Cheyenne record., 1914-11-26
The RURAL. PASTOR
Intelligent and conae:r1ted Leader
ship the r.eed of the i4cus.
Fly Peter Radfori
Lecturer Nationa, Furmcrs' Cn;t,n

DH!tieS IMAM any C.ncc IScsor IN OUT
rational life. Tho~ruIal civilization
Of the Twentieth Century has opened
IN new world CT activities for him.
There lio before him unexplored con-
tinents of usefulness, unemployed
forces of civilization and tremendous
possibilities sGcu as have never
before confronted tie pastorate.
The need of the rural co-nmuaitics
today is intelligent and conseccated
leadership. There must be marshal
ling OF forces that b-ill life, strength
I'll char2 ctcr aid broaden vision. The
pGstcr should, deal with living prob
lens. In addition to the service h>
now renders he she-ld help us lift
Tho market basket, hold out help
ing hand TO the farmer and develop
ne potential eaerg:2s CT the comrlun-
ity he seeks to ccrye.
4 Mo-c U-ct.I Miniatry.
The farmer needs the personal
louch CT tie pastor. Ee seldom
comes in direct contact with his haE-
owing influence, except when he Is
baptized, married and buried. We
need to further c'-tcnd Christian in
Guence in tia homes, as we'll as to
spread the gospel il China; to in
strrct oar children in the art of liv-
i1g, as well as to convert the barbar-
ian and the Hottcntot and we should
devote our energy and talent to the
solution of problems of our own To-
cality, rather than consume our en-
cTg.cs il fighting vice and ignorance
beyond our borders. It is as import
at that we discuss from the pulpit,
he building of macadam highways
L'crl the church to our homes, as
,hat w-2 preach of the golden streets
e the New Jerusalem. It is as muck
= part Of the duty of the pastor to
aNhCrt Us to own a home while on
aartn as to inspire Us to build a man
SIGN in the skies and that we should
construct Christian character in our
own community, rather than that we
fight foreign sins in other lands. We
want a religion We can farm by as
~cll as die by.
Christian Influence N.cded.
There Is cn emptiness in the life
Of rural communities and we want
preachers who can weave into the
:ociaI fibre, educational pastimes.
Irofitab BILE pleasures and instructive
cmCs ements. Too Gften we find the
games OF our young people a search
for suggestion IL immortality and
q stepping stone to sin. The pastor
should supervise tile growing lives of
young people, approve their amuse-
nents, create EXPRESSIONS of joy and
pleasure that make Of Christian
character and bless their lives with
Christian mcdTs.y.
The farm is the nursery Of ciyili-
za za.io1-~and the parsonage Of all re-
Eigicus denominations. Too long has
the farm furnished IT, cities with
'neir great preachers, until today the
rural church is the gaTgWay to city
rulpits. The current should be re-
ve-sed The power cf the pulpit is
nest needed il tho country where
the fundamental forces CT human life
originate. The farm Is the power
house CT ali progress and the birth
place Of Gll that is nob!". The Gar
den CT Eden was in the country aud
tie man wEo would get close to God
must first get close to nature. Many
communities are church ridden We
quentIy have three or four churches
In a community with circuit rider
once month preaching to email cor
grcgations and all fail to perform the
religious functions OF til" community
In many instances, more harmonious
cfcrt might result in more efficient
service. The division OF religious
forces and breaking into fragments OF
moral effort is ofttmes 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-
preting the tao2 ght-life of the COM
munity and administering to their
daily needs, ":ll contribute more to-
ward the advancement of a locality
than dozen preachers who occupy
the pulpits at irregular intervals,
preaching en- subjects foreign to the
-l:fe Of the community.
Church prejudice is 4 vice that
caps much of the spiritual life of "a
community and wasteful sectarian-
ic,,, 20 rolf pi0IIs crirpa oooip,t ~