The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1915-01-01
The RURAL
CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE CUSToDlANs
OF THE NATIONS MORALITY.
Cooperation Of Church, School and
Press Essential to Community
Building.
BY Peter Radford
Lecturer NauonuI FARMERS Union.

LNfluItI ANdllbliul tdIllGIh Union
The church, the press and the school
form a 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 | want to
thank those engaged in these high
gallings 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
oreasing the efficiency of all by mu-
tual understanding and organized eff
fort. We will 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
fluences than any other class Of cit.
izenship.
The farmers OF this nation have
built 1901 churches at a cost Of
$750,000, 900, and the annual contribu-
ton Of the nation toward all church
institutions approXimates 5000, 900 900
per annum The farmers of the Uni.
ted States build % churches per day
There are 20, COO 900 rural church com,
municants on the farm, and "a 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 thai
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 a Rural Church.
II the rural churches today are go
ing to render a service which this az,
demands, there must be cooperation
between the religious, social and eco
nomic life OF the community
The church to attain its fullest mea,
uTe of success must enrich the live
OF the people in the community i
serves; ii must build character; deve.
op thought and increase the ~eficienc
OF human life. 1t must serve the sc
cial, business and intellectual as wei
as the spiritual and moral side of life
ii religion does not make a man NOR
capable, more useful and more JUS.
what good is it? We want a practica
religion, one we can live by and farr
by, as well as die Dy.
Fewer and Better Churches.
Blessed is that rural communit
which has but one place OF WORSHIP
While competition is the life oil trad,
it is death to the rural church an
moral starvation to the communit!
Petty sectarianism is a scourge tina
blights the life, and the church prejl
dice saps the vitality, Of many con
munities. An over-churched commul
ity IL a crime against religion, a ser
GUS handicap to society and a useles
tax upon agriculture
While denominations are essentii
, and church pride c~ommendable, III
high teaching of universal Christianit
must prevail if the rural church is {
. fulfill its mission to agriculture
I We frequently have three or foI
churches in a community which Is nj
able to adequately support n Sma
congregations attend services once
, month and all fail TO perform the r
: ligious functions of the communit
1 The division of religious forces an
the breaking INTO fragments of NOR
efforts is ofttimes little less than
calamity and defeats the very purpo,
81 they seek to promote.
e The evils of too many churches ca
be minimized by cooperation III
social and economic life Of a rur
y community are respective units ar
cannot ne successfully divided by d
nominational lines, and the church,
can only occupy this important ne
: by cooperation and coordination
, The efficient country church W
definitely serve its community by lea
ing in all worthy efforts a, communi
" building IN uniting the people in
cooperative endeavors for the &c
eral welfare of the community and
%srousing a real love for country ii
, and loyalty to the country home al
s these results can only be successful
It accomplished by the united effort
the press the school the church al
organized farmers
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