homes. - we'll ~. to
spread the gospel In China; to In
struct our children In the art Of lir-
Ing. ~ we'll ~ to convert the barbar-
ian and the Hottentot. and We should
devote our energy and talent to the
solution Of problems Of our own 10
cality. rather than consume our en-
orgies In fighting vice and ignorance
beyond our borders. Il II ~ import
ant that We discuss from the pulpit,
the building OF macadam Highways
from the church to our homes. ~
that We preach Of the golden streets
Of the New jerusalem. It y. ~ much
10 part of the duty Of the pastor to
exhort u to own . home while ON
earth a. to inspire ~ to build man
sion in the skies and that We should
construct Christian character in our
own community. rather than that We
tight foreign sins in other lands. We
want religion we can farm By Is
we'll ~ die BY.
Christian influence Needed.
There 10 an emptiness in the life
Of rural communities and We want
preachers who can weave into the
sociel hbrs. educational pastimes.
profitable pleasures and Instructive
amussmsnts. Too often We nnd the
games Of our young people search
for . suggestion in immortality and
= stepping stone 70 sin. The pastor
shonld supervise the growing lives Of
young people. approve their amuse-
hsnts. create expressions Of JOY and
pleasure that make Of Christian
character and bless their lives with
Christian modesty.
The farm ID the nursery Of civfli-
sation. and the parsonage Of all re-
iigious denominations. Too long has
the farm furnished the cities with
their great preachers. until today tho
rural church 10 the gangway to city
pulpits. Tho current should be re-
verSed. Tho power Of the pulpit II
most needed In the country whore
the fundamental forces OF human life
originate. The farm ID the power
house Of all progress and the birth
place Of all that Is noble. The Gar.
den Of Eden was In the country and
the man who would get close to God
must iirst get close to nature. Many
communities are church-ridden. We
frequently have three or four churches
m community with . circuit ride,
once Q month preaching to small con-
greeations and all fail to perform the
religious functions OF the community
In many instances, more harmonious
effort might result in more efficient
service. The division Of religious
forces and breaking into fragments Of
moral effort ID ofttines little less than
. calamity and defeats the purposes
they seek to promote.
A pastor in . neighborhood. study
Ing the economic. social. moral and
educational problems Of the commun-
,Ity, presenting fresh visions of poten-
tial possibilities and native power
with beauty and new meaning. inter
pretint tho thousht-life Of the CON-
munity and administering to their
daily needs. will contribute more to-
ward the advancement Of locality
than q dozen preachers who occupy
the pulpits at irregular intervals.
preaching ON subjects foreign to the
life Of the community.
Church prejudice II . vice that
sats much Of the spiritual life Of .
community, and wasteful sectarian-
ism 10 . religious crime against So
cisty. Denominational reciprocity
should take its place. Non.support
Of church institutions and religious
ietharsy can often be traced to causes
Inherent with the church. There
should be cooperation between
churches and coordination Of moral
sffort along economic lines, and there
must be II the rural churches Of this
stats are going to render . service